Josh Novick
University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce
“Avid runner, reader, and fly fisherman with a love for live music, sports, friends, and family.”
Fun fact about yourself: I ran the Charlottesville Marathon in April 2023 with my friend Charlie to spread awareness for college mental health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), raising ~$6,000 jointly for the month of March.
Hometown: Laurel Hollow, New York
High School: The Frederick Gunn School – formerly known as The Gunnery
Major: Commerce (Finance Concentration & Real Estate Track) and Religious Studies
Minor: None
Favorite Business Course: My favorite business course I’ve taken is COMM 4792: Commercial Real Estate Seminar: Advanced Issues and Fieldwork, co-taught by Professors George Overstreet and Brian Healy. Although I am still enrolled, I can confidently say it has been one of the most impactful courses I’ve experienced. Professors Overstreet and Healy have been invaluable resources for engaging with real estate alums, leading site visits and analyzing real-time case studies. The hands-on nature of the course, combined with the authentic expertise they share, has significantly shaped my appreciation. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Keven Lindemann for his contributions to the class; he has been an outstanding resource and a third professor!
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Virginia Undergraduate Real Estate Club (VUREC) – President
McIntire’s Commerce Council – Treasurer
Fourth Year Trustees – Treasurer
Third-Year Council – Wellness, Service, & Social Outreach Chair
Second-Year Council – Wellness & Social Outreach Committee Member
First-Year Council – Wellness & Social Outreach Committee Member
UVA Inter-Fraternity Council – Alumni & Faculty Relations Chair + Recruitment Committee
Run4Nami [Mental Health Awareness & Advocacy] – Organizer & Fundraiser
UVA Finance Academy – Participate & Mentor + McIntire Welcome Mentor
UVA Undergraduate Religious Studies – Inaugural Jewish Studies Undergraduate Fellow
UVA’s Credit & RX Club – Founding Member; Virginia Urban Land Institute (ULI) – Member
UVA Men’s Club Lacrosse – Midfielder; Achillies Charlottesville – Runner & Volunteer
UVA Blackstone 2024-2025 Student Ambassador
Research Assistant (RA) – White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate
Teaching Assistant (TA) – COMM 2700: Basic Finances for Real Estate
Honors & Awards:
Dean’s List
Germain Scholar/Scholarship
Warwick Johnson Scholar/Scholarship
Lenox-Conyngham Scholarship Finalist (Ongoing)
Where have you interned during your college career?
Blackstone Credit, Summer Analyst – New York, NY
Centre Partners, Private Equity Summer Analyst – New York, NY
Where will you be working after graduation? (Include company and title):
Blackstone Credit, Chief Investment Office (CIO) Incoming Analyst – New York, NY
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite business professor is Professor Katie McDermott. Her teaching style is incredibly engaging, helping students connect with the material through pride, enthusiasm, and vitality—all at once. She’s not only a phenomenal educator but also takes the time to get to know her students, encouraging everyone to attend office hours. She goes the extra mile to ensure students feel heard, respected, and valued.
One example that stands out is how she often references books or novels she has read during class and is always eager to recommend a book when I ask. Even though I took her class in Fall 2023, we still email back-and-forth with book recommendations. If I stumble across something related to our class material in the news or at work, I can’t help but think of her lessons.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson from these past two years of studying business is the power of diverse perspectives. Over my academic career, I’ve learned that the most successful teams come from a culture that values every voice, shaped by a unique background.
With its inclusive culture, McIntire has shown me that embracing diversity is one of the greatest opportunities for self-growth. By encouraging students to share their perspectives, McIntire creates an environment where teamwork thrives and different opinions become essential in solving complex, real-world challenges.
I am incredibly fortunate to begin my career understanding that true collaboration is not just about working together but about confidently bringing distinct experiences and ideas to the table. Ultimately, we are all unique puzzle pieces–and the sooner we embrace that, the better we can collaborate, learn, and innovate.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? When I was joining a new community and transitioning into college, I was constantly reminded to try to meet as many people as possible, stretch outside my comfort zone, and get involved in ways that felt right for me.
At first, this can be highly overwhelming and demanding; however, through these experiences, you learn so much from those around you and form friendships and connections that last a lifetime. You never truly know what you like or want to do until you at least try.
To take full advantage, I emphasize that we are bound by nothing and the products of our environments. Setbacks and challenges are a part of life’s perpetual process – without them, we would never grow and discover we can achieve as much as we believe.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have loved more opportunities to take higher-level accounting classes. However, the incredible chance to study abroad offered equally invaluable experiences — ones that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Despite the academic trade-off, it was a chance to step outside my comfort zone, broaden my perspective, and develop skills that will benefit me personally and professionally in ways I couldn’t have anticipated.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? McIntire has integrated AI into our programming by allowing it to deliver idea-driving insights and generate valuable feedback. In October 2023, McIntire welcomed Zack Kass from OpenAI to discuss The AI Revolution. Since then, Kass, an AI Futurist, has joined McIntire as Executive-in-Residence, hosted “meets and mingles” to engage with students personally, and collaborated on cutting-edge innovations.
In the classroom, McIntire encourages students to build AI models to enhance training and testing accuracy. For example, these models could hypothetically be used to make accurate predictions or business decisions, such as forecasting customer churn. My friend Elizabeth, who is double concentrating in Information Technology and Finance, has used AI to refine her assignments — maximizing parameters or asking it to recommend improvements to her models.
Through using AI, I’ve learned that there are many ways to generate solutions to problems. Information is paramount, but being creative and approaching challenges from different angles allows us to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the future.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? My proudest achievement occurred this past fall when I ran a forty-miler in honor of Professor Andrew “Drew” Sanderford to raise money for college mental health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). During the fundraiser, I employed social media to spread my cause, organize a place for donations, and keep my supporters up-to-date.
Overall, we collectively raised $12,000+ for public awareness and advocacy. When I started the page, I could never dream or imagine reaching such a feat — I honestly couldn’t have done it without everyone’s love and generosity, and I cannot appreciate it anymore.
An anecdote I included from my initial post speaks more to the cause and how much of a difference Professor Sanderford made to the UVA community and me. I have included it below:
“On August 31, 2023, I lost a dear friend, mentor, leader, confidant, and the best professor I’ve ever known. He was the kind of person who would cheer loudly from the last row of a huge lecture hall, breaking pin-drop silence, meet you where you were when having a tough week, or go on a walk and catch up about anything and everything with the biggest smile: ‘a walk and talk.’
When I was younger, I subconsciously assumed loss only came with old age. Yet, my experiences continue to teach me otherwise. To be ‘so young’ and witness so many people gone is a daunting thing. Seeing parents bury their loved ones, children, and my friends has been something I’ve encountered far too often — I always believed the process of your parents meeting your teachers was the norm, not you meeting your teacher’s parents as they mourn their loss at a Celebration of Life.
Everyone has been uniquely affected by these tragedies, but we can agree on the way forward: more mental health crisis prevention, advocacy, reminding those around us how much we care and love them, and so much more — life is so precious.
In honor of his passing at forty years old, I plan to run a 40-miler, keeping myself honest at $6-10 dollars a mile. I welcome those who want to support or get involved to reach out, share the message further, or join in any way you think is fit. It could be walking, reminding those around you they’re never alone, or hugging someone a little tighter today. Everything makes a difference — you see, the little things and acts always grow, prevail, and mean way more than anyone can imagine; we all just need to try to start somewhere, and this is my way of trying.”
Which classmate do you most admire? There are many remarkable peers at McIntire, but the person I admire most is Romeo Sarmiento. Romeo has been a foundational leader, friend, and advocate for the student body.
Romeo’s dedication to the Marine Corps, with seven years of service, is evident in the wealth of experience he brings both in and outside the classroom. He’s served as President of the Student Veterans of America at UVA, developing a new partnership between the University and the Warrior-Scholar Project and advocating for the creation of the inaugural Assistant Director of Military-Affiliated Student Support.
Romeo is a true force for good. He always innovates and thinks of ways to improve our community, lending a hand and voice to those who feel voiceless and encouraging everyone to never take anything for granted.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I want to thank my parents for everything they have done for me. They have given me the world and always vouched for me in any and all applicable situations. They have shown me the importance of family and taught me many valuable lessons of empathy, honesty, integrity, and so much more. I’m not sure they are aware, but they motivate me daily to wake up, work my hardest in everything I do, devote my all to the people I care about and love, and be present with what’s in front of me.
They both always know how to grab me by the reigns and put me back on track whenever I need it, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of the love and time they have invested in me. They have been the most cherished role models, heroes, best friends, and parents a son could have asked for — I would not be the person I am today nor be at the place I am without them both. Love you most!
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
1. I am determined to work internationally or live abroad to expand my education, personal growth, and experiences. I genuinely enjoy meeting new people, learning diverse practices and standards, and immersing myself in cultures and norms outside my own. I firmly believe that travel is one of the best forms of education; Anthony Bourdain’s words uniquely captured this mantra: “Travel is not a reward for the working; it is education for the living.”
2. I aspire to come back to Grounds and McIntire one day as a guest speaker and try to get involved in all ways. Throughout my time here, I found the alums to be some of the most forward-thinking, kindest, and insightful connections and resources. I would love to give back to the place that has given me the most.
What made Josh such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Josh is the type of student you simply don’t see every year. He is all you expect from a top student: hardworking, curious, intelligent, humble, a natural leader, and a great team builder. More importantly, though, Josh is wise beyond his years. He has fully embraced everything UVA and the McIntire School offer. He has championed the role of real estate education at the university through his leadership with the Virginia Undergraduate Real Estate Club while embracing the university’s liberal arts tradition by majoring in Religious Studies. Most importantly, Josh exhibits a deep level of empathy. When faced with a tragedy that shook us all, Josh turned to good works by running a 40-miler to raise money to support the National Alliance on Mental Health. After his run, he reflected, “This experience underscored how `we never quite know our impact on other people, whether from our words, actions or even small gestures – a smile or quick hello in passing – to those around us.’” All of us at McIntire look forward to seeing how Josh continues to impact others in the future.”
Mike Gallmeyer
Consumer Bankers Association Eminent Professor
McIntire School of Commerce
University of Virginia
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