Gary Rozier, ECON ’99

Both personally and professionally, Gary Rozier, ECON ’99, takes pride in making good investments. Whether it comes to building a career he loves, contributing to charitable organizations, enjoying life in Chicago with his family, or supporting his alma mater, he’s all in.

Rozier is the Senior Managing Director of Real Assets for Blue Owl Capital, which seeks to provide high-quality capital solutions to businesses and to investors. 

He is also the Chair of the BSOS Board of Visitors, which advises the dean and other College leadership on a broad range of topics, and also serves the student and alumni communities. Rozier frequently engages with UMD through his Board service, and visits campus when he gets the chance; especially to cheer on the Terps.

By giving of his time and talents, he is “paying it forward.” Rozier said that his time at the University of Maryland—particularly his classes and experience within ECON—helped him to forge a career he loves and a sense of adventure and curiosity that drives his personal pursuits. 

Though he is extremely busy and frequently traveling, Rozier has stayed connected to his alma mater, and encourages others to stay engaged with moving UMD forward.

“I want to make sure Maryland graduates have an edge and the ability to distinguish themselves, in their careers and in all they do. I know that when I give to our college, I am helping the next generation of Terps acquire that edge.”

Making the Most of Maryland

“I had the quintessential college experience. I made a ton of friends, lived on campus for four years and played rugby for the Terps,” Rozier said. “Coming from Pittsburgh, I was determined not to go to school in my home state. I wanted to go somewhere new and meet new people and have new experiences. I also wanted to be close to Washington, D.C.  That transiency and diversity made my experience ten times better.”

But his positive experience at Maryland didn’t just involve sports and a good social life. He enjoyed academics as well, particularly classes and experiences within his major.

“I have good memories of the department. I remember that my Game Theory class was the last final I took before graduating. It was those classes within my major during my last semester that really drove home how exciting and interesting it was for me to be able to put my internship experience into my course work,” Rozier said. “When I meet with students and faculty now, I stress how important I think it is for students to be given the opportunity to gain some type of professional experience during that undergraduate career, like an internship, and be able to make that professional, real-world experience a part of what they are studying.”

“I only have one regret about my time at Maryland, and that is that I didn’t take advantage of all the opportunities here sooner. My internship experiences had a huge effect on me, but when I came back to school afterward, I only had one semester left. I went all-out during that time, seeing my classes and my studies as steps in my career path. At that point, I craved the opportunity to talk with my professors and to take advantage of all the resources here.”

Mr. Rozier’s advice to current students, therefore, is to take advantage of every opportunity—such as career counseling services and special lectures—and to develop connections with professors, who are experts in their field and who can offer advice on jobs and networking.

Mr. Rozier’s Maryland experience didn’t stop when he graduated. He is a Lifetime Member of the University of Maryland Alumni Association, and has made a number of generous gifts to UMD and to BSOS. Notably, he created the Gary L. Rozier Professional Experience Endowment.

Rozier and his wife, Macy, have three children: Dominic, Tyson, and Alison. He and his wife are both committed to family time, to their careers, and to traveling and partaking in fun activities with their children. It’s a busy lifestyle, he said, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m constantly on a plane, visiting multiple cities across the country seeing our clients. I fly out, do meetings, then fly right back to be with my kids. I don't believe in choosing one thing over another in this life. You just figure out a way to do it all,” he said.

While his wife graduated from Penn State, the couple decided to have their wedding here at the University of Maryland 10 years ago at Memorial Chapel. That unforgettable experience—along with his visits to campus and his continued engagement with the Department of Economics, BSOS and the University—ensure that Mr. Rozier will always be a Terp.

“My love for Maryland has grown and continues to grow over time. After you graduate, when you think about your time on campus, you realize the wonderful things that the University of Maryland did for you. You develop pride in that,” he said. “Visiting campus now is great reminder of those things. My life experiences help me appreciate my time here even more. I’m proud to be a Terp, and I am very proud to have gone to school in the D.C. metro area.”

Reflecting on the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ mission to “Be the Solution” to the world’s great challenges, Rozier said, “To me, being the solution means just that.  In my career, I always try to zero in on what the issue actually is. I help our clients to see the forest through trees, get rid of the noise, and figure out best way to solve a problem.”