Risher will support the increasing number of East Coast colleges and universities that the firm serves, with more than 20 years of industry experience. Previously, Risher advised on P3 and other real estate projects for institutions, such as the University of Illinois, Howard University, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Navy and the city of Washington DC. Additionally, Risher has served as a guest lecturer at events sponsored by the National Council for Public Private Partnerships, Academic Impressions and P3 Higher Education. Risher earned a bachelor of science in biology from Bridgewater College and a master of science in real estate development from John Hopkins University.

The firm's East Coast expansion follows various, recent investments in its Advisory Services practice, including the launch of the Student Housing Knowledge Center, an online portal providing free educational resources to higher-education student housing professionals.

The Scion Group's Advisory Services practice aims to offer consulting services focused exclusively on campus housing projects. The company has served more than 200 higher education institutions and advised on more than $5 billion of new or renovated campus housing projects since its inception in 1999. The Advisory Services team collaborates on campus housing aspects, including housing feasibility, master planning, residential life programming, operations, program management and asset management.

The Scion Group is the largest, privately-held owner/operator of student housing communities in the US. The company manages a current portfolio of 86 properties, encompassing 58,200 beds.