On Friday, October 11th, some of the Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) Board Members ventured to Madison for the annual board meeting with RMI MBAs, which was a day filled of insightful information sharing and professional relationship building. With the help of the RMI faculty and the dedicated alumni and board members, the MBA students were reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of this program.
The afternoon began with a “State of the Department” presentation from Faculty Director Ty Leverty, highlighting exciting changes in the department and the growth of the entire RMI program. As someone hoping to be a leader in the industry, I found it interesting to hear how data science and actuarial roles have evolved to become more alike and how the BBA and research programs have advanced. Ty’s remarks at the beginning of the board meeting set a forward-looking tone and reminded all attendees of our shared vision of making this a program of excellence.
Part of what makes the RMI program excellent is the dedication to academic and professional development, which is why RMI MBAs have consistently submitted and won AM Best’s Student Challenge. This year is no different, so following the State of the Department, students facilitated discussions around our first-round competition submissions and received valuable feedback from all the board members. Second-year student Fritz Merizon and I wrote a paper entitled, “Building Resilience Through Parametric Solutions and Reduced Basis Risk,” which proposes solutions for addressing flood risk. The dynamic experience of each board member was evident in the creative and thought-provoking comments we received. Mentors for Fritz and me, Dan Kelly and Andy Nottestad, helped us narrow our topic’s focus; and Melissa Leuck shared flood insights from her academic and professional experience. As each group of students presented their topics, board members Janet Zeaiter, Audrey Lindquist, Christy Kaufman, Phil Hoffmann, and Josh Berman offered unique contributions to students and the group, enriching the conversation.
Following our group discussion, we all had the privilege of hearing from Assistant Professor Stuart Craig, who shared some of his research on hospital mergers and their effect on healthcare prices. This was an incredibly insightful presentation; we discussed his research findings more in-depth in the following week’s classes. At the end of Stuart’s presentation, the students, faculty, and board members came together for a small reception, allowing networking and more one-on-one discussion.
This year’s board meeting was a great reminder of the strength of the RMI program and alumni network. Having informative discussions with board members, learning more about department research, and connecting as a small community reminded me how bright our futures are and how grateful I am to be part of this program.