Tippie College of Business

Vaughan Institute 
of Risk Management

November 2025 Update

Working together to inspire and equip the next generation of Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) leaders to make the world safer, smarter, and more secure.

November was an incredibly meaningful month for the Vaughan Institute. We hosted our inaugural RISC Summit + Innovation Challenge with seven of the top RMI programs attending, commemorated our 20th anniversary with a featured documentary on our namesake, Emmett J. Vaughan, and closed the month with the honor of being named the third largest risk management and insurance program in the nation by Business Insurance magazine. We have so much for which to be grateful.

Key Performance Indicators

As of November 30, 2025

• 515 students enrolled in the RMI program (+37% since 11/30/24)
• 445 students enrolled in the RMI major (+43% since 11/30/24)
• 46 students enrolled in the RMI certificate
• 22 students enrolled in the MBA program with an RMI focus
• 2 RMI PhD students

Inaugural RISC Summit + Innovation 
Challenge Highlights

The Innovation Challenge brought together seven leading RMI programs to compete for $20K in prizes by tackling this question in a six-minute presentation: "How can innovation address emerging risks?" Congratulations to the University of Wisconsin for earning the grand prize. Florida State University claimed second place, and Illinois State University secured third.

Every presentation showcased incredible talent and reinforced these students are indeed the next generation of RMI leaders. Special thanks to our four expert insurtech judges—Jason Andrew, Nicole Gunderson, Susan Hatten, and Kaylee Williams—for lending their insights and expertise.

Also, a huge thank you to our generous sponsors for their support that made this epic event possible.

We had an amazing group of speakers who brought many different aspects of risk to life in real-world examples that have made a big impact on our industry. Here's a quick collection of a few and watch for future issues with videos highlights.

Dan Keough

CEO, Holmes Murphy; 
Co-Founder of Broker Tech Ventures

Topic: Staying Ahead of Emerging Risks: Lessons from BrokerTech Ventures

Jack Kudale

Founder and CEO, Cowbell

Topic: More Cowbell: The Sound of Cyber Risk Innovation

Daniela Paladino

UI Student and Panel Moderator

Julie Spore

Chief Administrative 
Officer, Transamerica

Kelli Eddy

Chief Operating Officer, Farm Bureau Financial Services

Tanya Wentzel

Regional Vice President, EMC

Topic: Voices of Leadership: Women Transforming Insurance"

Nick Hentges

CEO, Captive Resources

Topic: Alignment: The Key to Risk Management

Dr. Patrick J. McNamara and Dr. Christian Pettker

University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital

Topic: Tiny Package, Enormous Risks: Inside the World’s Smallest Delivery

David Becker

President, Cottingham and Butler

Topic: Overcoming the Risk of Anonymity: How to Make an Impact in Your Community

Jennifer Housel

Staff Vice President, Healthcare and Education Global Practice Leader, FM Global

Topic: Innovation on Wheels: The FM Risk Prevention Truck and the Impact it is Making

Chip Duncan

Filmmaker, author, photojournalist, Duncan Entertainment

Topic: The Art of Risk and Reward

Mark your calendar now for the 2nd Annual RISC Summit and Innovation Challenge, October 28–29, 2026!

Vaughan Institute Celebrates 20 Years

What an unforgettable evening marking Vaughan Institute’s 20th anniversary at the close of the RISC Summit and Innovation Challenge! More than 120 friends and supporters—including advisory board members, faculty, graduating seniors, the Vaughan family, and seven of the leading RMI programs—came together to celebrate this special milestone and reflect on the many achievements that have shaped our journey.

The evening concluded with a powerful short documentary, Lighting the Spark: The Enduring Legacy of Emmett J. Vaughan. We invite you to watch the full film below and experience the story that continues to inspire our work. Our heartfelt thanks to James Drescher—filmmaker and proud University of Iowa alum—for bringing this vision to life with many great contributors.

Iowa Ranked 3rd Largest RMI Program in U.S.

More than 50 colleges and universities participated in the 2025 Business Insurance magazine's survey, which ranks the nation’s largest RMI programs by enrollment and number of graduates for the 2024–2025 academic year. Iowa rose to #3, climbing up two spots from last year.

Risk management and insurance programs are on the rise. Enrollment in the 10 largest programs grew to 3,306 students this year—up from 3,166 last year—marking the second consecutive year of growth after several years of decline.

“Among the top 10 programs, total enrollment jumped by 140 students this year—and Iowa led the way, driving 62% of that growth with our majors climbing from 263 to 350. And the momentum keeps building. As of November 30, we’ve reached 445 majors and 46 certificates,” said Vaughan Institute Executive Director, Jim Lewis.

With record-breaking enrollment and rising demand, Iowa is proud to be a powerful force shaping the future of RMI education.

Check out our previous issues