The Vaughan Institute of

Risk Management

October 2024 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.

We are deep into the fall semester and moving full steam ahead with great events and experiences to fuel our momentum.

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Key performance indicators

As of October 30, 2024

316 students enrolled in the RMI Program
Top 5 in the country in enrolled students
263 students enrolled in the RMI Major
34 Students enrolled in the RMI Certificate
18 Students enrolled in the UI's MBA Program with RMI focus
1 Student enrolled in the RMI PhD Program
98 Gamma Iota Sigma Members - Membership has doubled since Sept.1

Watch our new RMI student recruitment video

Welcome Fred Crawford,

our new Executive in Residence!

Read more about the EIR Program

Vaughan Institute fall advisory board meeting

Thank you to our outstanding Vaughan Institute advisory board who met on October 11. They provided amazing feedback in our collaborative innovation sessions, and advised and connected with 25 of our top RMI students in a speed-networking event.

2024 fall scholarship event

On October 28, the Vaughan Institute awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships to 46 deserving applicants. Students received their awards, mingled with peers and listened to a panel of young professionals from Cottingham & Butler, Holmes Murphy, and TrueNorth Companies. Panelists spoke on the topic of "What they didn't teach you in college, but you wish they would have." Thank you to our loyal supporters, annual golf outing sponsors, and attendees who made this possible.

Click on the above link to hear a short message from our students to our loyal supporters!

Like to learn more about being a scholarship supporter? Contact Meg Rife.

First UI Insurtech Innovation Course

Jim Lewis, Vaughan Institute Executive Director, will teach the first Insurtech Innovation course at the University of Iowa this spring semester. What an amazing insurtech ecosystem we have that creates opportunities for our students in collaboration with founders and companies. Sign up soon as class size is limited to 40 students. This course also counts as an RMI elective for the major.

See full course description below.

Interested in having your company participate? Contact Jim Lewis.

Thank you to our recent

Thought Leaders & Innovators speakers

ITC Insurtech Connect 2024

9,000 attendees looking for innovative ways to make the world safer and more secure, and this group of Iowans all gathered for a photo. We are fortunate to be an insurtech epicenter with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, ManchesterStory, Global Insurance Accelerator, Broker Tech Ventures, Zoe Foundry, multiple carriers, the UI's JPEC, and the Vaughan Institute -- all major players.

Join us at these upcoming events

Global Rapid Accelerator Event Pitch Day

November 13, 2024

This is a great opportunity to see some of the best international insurtech companies in Des Moines.

"Our goal will always be to bring to market solutions that help our clients identify risks sooner so they can drive down costs faster. We believe insurtechs all over the world have technologies that can help us do that, and we are committed to elevating and supporting them for the greater benefit of all stakeholders."

Dan Keough

Chairman and CEO

Holmes Murphy

Vaughan Institute Senior Night - Save the Date!

Monday, December 9, at 7 - 9 p.m.

Location TBD. Be on the lookout for more details in the coming weeks.

Vaughan Institute 20th Anniversary - Save the Date!

November 5-6, 2025

Big plans in the works for a major event in Iowa City. Think Ted Talk style event combined with a national student case competition on "What Emerging Risks Could be Addressed with Insurtech Innovation?" Other top programs can be looking for an invite coming soon and be our guests in Iowa City next year.

Faculty spotlight

Richard Peter, Ph.D.

Nationwide Associate Professor

What most excites you about the Vaughan Institute?

I’m mostly excited about our students. I care deeply about our students not only as learners but as individuals who all bring their unique experiences and aspirations to the table.

What would you tell someone new to the field of Risk Management & Insurance (RMI)?

I would tell them that it is a fascinating field that is filled with opportunity and has a space for people from all kinds of different backgrounds. Not surprisingly, we need numbers people in RMI, for example, actuaries and statisticians, to help figure out probabilities. We also need to understand markets because insurance, for example, is sold on the marketplace. And then there’s financing because capital is key to the stability of financial institutions. One thing that has always attracted me to the field of RMI is the role of the human element, things like the psychology of risk, behavioral biases, and how to avoid them.

When you’re not researching/teaching, what can we catch you doing in your free time?

There is a good chance that you will find me spending time with my husband, Todd, and our three Golden Retrievers, Lilly, Dahila, and Iris. We love being outdoors and staying active with our three ladies. For Christmas and during the summer, I often spend time with my family in Germany.

What are your current research interests?

Some of my published research looks at the role of risk preferences in prevention decisions. One might think that risk aversion plays a key role for these types of behaviors but it turns out that other aspects of preferences matter as well, if not more. Some of my ongoing research looks at the role of time and whether people who take an ostrich approach to risk invest too little in prevention (spoiler alert: not necessarily, you might be surprised!).