UNC-Chapel Hill Launches the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Innovation

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is launching the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Innovation, a new interdisciplinary research and innovation hub that will leverage the expertise of faculty and students from various disciplines across campus to address complex challenges in risk management and insurance.

"The institute will address the financial risks arising from a growing number of threats to our state and beyond, ranging from extreme weather to cybersecurity," explains Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen. "UNC-Chapel Hill is a world leader in translating extreme environmental events into financial risk and now seeks to expand into a wider range of emerging perils."

The institute will foster collaboration among researchers from multidisciplinary fields who share an interest in developing innovative solutions for managing financial risks. The institute will also offer educational programs and experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing careers in the risk management and insurance industry.

UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees Chair John Preyer cited the institute as an example of "a program that both expands knowledge and prepares our students to be strong contributors to the 21st century workforce."

The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Innovation will be led by Greg Characklis, W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering within the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

"The new institute will conduct research that improves our understanding of society's emerging financial risks and our ability to better manage these risks, even as we prepare a new breed of student to become leaders in the risk management and insurance industry," said Characklis.

For more information, please see Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen's message to the UNC-Chapel Hill research community.