The Emmett J. Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance

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Newsletter Archive

September 2009

Iowa researcher points out that health insurance really isn't insurance

Lost in the debate over a public option health insuarnce plans, saya a University of Iowa expert, is the fact that health insuance differs from other types of of insurance. Read the University of Iowa News Release.

August 2009

Leadership Opportunity

Three Tippie students participated in the first Leadership Iowa University, a program sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. Two students—T.J. Anderson and Jon Raftis—are enrolled in the Risk Management and Insurance Certificate program, and Nick Litwiller has taken several RMI courses. The one-week leadership program, held August 9-13, educates, inspires, and develops young leaders. It encourages their involvement in organizations, communities, and the state of Iowa.

June 2009

Leverty Receives Collegiate Teaching Award

Ty Leverty is one of 20 Iowa faculty members who have been awarded Collegiate Teaching Awards for the 2008-09 academic year.

Leverty is assistant professor of finance and TRISTAR Risk Management Fellow, as well as a faculty member in the Emmett J. Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance. He is an expert in risk management and insurance, particularly in the economics of insurance markets, insurance regulation, and public policy issues in insurance.

The awards represent the highest honor a college bestows on its faculty for excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching. UI News Services

May 2009

3rd Annual Dana Ramundt Insurance Education Foundation Golf Outing, Thursday, August 20, 2009

Meet students involved with the Vaughan Institute and witness first-hand their interest and passion for the industry. Sign up for the Golf Outing today. The event, which is held at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, is a benefit fundraiser for undergraduate students pursuing insurance education at the University of Iowa. To learn more about the event, registration fees and sponsorship opportunities, contact Dana Ramundt.

March 2009

Special Award Honors Adjunct Lecturer Donna Pearcy

By Ruth Paarmann
Donna Pearcy has brought risk management to a new level of awareness. The adjunct lecturer for the Vaughan Institute serves as the University’s chief risk officer. As such, Donna has been the leading staff member in planning for and responding to the 2008 flood. On April 1—almost a year after flood-planning meetings began—Donna received the Distinguished Leadership Award at the annual Celebration of Excellence and Achievement Among Women held at the Old Capitol. Read more....

November 2008

Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa Support Tops $175,000.

The Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance is privileged to work with many supportive industry partners. A partner since the formation of the Institute five years ago, the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa (IIAI) deserves special recognition. Proudly representing the business interests of nearly every independent insurance agency in Iowa (nearly 8,000 agents), this association of dedicated insurance professionals and agents was the first to step forward with a gift to help make the Institute a reality. “IIAI’s most recent gift of $19,850 brings the association’s support to over $175,000 since the inception of the Institute,” says Bob Skow, Chief Executive Officer. Larry Hershberger, Director of the Institute, pointed out “The first $100,000 provided seed money we needed to establish the Institute, and IIAI has since pledged an additional $100,000 for student support.” Gifts from this second pledge, which includes the most recent donation, have funded such critical needs as student internships, scholarships and a resource center for risk management and insurance certificate students.”

September 2008

UI Research Shows Tort Reform Sometimes Lowers Insurance Premiums

September 22, 2008 | By UI News Services

Ty Leverty, TriStar Risk Management Fellow and assistant professor of finance in the Tippie College of Business, recently studied how insurance companies respond to tort reform laws passed by state legislatures. The laws are designed to limit financial awards that can be paid to plaintiffs in liability lawsuits, which saves the insurance companies money and should keep the cost of premiums under control for consumers. Read more....

IIFSEFS Offering Scholarships to RMI students

The Iowa Insurance and Financial Services Education Foundation is offering two $2,500 scholarships to a fulltime undergraduate students completing the Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) Certificate offered through the Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance for academic year 2009-10. The award is renewable and is available to US students and permanent residents. Students will be asked to complete an essay and finalists will interview with the Institute and the Foundation. Preference will be given to students completing an internship with the Iowa insurance and financial services industry.

The deadline to apply is October 21, 2008. For more information or to pick up an application form, contact Viana Rockel, 335-1015, S230A PBB, viana-rockel@uiowa.edu.


August 2008

Leverty named TRISTAR Risk Management Fellow

Ty LevertyDr. J Tyler (Ty) Leverty, Assistant Professor of Finance for the Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance, has been named the TRISTAR Risk Management Fellow. Dr. Leverty teaches Principles of Risk Management and Insurance and Corporate and Financial Risk Management, the two core courses of the Vaughan Institute’s Certificate of Risk Management at Insurance program.

Ty earned a PhD in Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University and a BA in Economics and History at the University of Washington. He joined the finance faculty in the Tippie College of Business in 2005. Ty has expertise in the economics of insurance markets, public policy issues in insurance, financial institutions and markets, and productivity and efficiency. His capability to contribute to the understanding of the markets, firms and institutions that characterize the insurance industry is documented by three recent research awards: (1) the State Farm Companies Doctoral Dissertation Award; (2) the Casualty Actuarial Society Award for the Best Paper at the 2005 World Risk and Insurance Economics Congress; and (3) a $6,000 honorarium to present at The Searle Center-Northwestern University Research Symposium on Insurance Markets and Regulation.

The TRISTAR Risk Management Fellowship was established through a gift from Tom J. and Debbie K. Veale of Palos Verdes Estate, CA. The Veales made their gift to the UI Foundation through their company, TRISTAR Risk Management, a third-party claims administration firm in Long Beach, California. Tom earned his BA in accounting in 1980 and Debbie is a 1981 graduate of the UI Pharmacy School.


July 23, 2008

Best of the Corridor: TrueNorth Companies
Runner UP: AW Welt Abrisco

Two Vaughan Institute partners were recently recognized by the Corridor Business Journal (July 28-August 3, 2008). Congratulations to TrueNorth Companies for being named the Best Insurance Agency in the Corridor and to AW Welt Ambrisco as runner up. TrueNorth was established in 2001 and has a staff of about 200 people. They regularly host interns from the Vaughan Institute and Loren Coppock, Managing Director and Principal, serves on the Vaughan Institute Advisory Board.


July 23, 2008

Institute Receives Grant from Griffith Foundation for Insurance Education

The Robert P. Ashlock Memorial Fund, established at the Griffith Foundation for Insurance Education by Assurex Global, has awarded the Emmett J. Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance an $8,000 grant to improve the curriculum of the Risk Management and Insurance Certificate. The grant will support the salary for an adjunct faculty member to teach a third section of the Principles of Risk Management and Insurance course fall semester 2008. This additional course offering will strengthen the growth of the program and increase the number of students who can achieve the RMI Certificate in four years. Assurex partners in Iowa are Cottingham & Butler, Inc. (Dubuque, IA) and LaMair Mulock Condon Co. (West Des Moines, IA).


July 2008

2nd Annual Dana Ramundt Insurance Education Foundation Golf Outing

The second annual Dana C. Ramundt Insurance Education Foundation golf outing to benefit students in the Risk Management and Insurance Program at the University of Iowa will be held at Finkbine Golf Course on 8/21/08. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. followed by a box lunch. Shotgun start for this four-person scramble is at 12:00 noon. At 4:30 p.m. there will be introductions, awards and a reception. Risk Management and Insurance students who attend will have the chance to receive monetary prizes and awards. Students may download a reservation form or obtain one from karyn-droessler@uiowa.edu. Golfers may register by downloading the reservation form or by contacting Dana Ramundt at dramundt@thedanaco.com. Minimum cost is $180 per person.