The Willis Research Network (WRN), a public/private scientific research collaboration, has added 10 new United States partners to its network of 30 science institutions.
The WRN is part of Willis Re, the reinsurance arm of insurance broker Willis Group Holdings.
Willis said that the new academic partners bring additional science to confront the industry challenges of managing extremes and supporting sustainability through research in natural catastrophes, building vulnerability, life reinsurance, capital modeling, workers' compensation and other fields.
The new partners are:
o National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J., Professor Isaac Held researching tropical cyclones.
o Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center, Florida State University: Professor Patrick Maroney researching tropical cyclones.
o University of Oklahoma, School of Meteorology, Professor Harold Brooks researching tornados and hail.
o School of Engineering, University of California, Merced County, Professor Anthony Westerling researching wildfire.
o Institute of Building & Home Safety, North Carolina, Julie Rochman researching building vulnerability.
o Climate Decision Making Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Iris Grossmann researching climate impacts.
o School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Tech., Professor Glenn Rix researching marine port seismic risk.
o Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Professor Howard Kunreuther researching catastrophe risk financing and public policy.
o Department of Strategic General Management, Fox School of Business, Temple University, Professor James Hutchin researching sustainability and risk management.
o Department of Risk Management and Insurance, Georgia State University, Professor Richard Phillips researching economic capital modeling on life reinsurance.
These members join four existing U.S. WRN members at Princeton University, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Scripps Institute and the University of Colorado.
In a statement Jim Bradshaw, chief executive officer of Willis Re North America, said, "The WRN is delivering remarkable improvements in the breadth and quality of science and modeling that will not only aid our clients in their risk management and reinsurance decision-making, but also assist society at large in its efforts to protect exposed populations and property."
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