| Executive Committee | |
John Hammond
President
Meg Allwein
Executive Vice President
Jason Warden
Vice President
Alan Hoffmann
Vice President
(Past President)
Jeffery W. Lamb
Vice President
(Immediate Past President)
Jake Timmins
Secretary
Brian Bowerman
Treasurer
Josh Hart
Alumni Representative
Christopher Place
Industry Representative
Dr. RB Drennan
Faculty Representative
Dr. Karen Epermanis
Faculty Representative
Alyssa Bouchard
Student Representative
Mike Kelly
Student Representative
Noelle Codispoti
Executive Director
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Dear Students,
Spring has sprung, and with its arrival we bring you an abundance of opportunities to enhance your personal, academic and professional development. In this issue, we feature a sampling of the new and exciting resources and events that our partners offer. In addition to other chapter news, we are pleased to highlight our newest chapter as of today, as well as an accomplished alumna. We have also been adding to the Career Center - be sure to sign up if you haven't, and register for the upcoming webinar. Remember to make every opportunity matter!
Fraternally yours,
Noelle Codispoti, ARM Executive Director, Gamma Iota Sigma |
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Congratulations and Welcome!
Beta Kappa Officially Charters Today, March 21, 2014
Beta Kappa, at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Congratulations on today's chartering ceremony!
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GIS Career Center: Own Your Future
Have you signed up for the GIS Career Center? There are currently over 25 postings from companies offering internships and entry-level jobs, including AIG, Gen Re, Starr Companies, Swiss Re and more. These employers are also able to search through student profiles, so i f your resume is not on there you are missing out! It's easy:
This is an exclusive benefit for Gamma Iota Sigma members to be seen by companies and organizations who are actively recruiting and to apply for internships and jobs. Don't miss out!
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GIS Webinar Series: April 9 at 3pm EST
You won't want to miss the next webinar, Autonomous Vehicles and the Impact on the Insurance Industry, which will take place Wednesday, April 9 at 3:00pm EST. This exciting emerging area has broad appeal, potential and implications. If you haven't yet, register here!
Advancements over the past decade have allowed companies such as Google, Audi, Nissan, and Mercedes to bring driverless cars out of the realm of science fiction and onto our roads. The potential benefit of autonomous vehicles to society is enormous - the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that 90% of the crashes that result in over 30,000 fatalities each year are due in part to human error. Consequently, removing the human from the equation represents an incredible opportunity to improve the safety of our roads.
This technology represents a fundamental change in transportation risk, and professionals throughout the insurance industry are well-positioned to add value to this emerging area. This webinar will provide an overview of the state of autonomous vehicle development and discuss the impact on the insurance industry in areas such as liability insurance and data collection.
This webinar is brought to you by Gamma Iota Sigma and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), a leading resource in educating casualty actuaries and conducting research in casualty actuarial science.
Thank you to Assurex Global for providing the host technology.
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NEW! Scholarship/Financial Aid Program from the CPCU-Loman Education Foundation
Internships are a great way to discover the limitless opportunities within the insurance industry. But sometimes finances can get in the way of following your path. That's where the CPCU-Loman Education Foundation Internship Financial Aid Program comes in!
You can earn up to $3,000 in financial aid through this new CPCU Society program, designed to offset the costs of professional clothing, travel, housing, and other expenses so that you are able to pursue an internship that will allow you to explore a career in the insurance industry.
To qualify, an applicant must be:
- A college sophomore, junior, or senior
- Applying for, securing, or accepting a paid insurance-related internship requiring an average of thirty to forty hours a week for at least eight weeks total
- Registered for internship credit
- A United States citizen
- Able to submit his or her application by the June 1 deadline
For more information about this great opportunity, or to apply to the program, visit the CPCU-Loman Education Foundation website.
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Conquer the CAS Monthly Puzzler: Hot & Cold
Astronomers have been discovering extrasolar planets at a fantastic rate. One is a planet with the catchy name PV/Nk, which has exactly four equally long seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. From the Coldest Day, which is in the middle of winter, to the Hottest Day, which is in the middle of summer, the temperature increases at a uniform rate. Similarly, from Hottest Day to the Coldest Day the temperature decreases at a uniform rate. During the winter, the average temperature measured in degrees Celsius equals the average temperature measured in degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer, the average temperature measured in degrees Kelvin equals the average temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
What is the temperature on the Hottest Day? On the Coldest Day?
Submit your solutions to CASStudentCentral@casact.org.
Courtesy of the Casualty Actuarial Society
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Alumni Spotlight: Gina Domitrovich
 Hello Gamma members!
As a 2007 Olivet College grad and member of the Alpha Alpha chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, I saw immediately the benefits of committing time and energy to Gamma and the resources it offered. I learned the basics of insurance, decided on my career path, and learned to communicate effectively in a business setting.
Building relationships and networking are some of the first things we do as members of Gamma. From those first few meetings with your fellow chapter members to the first national conference you attend, the main focus is the people you meet. That won't change as you progress through internships and into the professional world. Being a part of Gamma puts you ahead of many other employees as your professional network is already in place and growing, and you'll find many Gamma alumni willing to help you grow professionally just as other alumni did for them in years prior.
Upon graduation in 2007, I went to work with the Hanover Insurance Group in Itasca, Illinois as a marine underwriting trainee. Marine insurance includes inland and ocean marine. Ocean marine is the oldest type of insurance. It dates back to members of Lloyd's coffeehouse in London in the 1600's writing their names under the description of a vessel and its cargo that they were willing to insure a portion of, hence the term "underwriter." Insurance is provided internationally for cargo, including transit and warehousing. Inland marine involves exposures such as cranes, equipment, cargo in trucks and on trains, buildings under construction, fine arts, and other miscellaneous (usually mobile) property. In August of 2012, I moved to AIG as a Senior Marine Underwriter based in Chicago, which has afforded me the opportunity to work on larger and more complex marine risks as my career progresses.
Networking beyond Gamma is the next step, and through industry organizations and company events, you'll find those skills from your first days as a Gamma member becoming increasingly useful. Taking the time out of a busy work day to attend RIMS events in your area, industry-specific group meetings, and to join various committees both externally and internally with your employer will strengthen your skills and presence in the marketplace you choose. Having experience outside of the workplace makes me more marketable and well-rounded in my on-the-job duties.
The biggest piece of advice I have for current Gamma members preparing for their career is don't be afraid to put yourself out there. People will not bring opportunities to you, you have to go out and find them. While in pursuit of those opportunities, I always like to remember my favorite Rule of Work: under-promise and over-deliver.
Please feel free to reach out to me at gina.domitrovich@aig.com.
Thanks,
Gina Domitrovich
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The CLM: Industry Events and Education
By Susan Wisbey-Smith
The Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance is the only national organization created to meet the needs of professionals in the claims and litigation management industries. Founded in 2007, the CLM currently has more than 25,000 Members and Fellows - a number that grows by hundreds each month.
For students of insurance, risk management or actuarial science, joining the CLM brings tremendous benefits - and it's FREE. Simply visit www.theclm.org/fr and click on the link to join as a Fellow. Membership in the CLM provides you with many benefits:
- Free subscriptions to our publications, Claims Management and Litigation Management (available in both print and digital versions)
- Complimentary registration to many local and regional educational and networking events (check out our calendar of events)
- Ability to attend webinars at no cost
- Inclusion in our email list to learn about upcoming events and internship opportunities
The CLM sponsors a claims management internship program each summer. For the summer of 2014, we have more than 30 paid positions open across the US. Applications close on April 1 and can be found at www.theclm.org/internship. These internships are with many of the leading insurance companies in the country. Interns are also provided with access to online training to earn their adjuster license. The intern program was launched in 2013 and all of the interns found the experience and exposure to the claims side of business to be tremendously valuable.
The CLM also hosts the annual Claims College in Philadelphia. The College currently has seven schools and three levels within each school. The curriculum is designed by and for claims professionals. The Claims College is a true educational experience, not an industry seminar or conference. Successful completion of all three levels of a school earns participants a respected industry designation.
To learn more about the CLM, visit www.theclm.org.
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St. John's University: Graduate Studies in Risk
You might not be familiar with the School of Risk Management (SRM) at St. John's University. The SRM, a division of the Peter J. Tobin College of Business, is a relatively quiet school in spite of its distinguished 100 plus year history, outstanding alumni network, unsurpassed connections with the leaders of the risk management and insurance industry and world-renowned professors. The School of Risk Management is home to the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library, which holds the largest and most significant risk and insurance collection in the world.
The School of Risk Management's endowment allows for substantial merit-based financial aid to students seeking Masters of Science degrees in Enterprise Risk Management and Management of Risk, both of which can be completed in a calendar year. Numerous opportunities for professional internships are available to graduate students while they pursue their degree. Faculty, administration and staff work together to ensure high job placement rates for SRM graduates; the SRM placed all of its domestic graduates over the last three years with companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co., Deloitte & Touche, Travelers, ACE Group, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The School of Risk Management will relocate to a brand new, state-of-the-art building near Astor Place in Manhattan's East Village in June 2014. We hope you will apply and join us there in the fall. Applications received by March 31 will receive primary consideration for merit-based financial assistance.
To learn more about continuing your education at the School of Risk Management at St. John's University, please contact:
Stephanie Taylor, Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions
Email: taylors@stjohns.edu
Phone: (212) 284-7017
Or
Mark J. Browne, PhD
Robert Clements Distinguished Chair in Risk Management & Insurance
Chair of the Faculty of Risk Management, Insurance & Actuarial Science
Email: brownem1@stjohns.edu
Phone: (212) 277-5175
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The ACORD LOMA Forum, May 4-6
By Johnell Johnson
Now is the time to prepare for your future in the insurance industry. The best way to do that is attend this year's ACORD LOMA Forum in Orlando, Florida from May 4-6th. Unlike other events geared towards domains such as underwriting, claims and actuarial, ACORD LOMA covers that AND technology and operations. Plus, you have the potential to network with:
- CIOs
- COOs
- Technology research analysts
- System vendors in the insurance space
- Agents
- Analysts
- Architects
- And so many more!
What will you learn? Hear the latest on topics including:
- Data & Analytics
- Distribution
- E-Business
- Emerging and Disruptive Technology
- Operations
Visit acordlomaforum.org for a complete list of session topics. And the best part: registration for students is FREE! That's a savings of $1,000! Contact Johnell Johnson at jjohnson@acord.org to discuss your attendance at this year's Forum. We hope to see you there!
About ACORD
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is a global, nonprofit standards development organization serving the insurance industry and related financial services industries. ACORD's mission is to facilitate the development of open consensus data standards and standard forms. ACORD members include hundreds of insurance and reinsurance companies, agents and brokers, software providers, and industry associations worldwide. ACORD works with these organizations towards a goal of improved data communication across diverse platforms through implementation of standards. ACORD maintains offices in New York and London.
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GIS Week of Service: Eta Chapter
 On February 6, 2014, the Eta Chapter at The University of Georgia traveled to the Athens Animal Shelter and provided volunteers for each of the shelter's business hours. We learned how the shelter operates, as well as the needs of the individual animals. We got to play with dogs of all breeds and sizes, from puppies to adults. We were able to walk the dogs, play with them in pens, and even feed them treats. Most of all, we were able to provide loving attention to those animals who had been neglected. To say the experience was rewarding is an understatement. The response from the chapter was overwhelming and it has been expressed that many want to make this a more permanent event.
Submitted by Richa Niblett, Eta Chapter President
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GIS Week of Service: Alpha Kappa Chapter
 Gamma Iota Sigma enjoys giving back to the Bloomington-Normal, IL community, and the Polar Plunge is an event that members look forward to each year. Alpha Kappa chapter members raise at least $75 each to "plunge" into Lake Bloomington in Miller Park. All funds raised are donated to the Special Olympics of Illinois. This year we had 17 plungers and raised $2,645 collectively. It was a great success.
By Patrick O'Brien, Alpha Kappa Chapter President
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Chapter News: Alpha Mu
2014 VCU RISC Trends Conference Wrap-up
 VCU's 8th annual RISC Trends Conference, held on Tuesday, March 11, was a huge success. Members of the Alpha Mu Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma were quick to take the opportunity to volunteer at this event. Some of the most qualified authorities were present to speak to this year's theme of the risks and threats of terrorism. One highlight was the engaging discussion panel with the Risk Manager of the World Trade Center Properties, Shari Natovitz, Global Risk Manager of Jones Lang LaSalle, Janice Ochenkowski, and former Governor of Virginia James Gilmore III. Governor Gilmore also chaired the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Having speakers with this combination of backgrounds together on a discussion panel resulted in an extremely informational and eye-opening talk. A huge emphasis was placed on the impact that congress's upcoming decision on whether or not to renew the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) will have on the insurance industry as a whole. Ms. Natovitz explained that without TRIA, there simply is not enough capacity for the coverage needed. This was an extremely beneficial event for all of those who attended and would not have been possible without the help of many sponsors. VCU extends an invitation to all GIS chapters to send members to attend next year's conference in March.
By Alberto Francese, Alpha Mu Chapter co-President
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43rd Annual International Conference
Mark Your Calendars!
Gamma Iota Sigma's 43rd Annual International Conference will take place October 2-4, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. The agenda will include a two-day career fair, educational sessions and keynote addresses, in addition to valuable leadership seminars and plenty of networking opportunities. We are actively reaching out to sponsors to make this the most robust event yet. Save the date!
Please note: registration links for students and faculty are sent to schools directly and will be made available over the summer.
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The Institutes' Collegiate Studies for CPCU
By Connor M. Harrison, CPCU, AU, ARe
As part of the desire to educate more students about risk management and insurance as a career, The Institutes developed the Collegiate Studies for CPCU program and certificate. The program recognizes coursework completed in college as part of an RMI degree program by providing qualifying students at approved colleges and universities with credit toward up to two parts of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU®) designation.
The goals of the Collegiate Studies for CPCU program are three-fold:
- Help students connect their university educational experience with the competencies that will be demanded of them by future employers
- Recognize college academic work that aligns with The Institutes' credentialing
- Make students more attractive to employers and make colleges and universities with RMI programs more attractive to students
As of January 2014, 33 colleges with 79 qualifying courses are participating in the Collegiate Studies for CPCU program. The GIS schools are:
- Appalachian State University
- Ball State University
- Butler University
- California State University - Sacramento
- Eastern Kentucky University
- East Carolina University
- Florida State University
- Georgia State University
- Howard University
- Illinois State University
- Indiana State University
- La Salle University
- Missouri State University
- New Mexico State University
- Olivet College
- St. John's University
- St. Joseph's University
- Temple University
- Troy University
- University of Central Arkansas
- University of Central Okahoma
- University of Georgia
- University of Houston - Downtown
- University of Louisiana - Monroe
- University of Mississippi
- University of North Carolina - Charlotte
- University of North Texas
- Virginia Commonwealth University
To qualify for the program, a college or university must offer a Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) major, minor, concentration, track or emphasis; have proven experience in providing RMI education and be AACSB accredited or regionally accredited; and use at least 75% of The Institutes' course material in their course content as outlined in the syllabus.
To qualify, students must complete their course work at an approved college or university, and earn a "B" or better as the final grade in the class. Students who earn two CPCU course waivers and complete Ethics 312-Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct will earn The Institutes' Collegiate Studies for CPCU Certificate.
The Institutes' Collegiate Studies for CPCU program has been well received by students. To date, The Institutes have granted 353 waivers, and 21 students have earned the Collegiate Studies for CPCU certificate. This program is a great start to placing students on a professional designation path that will reward them throughout their careers. Full-time students who have earned all their waivers or who do not qualify can take The Institutes' assessment at a significantly reduced cost.
For more information on the Collegiate Studies for CPCU program, visit www.TheInstitutes.org/csp.
Connor M. Harrison, CPCU, AU, ARe, is director of custom products for The Institutes in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The Institutes are the leader in delivering proven knowledge solutions that drive powerful business results for the risk management and property casualty insurance industry. Harrison can be reached at harrison@TheInstitutes.org.
© 2013 American Institute For Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters www.TheInstitutes.org
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Are you about to graduate? Stay in touch!
Help us keep your contact information current! GIS boasts an alumni base of over 17,000 individuals from our 58 chapters and we need your help in updating our current records. Alumni and soon-to-be-Alumni, please use the link below to update your information, and pass it on to as many fellow graduates as you can.
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FREE Subscription to Best's Review!
Be sure you are taking advantage of the special offer from our partner company A.M. Best! Students and faculty can access a FREE subscription to Best's Review magazine - digital version. Link to the registration page here! Best's Review is the premier insurance industry monthly magazine, providing the latest global news and trends, plus industry analysis and featured articles. |
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Featured Jobs from the GIS Career Center
Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance
The Hartford:
- Actuarial Analyst, P&C Actuarial Rotation Program, Hartford, CT (#1303304)
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