COB RMI students adapt, produce

RMI Partner Verisk speaker with a class in Bate. (ECU Photo by Cliff Hollis)

In January 2020, Andrew Blanchard of Verisk/ISO visited ECU’s campus to once again enlist the support of ECU’s risk management and insurance (RMI) students for research. The request was not the first time the company, a leading data analytics provider for insurance companies and underwriters, asked the RMI program for help. Prior student research projects looked at issues surrounding active shootings and cannabis legalization.

Blanchard, who is Verisk/ISO’s director of emerging issues, said the company saw the benefits of tapping into ECU student talent. “They’ve done great research already, which (helps) the insurance industry.”

RMI students leaned on teleworking technology to continue the research project. Clockwise, from top left, Allison Pigora, Ramez Botros, Amirah Pitt-Bey, Travis Miles, and Amelia Reiher.

For this term, Blanchard asked students to look at risks pertaining to human trafficking, and the RMI students jumped at the chance and were ready to proceed.

The COVID-19 pandemic then threw these seniors into a new challenge. In a regular learning environment, Allison Pigora, Ramez Botros, Amelia Reiher, Amirah Pitt-Bey and Travis Miles would have collaborated face-to-face to prepare their research. Five other students originally were slated to be part of the project team, but many had to opt out due to conflicts. The project team eventually moved to a virtual, collaborative environment.

“The other presenters and I have been communicating through email, group text messages and video conference calls,” said Pitt-Bey.

Although the students expressed disappointment both in not coming back to campus and in having their in-person commencement exercises canceled, their approach to the research project has been undaunted, to borrow an oft-used and accurate Pirate phrase.

“If I’ve learned anything here in my time at ECU (and the College of Business), it has been resilience and perseverance,” said Reiher. “I’m confident that I will be able to finish out the year strong no matter the unfortunate circumstances.”

“It is a bit of a challenge to go from seeing my group members in class every day to having to depend on technology for communication, but we are all going to get through it together,” added Pigora.

“I accepted this challenge (learning from home) with a level of confidence because East Carolina University (and the College of Business) has properly trained me on how to use professional technology,” added Botros.

Miles provides perspective. He says, “I would much rather everyone’s family stay safe during these hard times … despite all these challenges, life moves on, and we must adapt to be successful.”

Dr. Brenda Wells

“Working with Verisk/ISO is a dream come true for a professor,” said Wells. “Imagine handing your students the most cutting-edge emerging issues portal and having them build on it by doing in-depth research. And then, to have them produce a webinar all on their own that will be broadcast to a national audience? This takes the RMI program at ECU to an entirely new level. We are very thankful and appreciate our partnership with Verisk/ISO.”

About the research itself, the student researchers were surprised to learn that men also are victims of human trafficking under the guise of forced labor. Additionally, current laws and regulations that combat human trafficking aren’t enough and more can be done.

“The first step in solving a problem is understanding and defining it,” said Wells. “These ECU students have done a great job of defining the problem and highlighting its importance and severity.”

Presentation of their research to Verisk/IOS took place during an April 22 web-conferencing meeting.

“Being affiliated with a company as reputable as Verisk helps build credibility for ECU’s RMI program, and I am thankful for the opportunities this relationship has provided,” said Pigora, who served as team lead for the project. “I am extremely thankful to have professors in the College of Business, and primarily the RMI program, who are working with students to provide a flexible environment due to the transition to online learning.”

Allison Pigora, in a #LFH environment, leads a team of 5 RMI students on an undergraduate research project.

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