Lipscomb's Kathy Hargis chosen for London fellowship to enhance risk management

The University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA) has awarded Lipscomb University’s Director of Risk Management Kathy Hargis a fellowship to travel to London May 11-15 to learn about international insurance practices and share her knowledge with risk management professionals in the United Kingdom.

 

Hargis was selected to represent Lipscomb in the URMIA 2009 International Fellowship Program at the conference along with three others from Oklahoma State University, the University of Illinois, and Oregon State University. Hargis is excited because Lipscomb is the only private school chosen to go on this trip.

 

“We are doing much more on the international front, and I felt like that’s going to be something we move towards a lot more with our trips to China and South America and doing more mission trips. When this trip came up, I thought it would be a great opportunity and felt it would be really beneficial because a lot of my time is spent researching mission sites,” said Hargis.

 

She will work closely with other risk managers, URMIA affiliates and insurance brokers in London. Some of the hot topics they will be discussing are emergency planning, continuity planning, life after the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 and overall best practices. Hargis will make a presentation in the “Life After Virginia Tech” session.

 

The main objective is to discuss risk management practices in the United States that could perhaps be implemented in Europe and vice versa.

 

URMIA is the international expert resource for risk management in higher education. URMIA promotes the advancement and application of effective risk management practices and represents 500 institutions for higher education including technical schools and community colleges.

 

It awards only four fellowships per year. This is only the second year for the award. To be selected, Hargis had to “…write on why I was interested in the program, how I felt it would benefit the organization and my institution, and why I felt I should be chosen,” said Hargis.

 

“This fellowship will help to equip Kathy with the latest knowledge and information in the risk management industry,” said Phil Ellenburg, Lipscomb’s general counsel. “In addition, the interaction with colleagues and risk management professionals from universities in the U.K. will broaden the scope of her knowledge. The contacts she will make both in the U.S. and the U.K. will be invaluable to her work. This exposure will not only gain Kathy recognition from her peers at colleges and universities throughout the nation, but recognition for Lipscomb as well.”

 

One thing Hargis is most looking forward to is a day at the British insurance market Lloyd’s of London. For the first half of the day, she will watch what goes on and in the second half she will become a runner on the floor.

 

“It will be really fun because most people don’t get the opportunity to actually go and be a part of Lloyd’s,” said Hargis.

 

Following her trip, Hargis and the other recipients will use their experiences to construct a white paper for the membership featuring new ideas concerning international risk management. The purpose of the white paper is to help other institutions and risk managers better implement new policies on their campuses. She will also present at the URMIA annual conference held in Nashville in September.