I.I.I. Economist To Create, Teach New York University Course On Insurance And Data Analytics

For immediate release
New York Press Office: (212) 346-5500; media@iii.org

NEW YORK, April 25, 2019—Dr. Michel Léonard, CBE, the Vice President and Senior Economist at the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), has secured a $50,000 grant from the Spencer Educational Foundation for New York University’s (NYU) Center for Data Science.

With the grant’s proceeds, Dr. Léonard will create and teach a course for NYU graduate students which focuses on insurance and data analytics. It’ll be offered in the Fall 2019 and Fall 2020 semesters. 

“Research and education are core strengths of the Insurance Information Institute,” stated Sean Kevelighan, the I.I.I.’s Chief Executive Officer. “The Spencer Educational Foundation and New York University are through this partnership playing a crucial role in educating the next generation of insurance industry leaders.”

“The course will showcase the insurance industry’s leadership in expanding the use of artificial intelligence in our daily lives, from self-driving cars to smart homes, while also providing the machine learning skills students need to succeed in insurance,” said Dr. Léonard, who joined the I.I.I. in 2018. Computer-driven mathematics provide the foundation for machine learning.

Established in 1979, the Spencer Educational Foundation funds the education of tomorrow’s risk and insurance leaders by awarding scholarships, facilitating internship opportunities, providing Risk Manager in Residence programs to universities, and awarding grants to help promote the industry to the next generation.

“We are excited to be investing in curriculum that ties into risk management and insurance industry priorities,” said Andrea Dudek, chairperson, Spencer Educational Foundation grant committee. “Data analytics has become a critical component in corporate and industry decision making. It is critical that our future leaders have the skills needed to make data valuable and actionable. We look forward to working with Dr. Léonard and NYU on this grant.” 

Under founding director Yann LeCun, the NYU Center for Data Science was established in 2013 as a focal point for NYU’s university-wide initiative in data science and statistics. The Center was established to help advance NYU’s goal of creating the country’s leading data science training and research facilities, and arming researchers and professionals with the tools they need to harness the power of big data.

"We are excited to broaden our successful Data Science Master’s Program with this offering, which connects data science to insurance and data analytics,” stated Julia Kempe, Director, NYU Center for Data Science. “This will significantly strengthen the profile of some of our students and prepare them as leading actors in the corporate sector.”

The I.I.I. has a full library of educational videos on its YouTube Channel. Information about I.I.I. mobile apps can be found here.

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