Smith MQF students, guided by SERC Director Clifford Rossi and Google’s Pedro Morales, use AI tools to analyze financial data for credit risk signals. This project builds on prior ELP successes in climate and credit risk modeling.

Registration is open for the SERC Risk Academy, a three-day workshop on risk management fundamentals, led by UMD professors and industry leaders. Presented by SERC and coordinated by Smith Executive Education, the program features expert instruction, including insights from SERC Director Cliff Rossi.

Risk expert Clifford Rossi testified before Maryland lawmakers on January 21, 2025, warning that extreme climate events, like the recent LA fires, are overwhelming insurance companies. He proposed creating a federally chartered National Hazard Insurance Corporation (NHIC) to address the crisis.

Risk events often deemed "unprecedented" are typically extreme iterations of past occurrences, argues Clifford Rossi, Professor of the Practice and Director of the Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium. Comparing these to “Killer Bees,” he emphasizes proactive risk management, urging organizations to anticipate and mitigate low-probability, high-severity scenarios with robust strategies and resources.

Cris deRitis, deputy chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, delivered the keynote at the Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium Advisory Council meeting, offering insights on economic resilience, interest rates, consumer behavior, entrepreneurship, and geopolitical risks, advancing SERC’s mission of industry-academic collaboration.

Experts from the Smith School of Business and School of Public Policy convened for the 20th Financial Information Systems and Cybersecurity Forum, addressing cyber risk management through vigilance, resilience, and flexibility amid evolving threats and emerging technologies.

Poor risk management practices eventually come back to haunt those organizations that fail to take a broad and proactive view at managing risk.

Risk decisions often falter due to cognitive biases, underdeveloped decision-making processes, and overreliance on models. Clifford Rossi argues that robust frameworks and balanced decision structures are essential to navigate uncertainty effectively and mitigate poor risk outcomes.

The Smith School's Enterprise Risk Consortium introduces two mortgage risk indexes: the Mortgage Credit Risk Index (MCRI) and Mortgage Redtail Risk Index (MRRI). MCRI measures 3-5-year default risk on GSE-eligible loans, while MRRI identifies loans with high-risk factors, aiding lenders, investors, and regulators in assessing mortgage credit risk and adverse selection.

Smith’s Teaching/Learning Innovation Grant supports Cliff Rossi’s experiential learning project, where students analyze climate risk impacts on mortgages using machine learning. The project develops industry-relevant skills, preparing students for top finance roles and advancing climate-risk insights in housing.