Goal of the project is to raise awareness for the unique retailer and what it provides. Green Top Grocery co-op is a community owned grocery store that aims to bring local, organically grown, and/or healthy products to the Bloomington-Normal community and surrounding areas. Client would like to understand what the current needs of grocery shoppers are and how it can communicate that the co-op meets those needs. Goal is to conduct research and explore avenues for market expansion and growing brand awareness.

Client

Green Top Grocery Welcome To Green Top Grocery in Bloomington, Illinois | Co-op Store

Project Mentor

Mike Wiese, ISU alumnus

Competencies needed by faculty and students involved

• Digital Media & Communications
• Creativity & Research
• Interest in demographics and analysis
• Good oral and written communication skills

Final Deliverable

Marketing plan targeting new Green Top Grocery customers.

Liability insurance provides an insured party with protection against claims resulting from injuries and damage to other people or property. Liability insurance policies cover any legal costs and payouts an insured party is responsible for if they are found legally liable. These claims represent a substantial liability for insurance companies, and they must be accurately predicted and reserved in order for an insurance company to remain profitable or even survive. In recent years a number of factors have caused liability claims to spike, to become more variable and less predictable. There is significant cost to the insurer is not accurately predicting these losses. Some internal variables within the claims and reserving process can lead to inaccurate reserving, but many factors such as social inflation (the growing emergence of litigation, litigation “investors”, higher jury awards); changes in legislation and regulation); rising healthcare costs, all affect the ability of insurers to accurate assess liability reserves for their financial statements and pricing of products. This project looks at both internal factors as well as external factors that would lead to spikes in liability claims reserves. This is a quantitative project and some actuaries will be needed for the team to do an analysis, but students who have an ability to take a big picture perspective, and understand larger social impacts and trends, would be particularly valuable on this team.

Client

Country Financial Actuarial Department. Client Contact, David Elkins

Project Mentor

Jim Jones, Executive Director, Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management

Agriculture is the number one industry in the state of Illinois. Agriculture is also one of the most weather-dependent industries in the world. Global temperatures and temperatures in the Midwest are expected to warm further over coming decades as a result of the changing climate. Severe weather events such as flooding, high winds, hail, etc. are also expected to increase. This project will look at how climate change will affect agriculture, especially in the Midwest, and the agriculture product needs for farmers in the future. This project is for students interested in how climate change will affect agriculture, and how products can be created to help reduce the impact of climate change and help make farmers more resilient to climate change. Students interested in agriculture, climate change, environmental science, innovation, renewable energy, risk management and insurance, statistics, analytics and actuarial science, would find this project interesting.

Client

Growmark. Bloomington, IL

Project Mentor

Jim Jones, Executive Director, Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management

The Colorado River system supplies 40 million people in seven western states and Mexico, and irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland on its way into Mexico and the Gulf of California. Las Vegas relies on the river for 90% of its water supply, Tucson for 82% and San Diego for around 66%. Large portions of the water used in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Denver also come from the river. But a water crisis is unfolding, and farmers, scientists, water managers and policy makers across the Southwest are increasingly alarmed at the dwindling water supply due to climate change. The purpose of this project is to assess key economic risks faced by businesses affected by this crisis. This project would be good for students interested in public policy, risk management, environmental science, geology, political science, civic engagement, and students interested in these areas. There will be both a qualitative and quantitative analysis required. The client would like to have one or two quantitatively oriented students to complete the team.

Client

Verisk Analytics, is a global company with over 9000 employees. The project is being conducted under the auspices of the Emerging Risk team at Verisk. Client Contact. Kate Sanchez.

Project Mentor

Rena Strohmeier
Claims – Property at Wawanesa Insurance,

The focus of this project is to find creative ways to engage school districts and teachers to build the Illinois Global Scholar (IGS) network for globally engaging high school students. This is a state-approved project mostly supported by volunteer labor, so continuing to develop ideas for marketing and support materials is important. The project is now over 5 years old and so some evaluation and strategizing is key to the next stage in its growth. While the foundation is built, considering strategies and tactics for the next phase are key, especially restoring energy post-Covid. Here are three potential avenues for the team to work on as sample directions. First, one potential issue that was identified last year was how smaller school districts could become involved, so strategies and support are needed to develop this area. Second, how can materials be provided to help interested teachers “sell” this program to their administrators? Third, seeking outlets to build the identity and brand of IGS to Illinois more broadly so that colleges and employers understand the benefits these students bring with them out of high school.

Client

IL Global Scholar Program, an NGO started by high school teachers in IL who believe high school students could learn and make a difference by engaging in global issues.

Project Mentor

Dr. Barbara Ribbens.

Competencies needed by faculty and students involved

• Marketing & International Business
• Education, Social Media, Languages, and Area studies
• Global and Political issues
• Good oral and written communication skills