Faculty Impact Articles

Merging Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a critical step before privatization, argues Clifford Rossi, to reduce systemic risk, eliminate duplicative costs, and simplify the mortgage system—setting the stage for a safer, more efficient housing finance market transition.

Clifford Rossi, Academic Director of the Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium, warns that pharma tariffs could disrupt supply chains, raise costs, and pressure manufacturers, especially generics. Adopting continuous manufacturing (CM) offers efficiency gains, balancing risk mitigation with strategic investment.

Smith School professor Vijaya Venkataramani, a 2024 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award recipient, shared insights on workplace creativity during her lecture. She explored how social networks, team dynamics and leadership influence innovation, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and psychological safety.

The AMA TechSIG honored Smith’s P.K. Kannan with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for his impactful research in marketing technology and innovation. Kannan, an expert in digital marketing and AI, shared the recognition with USC’s Gerard Tellis at the AMA Winter Conference.

Lemma W. Senbet, Dean’s Chaired Professor at the Smith School, has joined the Bretton Woods Committee, a leading advocate for global economic cooperation. A renowned finance scholar, Senbet was also inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of International Business in 2022.

AI job postings in the U.S. surged 68% since ChatGPT’s launch, despite a 17% decline in overall job postings. UMD-LinkUp AI Maps, led by Smith’s Anil K. Gupta, reveals AI’s rise as firms prioritize AI roles over traditional IT jobs.

Cyber risk is a top concern for organizations worldwide, intensified by AI's dual role in bolstering defenses and enhancing attacks. The Gordon-Loeb Model offers a cost-benefit framework to optimize cybersecurity investments, emphasizing AI's evolving, game-theoretic complexities.

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.

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.