Dana Kerr

Professor Kerr began teaching at USM in Fall 2008 as the first professor in the newly created Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) track in the School of Business. “This innovative program, developed in collaboration with Maine’s insurance industry, gives students exposure to a field that is increasingly important, as our population ages and new risks evolve.” Prof. Kerr currently teaches all three of the RMI courses offered by USM. He has previously taught corporate finance, insurance, and personal financial planning courses at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX and at Ball State University in Muncie, IN.

Before academia, Prof. Kerr spent nearly 10 years in the risk management and insurance industry as a claims specialist and corporate risk analyst. His professional experience has naturally encouraged his interest in researching aspects of the insurance claims and litigation process, insurance contracts, risk financing issues, and corporate risk management topics in general. He has published articles in The Journal of Risk & Insurance, The Journal of Legal Studies, Risk Management and Insurance Review, Compensation & Benefits Review, Risk Management, and The Journal of Financial Service Professionals and the Journal of Insurance Issues. He co-authored a paper that won the Donald Hardigree Memorial Award for outstanding article of 2011 for the Journal of Insurance Issues and is sole author of a paper that won the award again in 2012.

Prof. Kerr works closely with his students, advising them during their internship experiences and helping them to navigate the many possible insurance career options. He has a very good relationship with the risk management and insurance industry throughout New England and especially in Maine.