A graduate of Troy University’s Risk Management and Insurance Program has taken the reins of the program as its director.

Dr. Courtney Bass Baggett, a 2012 RMI graduate, was appointed to the role by Sorrell College of Business Dean Dr. Judson Edwards, following the retirement of past director Dr. Ed Duett in May.

“I have the highest confidence in Dr. Courtney Baggett to lead and advance the tradition of excellence in Risk Management Insurance (RMI). We have been so fortunate to have student-centered, industry engaged leadership with Dr. Ed Duett and Dr. Carol Jordan,” Edwards said. “As a graduate of the RMI program in the Sorrell College, Dr. Baggett understands better than anyone what is needed to advance the quality reputation of our RMI program. She possesses all the skills and experience to take RMI to new levels of success.”

Baggett joined the faculty of the Department of Risk Management and Data Analytics in 2017 as an assistant professor, having been an assistant professor at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind. Prior to that, she had been a doctoral fellow at Florida State University’s Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center. She earned the Ph.D. at Florida State in 2016 and holds the CPCU, ASLI and ARM professional designations.

Prior to entering academia, Dr. Baggett worked as a licensed agent in Alabama.

“As a graduate of this program myself, I’m very excited to work with our students, alumni and industry friends to further strengthen our ties to the risk management and insurance community,” she said. “I have the opportunity to work closely with our students for the past couple of years and I’m confident they are truly unique both in their disposition and work ethic. I feel very fortunate to be able to interact with them in a more exclusive capacity.”

As director, Baggett said she would focus on student preparation for the workplace and expanding relationships with industry professionals.

“Preparation, both inside and outside the classroom, is essential for student success,” she said. “From a curriculum standpoint, it is vital that our students be competitive upon graduation. I want them to begin their careers with as much of a head start as possible.”

To that end, Baggett envisions students sitting for professional certification exams before they graduate. Another critical head start is cultivating the relationships within the risk industry.

“The industry professionals that engage with our students serve as irreplaceable resources. I plan to continue on the path of my predecessor, Dr. Ed Duett, in the focus of building relationships with the insurance industry,” she said.

“The future direction of this program will prioritize critical thinking, business acumen and unwavering professionalism. While the importance of these skills will be stressed in classroom interactions, they will ultimately be developed and strengthened by leveraging our new and existing relationships with industry professionals through networking events and a dedicated student/professional mentorship program,” Baggett said.

Baggett has served as an invited speaker on topics related to risk management and insurance, and she is especially interested in natural disasters, crisis and enterprise risk communication strategies, and insurance regulation, specifically that which impacts the excess and surplus lines market.

Within the Sorrell College of Business, Dr. Baggett is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, the Scholarship Committee, as well as the Faculty Qualifications Committee. In 2017, she was selected as one of five individuals to serve as a Chancellor’s Fellow, a year-long program at TROY focusing on executive leadership and communications training. She was also recently elected to Troy University’s Faculty Senate. Outside of TROY, she serves on the board of directors for the Southern Risk and Insurance Association (SRIA).

She and husband, Bo, reside in Andalusia.