The Fund Will Be Used to Bolster Interest In And Advance Exceptional Talent in the Insurance Industry
Columbia University's Insurance Management Master's Program has established the Dennis A. Baker Insurance Advancement Fund with a generous $20,000 gift from the Capstone Healthcare Econometrics Research Foundation. The goal of the Fund is to grow interest in the insurance field by awarding scholarships to talented high school students to attend Columbia’s Pre-College Program course, The Business of Dealing with Disasters. The fund will also support students in the Insurance Management Master’s Program. With accelerating economic recovery and current workforce shifts, students and professionals will have the unique opportunity to reinforce their skills, network, and embrace the future of insurance in an Ivy League setting.
The Fund was named in honor of the late Dennis A. Baker, the founder of both the Capstone Consulting Group, LLC and the Foundation, organizations that developed research in healthcare delivery, economics, statistics, and mathematical analysis. Last summer, Michael Frank, President and Actuary of Aquarius Capital and Foundation board member, held a guest lecture about healthcare insurance fraud in the Emerging Risks and Insurance Topics course. His vision for the insurance industry and confidence in Columbia’s Insurance Management Master’s Program also made this donation a reality.
“This donation enables us to respond to the urgency to generate more interest in insurance careers by expanding the talent pipeline. We’re introducing high school students to the field of insurance and providing career changers with the expertise needed to fill open positions,” said Teresa Chan, Director of the Insurance Management Master’s Program.
Working closely with the program’s Corporate Advisory Network members, the Fund also welcomes insurance professionals with the same vision to strategize, execute, and raise donations to sustain the Fund’s scholarships and activities. The program hopes to expand the Fund to cover costs for more insurance professionals in the future. Foundations, professional associations, corporations, alumni, and anyone who would like to support the Fund may contact Columbia SPS’ Major Gifts Officer Reshma D. Persaud at (212) 853-4130 or email her at rp3140 [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.
Learn more about Columbia’s Insurance Management Master's Program here.
