At the Spencer Educational Foundation’s 2025 Spencer Soirée, Spencer’s Executive Director, Megan Miller, announced the University of Wisconsin–Madison student team as the winners of the 2025 Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge.
The team, comprising four risk management students, competed against a record-breaking 244 students from 61 universities and delivered the award-winning risk management presentation in front of industry leaders at RISKWORLD® in Chicago.
The winning University of Wisconsin–Madison team included:
- Grace Dai
- Hattie Killeen
- Joshua Schaefer
- Noah Oachs
- Professor: Carl Barlett, Director, Risk Management and Insurance Program
The challenge began seven months ago, with 61 universities dedicating their time and effort to address a risk management case study based on City of Huntington, located in West Virginia, United States. During RISKWORLD, the field was narrowed to three university teams and those finalists presented one last time in front of the conference attendees and a panel of judges.
“The students in the top eight teams have shown incredible maturity, talent, and creativity in tackling this year’s Challenge, which focused on climate change,” said Tandeka Nomvete, External Engagement Director for the Spencer Educational Foundation. “The innovative solutions they constructed are poised to create a significant impact, not just in Huntington, but far beyond. Regardless of their final rankings, their participation in this Challenge and attendance at RISKWORLD will jump-start their careers in our industry!”
“RIMS 75th Anniversary is as much about recognizing the Society’s remarkable history as it is about celebrating its future,” said RIMS CEO Gary A. LaBranche, FASAE, CAE. “The Spencer-RIMS risk management challenge gives the next generation of risk management leaders a platform to showcase their skills and carve a path for their professional future. Congratulations to University of Wisconsin–Madison for winning this year’s Challenge, as well as to all the other university teams and volunteer risk professionals who helped make the 2025 Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge a success.”
DePauw University (USA) took second place in this year’s Challenge, and IIRM Hyderabad (India) took third place. The top three teams received cash prizes and trophies—the first-place university received $10,000, the second $7,500, and the third $5,000.
To learn more about the annual Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge, visit www.spencered.org/risk-management-challenge.
The Spencer Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to fostering the education and professional development of risk management and insurance students. Since its establishment in 1979, the foundation has been the foremost organization helping students succeed by providing scholarships, grants, and internships to support talented individuals pursuing careers in these fields. To learn more about the Spencer Educational Foundation and its programs, please visit www.spencered.org.