Joan Schmit

Joan T. Schmit is the American Family Insurance Distinguished Chair of Risk Management and Insurance in the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she has been on the faculty since 1988. Schmit also serves as an affiliate faculty member in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, and in the insurance program at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Prior to joining the faculty at UW-Madison, Professor Schmit spent four years on the faculty at the University of South Carolina following completion of her Ph.D. at Indiana University. She received her BBA and MBA from the Wisconsin School of Business and holds both the CPCU and ARM designations.

Currently Professor Schmit is the Chair of the Risk and Insurance Department in the Wisconsin School of Business, a position she has held several times previously over the past two decades. From 2008 to 2012, Professor Schmit served in the Dean's office, holding the positions of Senior Associate Dean, Vice Dean, and Interim Dean.

Professor Schmit has published extensively in insurance and legal journals. Among her areas of expertise include insurance regulation, enterprise risk management, and the interaction of law and economics in an insurance and risk management context. She is a Past President of the American Risk and Insurance Association as well as the Risk Theory Society.

Additionally, Joan serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Risk and Insurance and is active in the International Insurance Society. She also holds the designation of Research Fellow with the China Center for Insurance and Social Security Research at Peking University.

The program in risk management and insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has existed since 1938 and currently is ranked second among all programs in the United States. Our alumni list is long and of very high quality, including insurance company, brokerage, and consulting executives in both life and non-life business.

Selected Published Journal Articles

• Gatzert, N. & Schmit, J. (2016). Supporting Strategic Success through Enterprise-Wide Reputation Risk Management. Journal of Risk Finance (17), 26-45.
• Gatzert, N. & Schmit, J. & Kolb, A. (2016). Assessing the Risks of Insuring Reputation Risk. Journal of Risk and Insurance (83), 641-679.
• Biener, C. & Eling, M. & Schmit, J. (2014). Regulation in Microinsurance Markets: Principles, Practice, and Directions for Future Development. World Development (28), 21-40.
• Eling, M. & Pradhan, S. & Schmit, J. (2014). The Determinants of Microinsurance Demand. The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice (39), 224-263.
• Post, T. & Grundl, H. & Schmit, J. & Zimmer, A. (2014). The Impact of Investment Behavior for Individual Welfare: Evidence from the United States and Germany. Economica (81), 15-47.
• Eling, M. & Schmit, J. (2012). Is there Market Discipline in the European Insurance Industry? An Analysis of the German Insurance Market. Geneva Risk and Insurance Review (37), 180-207. doi: 10.1057/grir.2011.8.
• Lei, Y. & Schmit, J. (2010). Factors Influencing the Demand for Reinsurance in the Medical Malpractice Insurance Market: A Focus on Organizational Form. Journal of Insurance Regulation (33), 152-177.
• Lei, Y. & Schmit, J. (2010). Influences of Organizational Structure and Diversification on Medical Malpractice Insurer Performance. Journal of Insurance Issues (33), 157-177.
• Eling, M. & Klein, R. & Schmit, J. (2010). A Comparison of Insurance Regulation in the United States and the European Union. Independent Institute
• Lei, Y. & Schmit, J. (2009). Influences on Organizational Form on Medical Malpractice Insurer Operations. Connecticut Insurance Law Journal (15), 53-84.
• Kerr, D. & Ma, Y. & Schmit, J. (2009). A Cross-National Study of Government Social Insurance as an Alternative to Tort Liability Compensation. Journal of Risk and Insurance (76)
• Doerpinghaus, H. & Schmit, J. & Yeh, J. (2008). Age and Gender Effects on Auto Liability Insurance Payouts. Journal of Risk and Insurance (75), 527-550. doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6975.2008.00273.x.
• Browne, M. & Schmit, J. (2008). Litigation Patterns in Automobile Bodily Injury Claims 1977-1997. Journal of Risk and Insurance (75), 83-100. doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6975.2007.00249.x.
• Eling, M. & Schmeister, H. & Schmit, J. (2007). The Solvency II Process: Overview and Critical Analysis. Risk Management and Insurance Review (10), 69-85. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6296.2007.00106.x.
• Schmit, J. (2006). Factors that may influence tort litigation trends in the European Union. The Geneva Papers: Insurance Issues and Practices (31), 304-313. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.gpp.2510075.
• Schmit, J. & Yeh, J. (2003). An Economic Analysis of Auto Compensation Systems: Choice Experiences from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, forthcoming. Journal of Risk and Insurance (70), 601-628. doi: 10.1046/j.0022-4367.2003.00067.x.
• Doerpinghaus, H. & Schmit, J. & Yeh, J. (2003). Personal Bias in Claims Settlement: An Example from Automobile Insurance,. Journal of Risk and Insurance (70), 185-205. doi: 10.1111/1539-6975.00055.
• Schmit, J. & Ma, Y. (2000). Factors Affecting the Relative Incidence of Uninsured Motorists Claims,. Journal of Risk and Insurance (67), 281-294.

Selected Submitted Journal Articles

• Huang, Y. & Kamiya, S. & Schmit, J. (2016). The Legal Constraint of Misrepresentation in Insurance Market and Its Impact on Insurance Contracts. Journal of Risk and Insurance
• Oyekan, O. & Adams, M. & Schmit, J. (2014). Analysis of the Profitability of Micro-Life insurers in Nigeria and South Africa. Journal of Risk and Insurance

Working Papers

Bujakowski, D. & Schmit, J. (2016). Use of Litigation and Mediation in China. Schmit, J. & Ren, Y. (2012). A New Measure of Insurer Franchise Value.

Presentations

Asia Pacific Risk and Insurance Association Conference ( 2017 ) Promoting sustainability for micro health insurer: A risk-adjusted subsidy approach for maternal healthcare service

Risk Theory Society ( 2017 ) A Model of Underwriting and Post-Loss Test without Commitment in Competitive Insurance Market

Southern Risk and Insurance Association Annual Meeting ( 2013 ) Modernizing Insurance Solvency Regulationin the United States & European Union:A Comparative Assessment

European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists Annual Meeting ( 2013 ) The Legal Constraint of Misrepresentation in Insurance Market

American Risk and Insurance Association Annual Meeting ( 2013 ) The Legal Constraint of Misrepresentation in Insurance Market

University of St. Gallen Banking and Finance Seminar ( 2013 ) Determinants of Insurer Reputational Risk

University of Swansea School of Business and Economics Research Seminar ( 2013 ) Determinants of Reputational Risk

American Risk and Insurance Association Annual Meeting ( 2012 ) Regulation in Microinsurance Markets: Principals, Practice, and Directions for Future Research

Asia Pacific Risk and Insurance Association Annual Meeting ( 2009 ) The “The “The Performance of Risk Retention Groups: Does Organizational Form Matter?

Program Seminar ( 2006 ) Litigation Patterns in Auto BI Claims 1977-97

American Risk and Insurance Association ( 2004 ) On the Escalating Medical Malpractice Insurance Premium Rates

European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists ( 2004 ) Insurance Claims and Legal Filings: Trends from 1977-1997

International Insurance Society, Inc. ( 2002 ) Insurance Claims and Legal Filings: Trends from 1977-1997

American Risk and Insurance Association ( 2000 ) Insurance Claims and Legal Filings: Trends from 1977-1997

Undergraduate Courses

Independent Readings and Research (RMI 399 Section 001), Spring 2015.

Contemporary Topics (RMI 365 Section 002), Spring 2017.

Principles of Risk Management (RMI 300 Section 001), Spring 2017. Download Syllabus

Graduate Courses

Advanced Topics in Risk Management (RMI 820 Section 001), Spring 2017.

Contemporary Topics (RMI 765 Section 001), Fall 2016.

Managing the Legal Environment (BUS 701 Section 1), Spring 2012.

Principles of Risk Management (RMI 700 Section 1), Fall 2013.

Professional Organizations

International Cooperatives and Mutuals Insurance Federation

International Insurance Society

ARIA

Editorial and Reviewing Activities

• Journal of Risk and Insurance - Since January 2000
• Associate Editor