Our Mission
RISC spearheads forefront international interdisciplinary research, motivated by bold real-life challenges in the area of Risk Management and Insurance and aimed at realizing a real and lasting change towards a safer and more sustainable future.
What is RISC?
Founded in 2018, RISC has become a global Think Tank in the field of Risk Management and Insurance, a leader in knowledge mobilization and partnership with communities, and a builder of/magnet to new talent to become the risk leaders of tomorrow. RISC Scholars are researchers of the highest international stature in: Humanities; Social, Natural, Formal, Management, and Health Sciences; Engineering; and Law, all passionate about conducting transformative risk research. RISC Advisory Board - and impetus of our strategic directions - comprises Presidents and CEOs of multinational insurance companies, NGOs, and non-for-profit foundations. RISC academic programs - all strike the fine balance between rigor and practical relevance, leverage innovative technology, and offer unique experiential learning opportunities - are co-developed with our multiple industry partners in response to the existing knowledge and skill gap in the labor market.
Our Research
RISC is a preeminent source of high-quality transformational interdisciplinary research on bold problems of today's financial and non-financial Risk Management and Insurance. Specifically, examples of our research threads are: systemic risk management and governance; risk engineering of natural disasters; decision making and human behaviour under risk; numerico-analytical methods in risk management; climate risk; operational risk; risk in real estate; sustainable development goals risk research; stochastic dependence modeling, among many other research threads.
>$10 M in research grant cash from NSERC, SSHRC, IHR, MITACS, SoA, CAS, Spencer Educational Foundation, eCampus Ontario, CEWIL Canada, among other funders.
We are routinely ranked top in North America and globally with respect to the number of publications in leading scholarly actuarial science journals by top global research rankings.
RISC Scholars come from the best Canadian Universities, four of which are among the top ten Canadian Universities in the QS World University Ranking.
Our Team
Afshar Alirezaei is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Alexey Kuznetsov, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. In his research, Professor Kuznetsov is mostly interested in stochastic processes, special functions and financial/actuarial mathematics. His other areas of research interest are analytic number theory and numerical analysis.
Amna Chishti is a Mathematics Major within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Andrei Semenov, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Economics at York University. Professor Semenov’s research interest focuses on theoretical and empirical asset pricing, risk management, behavioral finance, and the econometrics of financial markets. He has an extensive publication record in leading international journals. Professor Semenov has received a number of honors, fellowships, and awards, including the Ben Graham Center for Value Investing Award for the best paper in areas related to asset pricing, market anomalies, and behavioral finance presented at the Annual Conference of the Multinational Finance Society (Jerusalem, 2019) and the Stephen A. Ross Best Paper Award for the best article published in Finance Research Letters in 2006.
Andrew Fleck is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. His dissertation advisers are Professor Ed Furman and Professor Yang Shen, and his research interests revolve around computational methods in insurance risk management. In addition to his academic research experience, Andrew has industry expirience as an analyst with CANNEX Financial Exchanges.
Ao (Grace) Li is a Financial and Business Economics Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Arnav Munshi is a Commerce Major at the School of Administrative Studies at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Augustine Wang, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Professor Wang’s research interests lie in (small sample) statistical inferential techniques and distribution theory.
Avis Devine, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance and Sustainability with the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate and Infrastructure at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Professor Devine’s body of research largely focuses on the financial and firm/fund performance impacts of sustainability on commercial real estate. Her research garners much industry support and has won several research awards and grants, including the 2017 Nick Tyrrell Research Prize in Real Estate Investment and a 2021 research grant from the Real Estate Research Institute. Her work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, The Financial Post, The Business Mirror, Commercial Property Executive, and Business in Vancouver among others.
Barbara Bellissimo
Executive in Residence, York University
Knowledge Mobilization Lead
bbelliss@yorku.caBarbara Bellissimo, B.A., FCIP, is former Canadian head for State Farm, which is the largest insurance company in North America and one of the top Property and Casualty insurers in Canada. Barbara was instrumental in the successful acquisition of State Farm Canada by Desjardins. She is a talented and collaborative change leader, negotiator and influencer, focusing on talent development, diversity and women in leadership. Barbara is also an active board director, chair, community leader and educator.
Bushra Rashid is an M.A. Candidate in Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Yutong Chen is a Statistics Major within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Cristie Ford, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on regulation and governance in Canadian, American, and international finance and securities regulation as well as on access to justice and governance of the legal profession. Professor Ford has published extensively in leading academic journals and handbooks, and written two books: Innovation and the State: Finance, Regulation, and Justice (Cambridge University Press: 2017); and Canadian Securities Regulation (5th ed.) (LexisNexis: 2014), co-authored with the Right Honorable David Johnston and Kathleen Rockwell.
David A. Etkin, Ph.D>, is a Full Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management at York University’s School of Administrative Studies. During his career, Professor Etkins has been a weather forecaster in Nova Scotia and Ontario, taught meteorology to new forecasters, and done applied research in the Arctic and Industrial Climatology Divisions of the Canadian Climate Centre. In 1993 he joined the Adaptation and Impacts Research Group of the Meteorological Service of Canada, specializing in the interdisciplinary study of natural hazards and disasters, and climate change. From 1996-2005 he worked at the University of Toronto with the Institute for Environmental Studies doing research on natural hazards and disasters. He has contributed to several national and international natural hazard projects including the 2nd U.S. national assessment of natural hazards, the IPCC, was Principal Investigator of the Canadian National Assessment of Natural Hazards and is Past President of the Canadian Risk and Hazards Network. His current areas of research are disaster risk assessment and disaster ethics. He has 90 publications including two textbooks and 6 edited volumes.
Dhyan Thakkar is a Physics Major within the Department of Physics and Astronomy at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Diana Liu Xu is a Financial and Business Economics in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Fall 2022.
Dirk Matten
Strategic Management, York University
Corporate Social Responsibility Lead
dmatten@schulich.yorku.caDirk Matten, Ph.D., is a Full Professor at the Schulich School of Business where he holds the Hewlett-Packard Chair in Corporate Social Responsibility CSR). Professor Matten’s areas of expertise are responsible business, strategic management, policy and sustainability. He has published 29 books and edited volumes as well as more than 90 journal articles and book chapters, which have won numerous prestigious awards, including the prestigious Academy of Management Review Paper of the Decade Award in 2018. In the same year, Professor Matten was ranked #44 in the ‘Top 100 Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Leader’ ranking, next to CEOs and CSR leaders of Unilever, Google, Apple etc.
Ed Furman, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Professor Furman is an internationally recognized leader in the field of quantitative risk management and applications in insurance, where he has made important contributions on the theory of dependence modeling, risk measurement, pricing and allocation. Two of his more than 40 papers were awarded the Fortis Chair Prize of K.U. Leuven. He has led multiple large-scale projects funded by NSERC, Mitacs, Society of Actuaries (SoA), Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), all of which were research-intensive and heavily focused on training of Highly Qualified Personnel and total in more than $3M/last decade. Dr. Furman is a Fellow of the Science Leadership Program of the University of Toronto.
Ephraim Ajijola
Ph.D. Student, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 2021 - TBD
ephraimajijola@osgoode.yorku.caEphraim Ajijola is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University since July 2021. His adviser at RISC is Professor Tsvetanka Karagyozova, and his research interests revolve around fintech, financial regulation, corporate governance, and policy.
Fan Yang, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo. Professor Yang’s research interests lie in the areas of quantitative risk management and actuarial science. She has extensively published in top-tier actuarial science and operations research journals on: extreme value theory in insurance and finance; asymptotic analysis of rare events in insurance and finance; risk aggregation and risk measures; heavy-tailed distributions in the presence of dependence.
François Tanguay-Renaud, D.Phil., is an Associate Professor at the Osgoode Hall School of Law, York University and the Program Director of the Osgoode Certificate in the Laws of Emergency. Professor Tanguay-Renaud’s research interests are Theory of criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law and public law, international law, and associated areas of political and moral philosophy; artificial intelligence and the law (with a focus on criminal law); emergencies and the law; jurisprudence; the rule of law; collective, corporate, and state responsibility; war ethics; Canadian, American and South Asian constitutional law and politics.
Gaurav Dahiya an MBA Candidate at the Schulich School of Business, York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
George Georgopoulos, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Economics at York University. Professor Georgopoulos’ research interests lie in monetary economics and international money and finance. His academic honours include being nominated for the Excellence Award in Teaching at the Schulich School of Business, and wining the Professor of the Year Teaching Award in the Division of Management at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, and the Atkinson Teaching Award at Atkinson Faculty, York University.
Gordana Colby, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Department of Economics at York University. Her research interests lie in novel education methods in Economics.
Guanfu Qiao is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. His dissertation adviser is Professor Ed Furman, and his research interests lie in dependence modelling with and without copulas, statistical inference, and actuarial science. Guanfu is working towards his ASA designation with the SoA and has industry expirience as an analyst with RBC’s Enterprise Model Risk Management Unit.
Haosheng Cheng is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Harry Joe, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of British Columbia and a top world authority in (tail) dependence modeling, where he has published 3 ‘go-to’ monographs, more than 130 papers, and was awarded the Canadian Statistical Society’s highest accolade, the gold medal. Professor Joe and has led many academia-industry partnerships.
Henry M. Kim
Operations Management and Information Systems, York University
Block Chain Technology and Cryptocurrency Lead
hmkim@yorku.caHenry Kim, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Business, York University, co-founder of blockchain.lab and one of the most prominent blockchain academics in Canada. He has authored more than 30 publications in venues such as IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and IEEE Computer on blockchain-related topics ranging from cryptocurrencies, agriculture, electricity microgrids, supply chain management, and payment systems; attracted significant research funding (e.g., he is the Co-Lead on a $525,000 research project on “Digital Currencies” that is engaging academia, Bank of Canada, financial institutions, and startups to investigate Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), cryptocurrencies, and blockchain); engaged in research projects with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and E-Business (UN/CEFACT), Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Standards Council of Canada, Don Tapscott’s Blockchain Research Institute, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US.
Hitesh Arulnesan is a Commerce Major at the School of Administrative Studies at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Huaiping Zhu, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Tier 1 University Research Chair at York University, Director of Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems, Director of the Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling and, also, Director of the One Health Modeling Network for Emerging Infections. Professor Zhu has published more than 100 academic publications, secured significant (tri-council) funding, and trained numerous research personnel.
Hyejin Ku, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Professor Ku’s research interest includes mathematical finance (pricing and hedging of derivatives, risk measurement and management, liquidity issues), stochastic analysis, stochastic processes, mathematical modeling, and numerical solutions. She has published extensively on all of the above and, in 2007, her paper entitled “Coherent Multiperiod Risk Adjustment and Bellman’s Principle” won the prestigious Halmstad Prize of the Society of Actuaries.
Ida Ferrara, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at York University. Professor Ferrara’s research interests center around the application of the qualitative and quantitative tools of economics to address micro questions that have the potential for significant social impact. These questions typically involve the design of policy instruments, the efficacy and efficiency of which hinge upon the depth and comprehensiveness of our understanding of the decision mechanisms in the policy targeted areas. Professor Ferrara is an experienced EDI-focused team-executor who has had proven governance success across all university layers.
Ivy Osei is a Statistics Major within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
James L. Darroch, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management and International Business, Schulich School of Business, York University and Co-Director of the Financial Services Program therein. He is also Program Director for the Risk Management Curriculum at the Bank of Montreal. Professor Darroch’s research has focused on strategic management for services firm with a particular interest in how large companies can become entrepreneurial in the context of corporate level strategy.
Jane Marie Heffernan, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Tier 2 University Research Chair in Multi-Scale Quantitative Methods for Evidence-Based Health Policy at York University, Director of the Centre for Disease Modeling and, also, on the board of directors of the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society. Professor Heffernan’s research focuses on understanding the spread and persistence of infectious diseases. Professor Heffernan’s research achievements have won numerous accolades, including the recent election to the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Janice Zhang (BA Honours in Actuarial Science Candidate) leads the administrative aspects of the Hybrid Academia-Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement (HAIIvVE) program with RISC. She has many years of administrative experience with DHL, was on the inaugural cohort of HAIIvVE 2021-2022 as well as on the winning team of our Diploma in Risk and Insurance Management.
Jeffrey Chung Him Chang is a Graduate Diploma Candidate in Financial Engineering, Schulich School of Business, and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Jianhong Wu, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. He holds the life-long title of Distinguished Research Professor (2011), the Canada Research Chair in Industrial and Applied Mathematics since 2001, the NSERC/Sanofi Industrial Research Chair in Vaccine Mathematics, Modelling and Manufacturing, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Infectious Disease Modelling. He is recognized internationally for his expertise in nonlinear dynamics and delay differential equations, neural networks and pattern recognition, mathematical ecology and epidemiology and big data analytics.
Jianxi Su, Ph.D., FSA, ACIA, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics, Purdue University and Co-Director of Actuarial Science therein. Professor Su’s research interests are: actuarial Mathematics (risk measures, risk decomposition techniques, premium principles); probability theory (multivariate families of distributions, (tail) dependence, copulas); statistical inference in actuarial and financial mathematics. He has published extensively in top-tier actuarial science journals, and his research has drawn considerable funding from the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society.
Jigar Rana is an International Bachelor in Business Administration at the Schulich School of Business and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Jingyi Cao, Ph.D., ASA, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Professor Cao’s research focuses on stochastic optimal control problems in insurance, including optimal reinsurance with contagious claims, model risks, and the demand for life insurance and annuities. She was recognized as a James C. Hickman Scholar by the Society of Actuaries.
Jose Etcheverry, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies bat York University and Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative. Professor Etcheverry’s work is focused on developing practical policy solutions to climate change through collaborative efforts, particularly in strategies to develop all renewable energy sources to their full potential and in finding new ways to communicate effectively about solutions to climate change and energy problems.
Jude Kong, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and the founding Director of the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC). Professor Kong is an expert in artificial intelligence, data science, applied mathematics, mathematical modelling, infectious disease modelling and mathematics education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been leading an interdisciplinary team of more than 50 researchers from key academic and government institutions in nine African countries that have been using Artificial intelligence to help government and local communities to contain and manage the spread of COVID-19. In 2020, he won a York Research Leader Award. In 2021 he was spotlighted among Canadian Innovation Research Leaders 2021 for his work with ACADIC.
Kanvar Rana is a Financial and Business Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Kee-Hong Bae, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of finance and Bob Finlayson Chair in International Finance at the Schulich School of Business at York University. Professor Bae’s research focuses on international finance. Research topics include financial globalization, home bias, and international corporate finance and corporate governance. He has published numerous research articles in top finance/accounting/management journals including Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Business, Accounting Review, and Journal of International Business Studies. Professor Bae serves on the editorial board of several journals including the Pacific Basin Finance Journal, and the International Review of Finance.
Kerry Kawakami
Psychology, York University
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead
kerrykawakami@gmail.comKerry Kawakami, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University, where she is also Walter Gordon Research Tier I Chair in Equity and Diversity. In her research, Professor Kawakami investigates a variety of social categorization processes using a diversity of methods, with some of the main issues examined are how we perceive people from different social groups, how we react to intergroup bias, and strategies to reduce prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination.
Kevin JeongJae Park is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Khanh Dinh is a Financial and Business Economics Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Summer 2022.
Leonard Buglak is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. His research project with RISC is on modeling cryptocurrency rates of returns in the presence of stochastic dependence. During his studies at York University, Leonard secured a number of internship work terms with Sun Life Financial and is assuming a full time position with the company in January 2023.
Maney Zaveri is a Financial & Business Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Mark Winfield, Ph.D., is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, co-chair of the Faculty’s Sustainable Energy Initiative, coordinator of the MES and MES/JD programs and a member of the York University Senate. Professor Winfield has published articles, book chapters and reports on a wide range of climate change, environment and energy law and policy topics. He has acted as an advisor to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and federal Commissioner for Environment and Development. Also, he was a member of the Conseil d’administration (board of directors) of Transitions energetique Quebec, a Crown corporation established in to implement a low-carbon energy transition strategy for Quebec, from 2017 to 2020.
Mary Condon, SJD, is a Full Professor and Dean at the Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. Professor Condon’s research interests are focused primarily on the regulation of securities markets, investment funds, online investing and pensions. She is co-author of Business Organizations: Practice, Theory and Emerging Challenges (with Robert Yalden, Janis Sarra, Paul Paton, Mark Gillen, Carol Liao, Michael Deturbide, Mohamed Khimji, Bradley Bryan and Gary Campo). She is co-author of Securities Law in Canada: Cases and Commentary (with Anita Anand, Janis Sarra and Sarah Bradley), [3rd edition, 2017]. She is the author of Making Disclosure: Ideas and Interests in Ontario Securities Regulation (UTP). She has also written articles, book chapters and policy papers on topics related to securities regulation and pensions policy and has given invited lectures on these topics in Canada and internationally. Professor Condon was appointed by the Ontario Government as Commissioner and Board member of the Ontario Securities Commission. In 2018, she was named one of the top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada (Public Sector Category).
Melvin Xia is a Financial and Business Economics Major within the Department of Economics York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Minh Huyen Vu is a Financial and Business Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Mohammad Zarif is a Computer Science Major at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Mohammadhossein Amraji is a Commerce Major at the School of Administrative Studies at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Mohsen Selseleh is a Financial Economics Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Moxy Shah is an M.Sc. Candidate in Chemistry at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Muhammad Omer Nazar is a Business Administration and Management Candidate at Schulich School of Business and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Naeema Chandiwala is an Economics Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Fall 2022.
Natalija Vlajic, Ph.D., P.Eng., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University. Professor Vlajic’s research interests lie in: network and information security; communication systems and network protocols; system performance evaluation; pattern recognition; neural networks. She was a recipient of the NSERC University Faculty Award in 2005 – 2009. She also received the Faculty-Wide Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012, and the Departmental Mildred Baptist Teaching Award in 2004. Professor Vlajic has served as a TPC member for numerous international conferences and is currently on the editorial board for several peer-reviewed journals.
Nawaf Mohammed is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. His dissertation adviser is Professor Ed Furman, and his research interests revolve around the notion of extreme dependence, risk assessment, and risk allocation. In addition to his academic research experience, Nawaf has industry experience as an analyst with Morgan Stanley.
Neal Madras, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of mathematics and Statistics at York University. Professor Madras’ research is in probability theory and its applications, as well as in different areas of applied mathematics. He has worked worked on the general theory of random walks and Monte Carlo methods, as well on problems arising from statistical mechanics, theoretical computer science, communications networks, and mathematical models in biology and meteorology. Recently, he has been working on problems in disease modeling (fairly applied) and pattern-avoiding permutations (very theoretical). Professor Madras is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and a Fellow of the Canadian Mathematical Society.
Neil J. Buckley, Ph.D., is the Undergraduate Program Director and an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University. Professor Buckley’s research revolves around Behavioural and Experimental Economics, Health Economics, and Environmental Economics.
Neil Tandon, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Science and Space Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University. Professor Tandon’s research focuses on climate dynamics. He uses a combination of models, observations and mathematical analysis to investigate how motions in Earth’s atmosphere and ocean influence climate. His work has helped to clarify the physical processes driving long-term changes in the atmospheric circulation, with implications for desertification, cloud abundance, extreme precipitation, and Arctic sea ice motion. He also investigates variability in ocean circulation and its relationship to other aspects of climate variability.
Nhat Tuan Le is an Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Nirupama Agrawal, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management at the York University’s School of Administrative Studies. She has been actively teaching and researching areas that include disaster risk management, physical dynamics of natural hazards, flood management using GIS and remote sensing techniques, and multi-criteria decision making using the fuzzy logic concept. Professor Agrawal is a certified (DRI Canada) Associate Business Continuity Professional.
Niushan Gao, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Ryerson University. In his research, Professor Gao’s research interests lie in quantitative risk and investment management.
Perry Sadorsky, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Sustainability and Economics at the Schulich School of Business, York University. His research concerns business issues related to energy, the natural environment and financial markets. He has an interest in technology, innovation, and machine learning. Current research topics include: energy usage in developed and developing economies; energy markets, financial markets and the economy, energy trading and risk management; innovation, business performance and sustainability; machine learning applications in business
Pirathayini Srikantha
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, York University
psrikan@eecs.yorku.caPirathayini Srikantha, Ph.D., P.Eng., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering. Professor Srikantha holds a Tier 2 CRC in Reliable and Secure Power Grid Systems for research that has important national security implications for Canada’s critical power grid infrastructure. Professor Srikantha builds on her foundational contributions to smart distribution systems by using the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and transactive technologies. To enhance reliability in the increasingly volatile and vulnerable electricity grid, her research addresses two specific challenges: giving devices that are controlled by the electric power utility the ability to automatically infer, predict and respond to power disturbances, and secondly, designing trustworthy energy markets that incentivize power producers and consumers to provide grid support during congestion or fault conditions.
Rajat Ajay is an Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Reem Bizreh is a Business Economics Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Ricardas Zitikis
Statistics, Western University
Quantitative Risk Assessment Lead
zitikis@stats.uwo.caRicardas Zitikis, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University.
Professor Zitikis has (co)-authored over 130 publications on risk modeling and assessment, with the paper on weighted risk capital allocations awarded the prestigious Fortis Chair Prize of K.U. Leuven. Professor Zitikis has a strong record of funding from all of Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada; Society of Actuaries; Casualty Actuarial Society; the Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems.
Sai Teja Pulagam is an MBA Candidate in Information Technology at Schulich School of Business and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Fall 2022.
Saif Anam is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Samuel Meir is a Financial and Business Economics in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Fall 2022.
Sapna Sharma, Ph.D>, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at York University. Professor Sharma studies human-induced environmental stressors and holds the York University Research Chair in Global Change Biology as well as Provostial Fellowship.
Satinder K. Brar
Civil Engineering, York University
Environmental Engineering Lead
Satinder.Brar@lassonde.yorku.caSatinder K. Brar, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Civil Engineering and James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering and a nationally and internationally recognized researcher with exceptional expertise in the two converging fields of value-addition of wastes and removal of emerging contaminants. Her research has transcended frontiers and is now adapted all around the world. Many national and international awards and honors have been bestowed on Professor Brar and her team with some examples being: the 2021 best theoretical paper award by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute; the 2019 International Woman Research Award by Science for Technology and Environment; the 2019 Eddy Principles/Processes Wastewater Medal of the Water Environment Federation; the prestigious American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Rudolf Gold Medal of Original and Meritorious Research in 2018; the ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award in 2007 and 2017, among many others. Professor Brar was elected as a member of the college of science, culture, and arts of the Royal Society of Canada in 2014.
Saumya Kalra is an MBA Candidate at the Schulich School of Business, York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Shamira, M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and post-graduate Diploma in Project Management from the University of Toronto, is a seasoned research coordinator with many years of progressive experience in leading, promoting, supporting, and coordinating interdisciplinary research at the highest National and International levels. Shamira came to RISC from the Canada Gairdner Foundation, where she served as Research Officer and led the new nominations’ identification, application, adjudication and post-award activities for the Canada Gairdner International Prizes.
Shayna Rosenbaum, Ph.D., is a Full Professor and University Research Chair in the Department of Psychology at York University; she is also an Associate Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest. Professor Rosenbaum has published extensively on the topics of memory and decision-making, and has received awards for her neuroimaging and patient research, including a Sloan Research Fellowship and early career awards from the Canadian Association for Neuroscience, Canadian Society for Brain Behaviour and Cognitive Science and International Neuropsychological Society. Her research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She is an elected member of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Ontario Science Centre.
Sheldon Lin
Actuarial Science, University of Toronto
Predictive Modeling Lead
sheldon.lin@utoronto.caSheldon Lin, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto. Professor Lin’s expertise is in risk modeling/assessment, where two of his over sixty papers have been awarded best paper prizes by the Society of Actuaries. Professor Lin is past president of the Statistical Society of Canada’s Actuarial Science Section and co-edits the premier A* Actuarial Science journal Insurance: Mathematics and Economics.
Silvana Pesenti, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor, Insurance Risk Management, at the University of Toronto’s Department of Statistical Sciences. Professor Pesenti is an expertin dependence modeling and risk measurement. She is the 2022 Rising Star in Quantitative Finance (risk.net) and received the Peter Clark Best Paper Prize and D. Shoichet Women Faculty Excellence Award.
Sotirios Liaskos, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Director at the School of Information Technology, York University. Professor Liaskos is also Head of the Enterprise Systems Group, and member of the Software Engineering Group at York University. Professor Liaskos’ research spans all of: Strategic Goal Modeling and Decision Making; Enterprise Architecture; Empirical Methods in Conceptual Modeling; Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Modeling, Simulation and Analysis; Software Variability and Configurability.
Stavroula Pantazopoulou, Ph.D., is a Full Professor at York University in the Lassonde School of Engineering. Her area of expertise is Structural Mechanics and Earthquake Engineering with particular emphasis in Performance-Based Engineering. She is conducting research in the development of strain-resilient cementitious materials for corrosion-resistant durable retrofits but also as an opportunity for the development of novel structural designs that reduce the required amounts of confining and shear reinforcement with no compromise on ductility. In this direction, she is exploring the use of nanomaterials in construction and the exploitation of industrial waste in concrete. In 2004, she was elected as a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and is the recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineering’s Moisseiff Award for Notable Contributions to the Science and Art of Civil Engineering
Steven Wang, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Professor Wang’s current research interests lie in big data methods with applications to personalized medicine and senior care.
Steven Zheng is a Statistics Major within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Tannis Leung is a Financial and Business Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Thi Hong Uyen Pham is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Thomas S. Salisbury, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. His research area are probability theory, specifically Brownian motion and related Markov processes, including their applications to actuarial finance. He was co-editor-in-chief of the Canadian Mathematical Bulletin. Other service on editorial boards has included that of Probability Theory and Related Fields. He is a fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and of the Fields Institute. Professor Salisbury chaired the task force that initiated the 2007 revision of the Ontario grade 12 curriculum, and subsequently served on the Ontario Minister of Education’s curriculum council. Also, he has served terms as Deputy Director of the Fields Institute, and as President of the Canadian Mathematical Society. His research is supported by NSERC, MITACS, and the IFID centre.
Thu Pham is a Business Systems Analysis Major at the School of Information Technology at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Tianyu Wang is a Financial and Business Economics Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Summer 2022.
Tiffany Kwan is an International Bachelor in Business Administration Candidate at Schulich School of Business and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Trang Ngo is an Accounting Major in the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, the cohort of Summer 2022.
Trung Nguyen is a Finance Major at the School of Administrative Studies at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Tsvetanka Karagyozova, Ph.D>, is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Department of Economics at York University. Her research interests are in financial economics, the economics of insurance, development economics, and innovative education in economics and insurance risk management.
Usman T Khan, Ph.D>, is an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering and Graduate Program Director at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University. His research interests lie in Water Resources Engineering, focusing on urban hydrology, including flood risk assessment and uncertainty analysis, sustainable water resource management and infrastructure and the impacts of climate change on these systems. Professor Khan has won a number of national awards for his research and teaching, including, recently, an Andy Farquharson Teaching Excellence Award. Professor Khan has worked with municipal governments, providing his expertise to a number of stormwater, watershed management and urban hydrology projects.
Vic Fung TSE is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Xin Gao, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Her research interests include statistical genetics, bioinformatics, biostatistics, nonparametrics, large sample theory, and statistical computing. She is especially interested in research, which allows her to develop statistical methodologies for biological data analysis, including genetic mapping, microarray data analysis, proteomic data analysis, construction of gene regulatory networks, etc.
Xiong (Shawn) Zhang is an M.A. Candidate in Mathematics within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Xuhao Rong is a Financial and Business Economics Major within the Department of Economics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Yash Patel is an Actuarial Science Major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Ying (April) Yue is a Finance Major in the School of Administrative Studies at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Yue Zhen is a Commerce Major at the School of Administrative Studies at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Fall 2022.
Zoë Hillier-Weltman is an M.Sc. Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology within the Department of Biology at York University and a RISC intern under the Hybrid Academia Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement Program, cohort of Summer 2022.
Our Home at York University
York University - located in Toronto, Canada - is a leading international teaching and research university and a driving force for positive change.
The Times Higher Education Impact Ranking has been continuously recognizing York as a world leader - 33rd out of 767 universities - in building a more just and sustainable future for everyone.