June 2006
CHRISTIAN GOLLIER INAUGURATES RMI LECTURE SERIES

During the spring semester, the RMI Department announced the establishment of a Distinguished Lecture Series, which will bring highly renowned scholars to the Georgia State University campus for an extended period of time to address topics of importance related to the modeling and management of risk.

Dr. Christian Gollier, Professor of Economics at Toulouse University, inaugurated the series last February, presenting eight lectures over a period of ten weeks on open research questions in the economics of risky decision making. His highly successful presentations covered two broad topics: (1) The Economics of Risk: Classic Results and (2) New Theory and New Models of Choice under Uncertainty. All faculty and doctoral students were invited to attend the lecture series, which also served as a seminar for RMI doctoral students.

Over his academic career, Professor Gollier’s work has focused on increasing our understanding of the impact that risk has on the behavior of economic agents and on how risky assets are priced. His current work focuses on the management of irreversible decisions over the distant future in a world with scientific uncertainty, as applied to such issues as global warming and nuclear risk management.

Dr. Gollier has published over 70 papers and his book entitled “The Economics of Risk and Time” (MIT Press, 2001), received multiple awards including the prestigious TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award and the Kulp Wright Book Award by the American Risk and Insurance Association (ARIA).

Professor Gollier received the first ever GSU ARIA Award for Best Paper in Risk Management—established in early 2005 by the RMI Department and ARIA—for his paper entitled “Optimal Portfolio Management for Individual Pension Plans.”

The next Distinguished Lecture Series is currently being planned. Visit our calendar regularly for additional information and other calendar updates.