Mission
UNLV’s Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management aspires to be the premier academic insurance and risk management program in the United States by supporting students, faculty, staff, and local industry studying and working in this field.
The center will accomplish this mission through the following initiatives:
Academic Programs
In addition to the existing minor in Insurance and Risk Management, UNLV offers a major in the discipline that will be managed by the center. Classes are taught by industry experts which makes the curriculum relevant and applicable to what’s happening in the industry.
Industry Partnerships
The center collaborates with leading insurance companies, risk management firms, and regulatory bodies to offer internships, experiential learning, and mentorship programs for students between academia and industry. Additionally, the center’s community advisory board provides a voice from the industry that influences the curriculum and professional development offerings for students.
Research and Innovation
Research conducted through the center addresses key challenges faced by the insurance and risk management industry. Faculty and students work together to develop innovative solutions, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this critical field.
Professional Development
The center hosts seminars, workshops, and conferences featuring industry experts, leaders, and policymakers. These events provide opportunities for continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and networking among professionals, students, and academics. UNLV’s student chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, a professional fraternity for college students studying insurance, also is housed within the center.
History
In 2023, with financial support from the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation (NSLF), UNLV established the Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management to provide the education, experiential learning, and career exposure needed to prepare students for success in the insurance and risk management industry.
The center’s namesake, Thomas F. Kerestesi, began his insurance career as a commercial lines underwriter with The Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and the Royal Insurance Company in Southern California. In 1974, he returned to Las Vegas to join his father, Frank, at the Cragin & Pike Insurance Agency, the second-oldest business in Las Vegas and the oldest insurance agency in the state of Nevada.
Tom was active with Cragin & Pike for 36 years, serving as president for 20 years before retiring in 2011. Tom’s son, Scott, now serves as CEO of Cragin & Pike, which marks the third generation of the Kerestesi family working with the firm.
In no small part due to Tom’s leadership and commitment to education, the NSLF has collectively provided an endowment of $5 million to the Nevada System of Higher Education for scholarships for students in business at both UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), as well as community colleges. In addition, the NSLF was instrumental in the creation and funding of a professorship for Insurance and Risk Management at UNLV and UNR.