David T. Russell

Dr. David T. Russell, Professor of Insurance and Finance, received his Ph.D. in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1997. He earned an A.B. in Economics cum laude from Amherst College. He joined CSUN in 2002 after teaching at the Katie Insurance School at Illinois State University. Dr. Russell has two books on insurance and has published in several journals, including the Journal of Insurance Issues, Journal of Risk Finance, Journal of Insurance Regulation, Risk and Insurance Management Review, and others. His current research interests include alternative risk transfer mechanisms, insurance companies' service quality, retirement savings, and insurance agent compensation. He is a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, the American Risk and Insurance Association, and the Western Risk and Insurance Association. Dr. Russell currently serves as the director of the CSUN Center for Risk Management and Insurance. He serves on the board of the California El Camino Chapter of CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters). In addition, he provides consulting services to insurers, financial advisory clients, and parties in need of litigation support services. Previously, he served as Chairman of the Board of First Connect Insurance Services, an Austin, TX, based insurance distributor until a successful liquidity event in late 2020. Dr.Russell also served on the boards of two NASDAQ-listed companies and several other private companies and non-profits.

Education

  • Ph.D. 1997, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
  • M.A. 1992, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
  • B.A. 1989, Amherst College

Areas of Expertise/Research

  • Insurance-Linked Securities; Self-Insurance and Captive Insurance Companies
  • Life Insurer Investments
  • Interest Rate/Currency/Commodity Price Risk
  • Property/Casualty Insurance Underwriting Cycles
  • Enterprise Risk Management
  • Property/Casualty Insurance Fraud
  • Insurance Agent Compensation and Ethics
  • Loss Prevention
  • Insurance Education

Selected Publications

  • “Trial by Fire: Reimagining Wildfire Insurance in California,” with M. Kelly, A. Kleffner, and L. Medders, Journal of Insurance Regulation, December 2025.
  • “Exploring the Connection Between Captive Insurance and Cash Flow: Evidence from S&P Global 100 Companies," with J. Chen and M. Chang, Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, May 2025.
  • “Preferred Shares, an Overlooked Asset Class, Add Diversification and Income to Portfolios,” with H.Weston, Journal of Financial Services Professionals, March 2024.
  • “The Importance of Teaching within the ARIA Mission,” with L. Medders, K. Epermanis, and S. Avila, Risk and Insurance Management Review, December 2023.
  • “Cash Flow and Captive Insurance: Is there a link? Evidence from S&P 500Companies” with J. Chen, M. Chang, and H. Weston, Journal of Insurance Issues, Fall 2023.

Honors and Awards

  • 2019, recipient of the American Risk and Insurance Association's Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes outstanding instruction in the field of Risk Management and Insurance.
  • 2012, Rie R. Sharp "Insurance Person of the Year" Award from LosAngeles area CPCU chapters.
  • 2008, President of the Western Risk and Insurance Association.
  • 1997, recipient of the Les Strickler Innovation in Instruction Award from the American Risk and Insurance Association.