Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

St. John's University recently held its annual research conference, featuring a unique focus this year as first-year students presented on various dangers and the insurance industry's strategies to manage these risks. This initiative was part of the First Year Research Opportunity (FYRO), facilitated by the Center for Student Success in collaboration with the Tobin College of Business.

Dan Napolitano, the director of student services at Tobin, explained the program's aim: "The intent was to use St. John's Davis Library - which includes the nation's oldest insurance archives - as a spark for research into the history of threats and insurance. The students visited the library in Manhattan and were asked to explore an area of their choosing."

Among the students displaying their research were Shaunte Boxill on Natural Catastrophes, Christina Ng on Art Insurance, Malcolm Whitman on Marine Insurance, Neil Sengupta on Pandemic Impact, Kazi Uddin on FinTech Insurance, and Autin Groves on Terrorism Insurance. The FYRO program, now in its third year, has seen significant growth in student participation under Sarah Braden, the Director of First-Year Programs for the Center for Student Success. The initiative aims to strengthen the relationship between students and faculty while promoting research opportunities during the critical first year of study.