Dr. Lars Powell is a nationally recognized expert on insurance markets, catastrophe resilience, loss mitigation, and risk management. As Executive Director of The University of Alabama Center for Risk and Insurance Research (CRIR), he helps lead research and educational initiatives focused on insurance, disaster preparedness, resilience, and public policy.
Dr. Powell’s work combines academic research with practical industry insight. His research focuses on topics including insurer operations, insurer capitalization, insurance fraud, loss mitigation, and the effects of legislation and regulation on insurance markets.
He currently serves as the 2025–2026 President of the American Risk and Insurance Association (ARIA). He also serves on the board of the NAIC Center for Insurance Policy Research, on the board of Smart Home America, and as a member of the Alabama Resilience Council.
Dr. Powell is frequently invited to speak at national conferences, policy forums, and industry events. His expertise has also been featured through podcast interviews, educational programs, and media appearances including The Weather Channel. His recent public discussions have focused heavily on resilience, disaster mitigation, insurance affordability, and the economic impact of stronger building standards.
His research has appeared in leading journals including the Journal of Risk and Insurance, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of Financial Services Research, and Risk Management and Insurance Review. He previously served as editor of the Journal of Insurance Regulation.
Dr. Powell earned undergraduate degrees from the University of South Carolina and a PhD in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia.
Dr. Laura Myers is an expert in disaster resilience, severe weather communication, and public response to emergencies. As Senior Research Specialist and Resilience Director for The University of Alabama Center for Risk and Insurance Research, she leads research and outreach efforts focused on helping communities better prepare for and respond to disasters.
Her work examines how people interpret weather warnings, make protective decisions during emergencies, and respond to risk communication before, during, and after catastrophic events. Dr. Myers has led and contributed to major research initiatives involving tornadoes, hurricanes, severe storms, emergency preparedness, and disaster resilience, including NOAA-funded studies on public response to severe weather warnings.
Dr. Myers is frequently invited to share her expertise through conferences, public forums, preparedness summits, and media interviews. Her research and commentary have appeared in outlets including Science Magazine, WBRC FOX6, CBS 42, WVTM, WAFF, and other regional and national media organizations.
In recent years, her work has increasingly focused on resilience communication, disaster fatigue, preparedness behavior, and helping communities translate weather and risk information into practical action. She regularly collaborates with emergency management leaders, resilience organizations, researchers, and public agencies throughout Alabama and beyond.
Before joining CRIR, Dr. Myers held leadership and research roles at The University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety, where she worked on interdisciplinary projects involving emergency management, severe weather communication, and public safety research.
Dr. Myers earned her PhD from Florida State University and has spent her career helping bridge the gap between scientific research, public communication, and community resilience.
Dr. Boyi Zhuang is an Associate Researcher with The University of Alabama Center for Risk and Insurance Research, where his work focuses on insurance markets, risk analysis, resilience, and data-driven research that supports better decision-making for policymakers, businesses, and communities.
His research interests include catastrophe risk, insurance regulation, market behavior, and the economic impacts of disasters and mitigation strategies. Dr. Zhuang specializes in quantitative analysis and applied research designed to help translate complex risk and insurance issues into practical insight for both academic and public audiences.
At CRIR, he contributes to research initiatives examining resilience, disaster preparedness, insurance affordability, and the effects of public policy on insurance markets. His work supports the Center’s mission of providing trusted, evidence-based research that helps improve understanding of risk and strengthen community resilience.
Dr. Zhuang earned his PhD in Risk Management and Insurance from The University of Alabama. He is also a Certified Financial Risk Manager.
Dr. Sebastian Awondo is an Associate Researcher with The University of Alabama Center for Risk and Insurance Research, where he conducts research focused on risk, resilience, insurance markets, and the economic effects of natural disasters and mitigation strategies.
His work combines expertise in economics, quantitative analysis, and public policy to examine how individuals, businesses, and communities respond to risk and uncertainty. Dr. Awondo’s research interests include catastrophe risk, resilience investment, insurance affordability, and the economic impact of weather-related events and public policy decisions.
At CRIR, he contributes to interdisciplinary research initiatives designed to provide practical, evidence-based insight for policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and communities. His work supports the Center’s mission of helping improve resilience, preparedness, and understanding of complex risk and insurance issues.
Dr. Awondo earned his PhD in Economics from Auburn University and has extensive experience in applied economic and policy research.
Betsy Myers has used her skills in project management, event planning, and communication as a Project Coordinator for the CRIR since 2023. In her role, Betsy coordinates projects and events that connect researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, resilience organizations, and community stakeholders. She also assists with communications, program management, and collaborative initiatives related to disaster preparedness, resilience, insurance research, and public education.
Betsy plays an important role in helping the Center translate research into practical resources and outreach efforts that serve communities across Alabama and beyond. She earned a B.S. degree in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Alabama.
