Skip to main content
NC State Home
Risk Meets Reality

Risk Meets Reality

Expert insights on the evolving risks that challenge business continuity.

Risk Meets Reality is a series from Poole Thought Leadership and the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Initiative. Each quarter, experts from across NC State join ERM Initiative Director Mark Beasley to discuss the discipline-crossing problems that shape society and challenge enterprise risk managers.

Managing Cyber Risk

Software is part of every sector. That means cyber risk is, too. Computer scientists Laurie Williams and Will Enck explore how dependence on open source software and emergence of artificial intelligence complicate cybersecurity.

Read Their Insights
A hand reaches out toward a screen, its index finger touching an icon shaped like a lock. Other digital icons are projected onto the screen.

Outsmarting Viral Outbreaks

Pathogens — in people, plants or animals — are increasingly frequent and difficult to predict. Virologists Matt Koci and David Rasmussen probe the implications for the food supply and the global economy

Read Their Insights
Illustration of a spiky red virus molecule traveling along jagged plot line. To the right of the molecule (which is about 2/3 of the way across), the plot line is red. To the left, it's green.
Corona virus economic impact concept image. 3d illustration.

Perils of Polarization

Politically, Americans are as divided as they’ve ever been. Political scientists Andrew Taylor and Steven Greene probe the roots of hyperpartisanship and its effects on policymakers and businesses.

Read Their Insights
Two boxing gloves, entering from the left and right of the frame, meet. The one on the left is blue with stars. The one on the right is red-and-white-striped. Together, they evoke the American flag.

Weathering Extreme Events

As intense storms and droughts happen more often, businesses may need to shift their strategies. Kathie Dello, North Carolina’s state cllimatologist, and ecologist Rob Dunn find that adaptability is essential in a new climate reality.

Read Their Insights
Flooded houses from hurricane Debby rainfall water in Laurel Meadows community in Sarasota, Florida. Aftermath of natural disaster in USA south