Rate My Professor Dave Wood

Dr. Dave Wood, D.B.A., CPCU, CRM, holds the Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University, a position he has occupied since 2016. He earned his Doctor of Business Administration from Appalachian State University and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Delta State University. With over 35 years of experience in the risk management and insurance field, Wood previously worked as an independent insurance agent before transitioning to academia. At Appalachian State University, he directed the Brantley Center for Risk Management from 1988 to 1999 and served as a professor. His professional certifications include Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) since 1994 and Certified Risk Manager (CRM). Wood has taught CPCU courses for many years, earning the Outstanding Course Leader Award from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters in 2004. He serves on the national faculty of the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research, teaching in the CRM program and acting as an education consultant, and previously consulted for the Certified Insurance Counselor program.

At MTSU, Wood led the transformation of the insurance concentration into a full B.B.A. major in Risk Management and Insurance within the Department of Economics and Finance, significantly elevating its profile. Under his leadership, the program achieved the No. 1 national ranking among industry professionals in a 2020 A.M. Best Review magazine survey. He teaches finance and economics courses, advises student organizations like the Insurors of Chattanooga chapter, and organizes events including career fairs, golf tournaments, and inductions for the Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame. Wood's research interests encompass risk financing, solvency issues, and agency/brokerage operations, with multiple publications in academic and insurance trade journals, including the CPCU Journal and Journal of Insurance Issues. His contributions have earned him awards such as the North Carolina Surplus Lines Association scholarship named in his honor, the Middle Tennessee CPCU chapter Legacy Award, and several university teaching honors. Students under his guidance have succeeded in national competitions, such as placing in the Selective Insurance competition in 2021.