Current Research Interests:

Analytical, financial, and technological expertise can empower individuals and transform society. Their absence can lead to societal inequality and exclusion.

Inclusivity research:

Mathematics Anxiety – pedagogical, societal impact, gender

Programming Anxiety – pedagogy, accessibility, societal inequality, AI, and gender

Financial Literacy – accessibility, inclusion, equality, gender, informed decision-making, planning, and empowerment

Critical Accounting:

Insurance-Linked Securities, Blended Finance, Development Finance, Public-Private Partnerships – How can these structured financial products better serve their dual mandate where there is a plurality of values?

Sustainability Assurance – European sustainability reporting regulations present a real opportunity for societal change. How can the technical coding and professional deployment of this regulation impact the potential for societal change?

Future Research Interests:

Exploration of solidarity concepts in insurance and risk management

Climate literacy, double-materiality, sustainable finance, financialisation of wicked problems, and impact accountability

Insurance and risk literacy

Dual-mandate public-private vehicles for sustainable development and disaster resilience

Skillset:

Critical accounting perspective – interrogation of data, plurality of values, framing, legitimacy signalling, audit society and metricisation, stakeholder accountability, and the social construction of meaning.

Mathematics, Python, SPSS, Qualtrics

Risk modelling, perceptions, framing, and risk behaviours

Insurance and Financial Product design, rationalities, and moral logic.

Network - strong relationship with the Irish insurance and finance sector, co-lead of KBS Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), co-lead of Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) Ireland

Dr Orla McCullagh is an Associate Professor in Risk Management and insurance at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick.

Orla has extensive experience as a module leader of undergraduate, postgraduate, and post-experience blended learning modules in insurance, risk management, and finance. Orla is the Course Director of the Major Option in Risk Management and Insurance on our large Bachelor of Business Studies undergraduate programme. This is the only specialist insurance full-time undergraduate programme in Ireland. In that role, Orla coordinates exemptions from professional insurance exams, working with the Insurance Institute of Ireland to map curricula, competencies, and learning outcomes.

Orla has extensive experience in program design, having designed the MSc in Risk Management and Insurance at UL and acting as Course Director from 2012-2018. Recently, Orla has led the integration of Python into our suite of masters programmes, with a strong emphasis on data visualisation, interpretation, and data-driven decision-making. 
Orla has been involved in the design and delivery of blended learning programmes in risk management for post-experience students on the Specialist Diploma in Aviation Finance.

Orla engages extensively with Insurance Ireland and has hosted and attended many insurance industry events. Orla is an active researcher specialising in social and environmental aspects of financial products. She is currently researching flood risk resilience in collaboration with industry partners.