MADISON, Wis.–The Filene Research Institute has named Bill Maurer as the lead Research Fellow of Filene’s Center for Emerging Technology.
Maurer is dean of the School of Social Sciences, Professor of Anthropology and Law, and director of the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion (IMTFI) at the University of California, Irvine.
“Bill Maurer is the leading anthropologist of money and finance working today,” said Taylor C. Nelms, managing director of research for Filene. “His longstanding research on alternative and community economies and new technologies of money uniquely position him to contribute cutting-edge insights on consumer finance. His enthusiasm for the world’s weird and wonderful cultures of money is infectious, and I can’t wait for the credit union movement to get to know him better.”
‘Pillars of Agenda’
Filene said the Centers of Excellence form the pillars of its research agenda, which seeks to advance consumer financial wellness by transforming cooperative finance and moving credit unions forward.
“Five premier scholars from a variety of disciplines—consumer insights, business strategy, operational efficiency, talent management and technology—dive deep into the central challenges facing financial institutions and especially credit unions today and tomorrow,” said Filene. “The research produced by Filene’s Fellows builds on the deep archive of past learning and offers a foundation for future incubation, innovation, and ultimately impactful action.”
Filene said its members will have a chance to engage with Maurer at its annual signature event, big.bright.minds, on Dec. 6-7 in San Diego.
As an anthropologist, Filene said Maurer is interested in the broad range of technologies people have used throughout history and across cultures to determine value and conduct transactions. His recent research looks at how professional communities conceptualize and build fintech, and how consumers utilize it.
Studying New Technologies
"Almost every day, I hear about a new technology applied to people's relationships with their money and those who help protect and grow it—cryptocurrencies, voice-enabled identity verification, machine learning to score risk using data sources unthinkable just a couple of years ago,” Maurer said in a statement. “Partnering with Filene gives me the opportunity to advance the scholarly, policy, and practitioner discussion of these developments, firmly focused on the credit union movement's proud accomplishments in cooperative finance and financial justice. It is an honor to be named a Filene Fellow."