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2018-2019 Society of Actuaries’ James C. Hickman Scholars Named

The Society of Actuaries (SOA) congratulates this year’s five new SOA James C. Hickman Scholars. Each recipient will receive a $20,000 stipend for the

2018-19 academic year. The recipients were chosen from a significant number of highly qualified applicants currently in (or applying to) actuarial science (or a related field) doctoral programs in the U.S. or Canada. Recipients have made good progress toward, or have already attained, an actuarial credential. 

The 2018-19 SOA Hickman Scholars are:

  1. Jingyi Cao (University of Waterloo)
  2. Tsz Chai Fung (University of Toronto)
  3. Himchan Jeong, ASA (University of Connecticut)
  4. Zhaofeng Tang (University of Iowa)
  5. Yunran Wei, ASA (University of Waterloo)

In addition, eleven Hickman Scholars had their $20,000 stipends renewed for the 2018-19 academic year:

  1. Ahmed Ahmed, FSA (University of Chicago)
  2. Nicholas Beck (McGill University)
  3. Hengxin Cui (University of Waterloo)
  4. Ou Dang, FSA, FCIA (University of Waterloo)
  5. Mingyu Fang, FSA, ACIA (University of Waterloo)
  6. Lisa Gao (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
  7. Haibo Liu, ASA (University of Iowa)
  8. Adolph Okine (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
  9. Tsun Yu Jeff Wong, FSA (University of Waterloo)
  10. Shuai Yang, ASA (University of Toronto)
  11. Kenneth Zhou (University of Waterloo)

The SOA Board of Directors established the Society of Actuaries James C. Hickman Scholar program to increase the number of academic actuaries who hold a Ph.D. and an actuarial designation; and who intend to pursue academic careers in the U.S. or Canada. The program provides stipends to doctoral candidates who will, through their studies and careers, address research and education needs of the profession.

The SOA Board named its doctoral stipend program to honor James C. Hickman, FSA (deceased), former dean of the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Business. During his more than 40-year academic career, Hickman made numerous contributions to teaching, research and scholarship, including co-authorship of the Actuarial Mathematics textbook. He also served the profession, including as a member of the SOA Board of Governors and trustee of the Actuarial Foundation.