The Society of Actuaries Names 2020—2021 James C. Hickman Scholars
Schaumburg, IL (September 16, 2020) – The Society of Actuaries (SOA) congratulate this year’s SOA James C. Hickman Scholars, which includes three new recipients and nine others who will have their stipends renewed. The program provides stipends to doctoral students who will, through their studies, address research and education needs of the profession, including both the theoretical and practical aspects. The new Hickman Scholars for this year include Hong Beng Lim from the University of Iowa and two recipients from the University of Waterloo; Wenyuan Li and Yechao Meng. Each will receive a $20,000 stipend for the 2020—2021 academic year.
The Hickman Scholars program helps to increase the number of academic actuaries who hold a Ph.D. and an actuarial designation. The recipients were chosen from a significant number of highly qualified applicants entering or currently in doctoral programs in actuarial science or a related field in the United States and Canada. Recipients include those who are pursuing or have already attained an actuarial designation, either associate (ASA) or fellow (FSA).
The program was established by the SOA Board of Directors and named in honor of James C. Hickman, FSA, a former dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business. Hickman helped support the advancement of the actuarial profession during his 40 years as an academic.
Nine Hickman Scholars had their stipends renewed for the 2020—2021 academic year:
- Ahmed Ahmed, FSA (University of Chicago)
- Jean-Thomas Baillargeon, FSA, CERA, FCIA (Université Laval)
- Roba Bairakdar, ASA (Concordia University)
- Nicholas Beck (McGill University)
- Ou Dang, FSA, FCIA (University of Waterloo)
- Lisa Gao, ASA (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Banghee So, ASA (University of Connecticut)
- Gabrielle Trudeau (HEC Montréal)
- Abylay Zhexembay (University of Iowa)
Learn about the Hickman Scholars program.
About The SOA
With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 30,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA's mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and to enhance the ability of actuaries to provide expert advice and relevant solutions for financial, business and societal challenges. The SOA's vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in the measurement and management of risk. www.SOA.org