Dr. Wing Fung (Alfred) Chong Recognized as Recipient of the SOA Actuarial Science Early Career Research Award

Chicago, IL August 23, 2025 — The Society of Actuaries (SOA) proudly recognizes Dr. Wing Fung (Alfred) Chong, Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science within the School of Computing and Data Science at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), as the recipient of the 2025 SOA Actuarial Science Early Career Research Award. He is recognized for his outstanding academic leadership and impactful contributions to the global actuarial profession.

As an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), Dr. Chong’s work bridges rigorous academic research with practical, real-world applications in areas such as risk sharing and pooling, risk aggregation and resource allocation, artificial intelligence in insurance, and mitigation techniques for emerging risks.

Prior to the current position at HKU, he held faculty positions at Heriot-Watt University (HWU) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He earned his PhD in Actuarial Science jointly from HKU and King’s College London, following earlier degrees in Risk Management and Mathematics from HKU and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Chong has published in some of the field’s most respected journals, including Insurance: Mathematics and Economics (IME), ASTIN Bulletin, Scandinavian Actuarial Journal, Annals of Actuarial Science, Journal of Risk and Insurance, Finance and Stochastics, and European Journal of Operational Research. His research has received funding support from leading organizations such as the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, Cisco, and Fundación MAPFRE, as well as the UK Government and the SOA. His excellence has been acknowledged with awards such as the Michael V. Colla Prize for Mathematics Related to Medicine by UIUC in 2022 and recognition in the CAS Best of 2020 at the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) Annual Meeting.

Beyond his scholarly work, Dr. Chong is deeply committed to research education and service. At UIUC, he co-founded the Illinois Risk Lab, a model for academic-industry collaboration. At HWU, he led the development of general insurance courses to better prepare students for contemporary research demands. He has also played a key role in organizing global actuarial conferences, including the International Congress on IME and the SOA Actuarial Research Conference.

The SOA Actuarial Science Early Career Research Award recognizes professionals within the first ten years of their initial full-time academic appointment. Eligible candidates must demonstrate a strong record of impactful research published in peer-reviewed journals, with clear relevance to real-world actuarial practice. In addition, recipients must hold a credential from an organization recognized by the International Actuarial Association (IAA) or be actively working toward actuarial certification.

About the Society of Actuaries
With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 34,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and enhance actuaries’ ability 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 measuring and managing risk. To learn more, visit soa.org.