Description: This is an interview that Professor Colin M. Ramsay, Editor of Expanding Horizons, had with Professor John Beekman, Ph.D., ASA, MAAA. It was conducted on Thursday, August 15, 2019, while both were attending the Actuarial Research Conference at Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Indianapolis. The interview is a part of the Distinguished Academic Actuaries Series and is intended to highlight the journey these actuaries took through their career inside and outside of academia.

Description: Actuary Dave Dillon describes his role volunteering his time as a teacher in higher education, including the rewards and challenges that teaching offers. He discusses the importance of being attentive to his audience’s pre-existing knowledge and adapting his presentations accordingly. His work as a teacher typically encompasses three distinct domains: 1) acquainting young students with the actuarial profession, 2) educating non-actuaries about public policy issues related to health insurance (including the Affordable Care Act), and 3) instructing current actuaries on advanced methodologies and principles within the field. Recently he taught a health insurance course for actuarial science graduate students at Georgia State University and lectured at Boise State University’s master's program in Population & Health Systems Management. In every teaching and mentoring opportunity, actuaries can contribute to the expansion and prosperity of the profession and are encouraged to pursue these endeavors.

Description: One major concern about the rapid move to online teaching is the increased potential for academic integrity violations. Instructors and institutions have proposed many solutions, but some can be expensive, unfair, easy for students to circumvent, and overly focused on punishing the symptom. This article focuses instead on addressing the causes of cheating, while encouraging student learning and growth.