Description: In this article, the outgoing chairperson thanks the section council and highlights two major activities: the Centers of Actuarial Excellence, CAE, and the Future Education Methods, FEM.

Description: In this article, we share our experience in launching an actuarial program at a small university. We discuss considerations that must be made regarding the administration of the program, design of the curriculum, and meeting students' needs.

Description: Risks is an international, scholarly, peer-reviewed, open access journal for research and studies on insurance and financial risk management. An upcoming special issue is aimed at bringing novel research on quantitative modeling and empirical findings in finance and risk management to a broad audience of academic researchers, industry professionals and regulators.

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: Learning excellence is of value to both candidates and credentialed actuaries learning new areas. Learning mastery and excellence requires 1) use of executive function (EF), multiple brain areas, for example, verbal, formal (algebraic), computational, and geometric (rule of four), and 2) goal-setting, skillful breaking down of complex tasks into subtasks each of which are simultaneously 2a) clear and specific, 2b) achievable in a short time and 2c) challenging. 10 examples are presented illustrating use of the "rule of four" to achieve elegant solutions to otherwise complex problems as well as goal setting using fellowship-exam approaches, approaches to multi-component problems, and skillful use of databases as visual organizers. The material reflects a new approach to learning complexity that is easier to use than the pedagogic hierarchies and unifies them.

Description: Best practices for actuarial science educators for creating an inclusive learning environment for LGBT+ students.

Description: Some ideas for incorporating external forces, professionalism, and actuarial intuition into an introductory actuarial course. It's never too early to get students thinking about these ideas and prepare them to think like actuaries.

Description: Read the August 2020 issue of Expanding Horizons published by the Education and Research Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: This is an interview with the internationally renowned academic actuary, Hans U. Gerber. It is a part of a larger series called DISTINGUISHED ACADEMIC ACTUARIES, which introduces younger actuaries to the trail blazing actuaries that came before them.

Description: Introductory note to the newsletter from the council chair.