Description: Wright State University is a public research university in Dayton, Ohio, with approximately 11,000 students. With the lowest tuition fees in Ohio, the university has an access mission and plays a critical role in the region by offering high-quality, affordable education. I joined Wright State University in fall 2019 as the director of the Actuarial Science program. In spring 2020 we attained the Universities and Colleges with Actuarial Programs (UCAP)-AC designation from the Society of Actuaries (SOA), becoming one of only three universities in southwest Ohio at this recognition tier. In this article, I would like to tell you about the journey our program has taken—its successes and its challenges. The goal is to offer a resource to other universities seeking to upgrade their Actuarial Science programs.

Description: Based on the book “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” written by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, the four skills necessary to improve EQ are– 1) self-awareness; 2) self-management; 3)social awareness; and 4) relationship management. This article explores the skill of self-awareness by sharing examples and personal stories, highlighting three strategies to practice. In addition to lowering stress and becoming happier, having a greater ability to regulate our emotions gives us confidence, helps us communicate better, allows us to understand multiple perspectives, builds trusting relationships, and frees us from our assumptions and biases. Ultimately, this gives us more potential to influence other sand make better decisions.

Description: Now that Covid and other viruses seem to be leaving us (hopefully!), what is left of the aftermath? For two locked-down years, we no longer could network face-to-face, meet with colleagues at work, do lunch or breakfast, enjoy meeting for coffee, nor attend conferences or other events to experience great speakers up close. Nor could we show up as one of those great speakers ourselves! This article explores what's next in our newly virtual world of public speaking!

Description: A brief description of the contents of the July 2022 issue along with are quest for assistance with SOA programming.

Description: In May, the Leadership and Development Section sponsored a webinar where 4 four senior actuarial leaders with different backgrounds, experiences, and geographic locations shared their journeys and unique perspectives. This article summarizes the key takeaways from the discussion of the paths they followed to leadership.

Description: Interview with Sara Teppema showing her career journey and leadership philosophy.

Description: This article is an interview of Stuart Klugman, senior staff fellow for Education at the SOA, who explains the changes to the pathway to earn the ASA designation.

Description: "One of the key responsibilities in the actuarial profession is forecasting. Seldom do we use this skill outside of the work on our desks to broadly assess the professional landscape.When we have, we are provided direction as to the future of the actuary, and where this profession is heading. Join us for a 50-minute panel discussion with leaders in the profession on the Actuary of the Future, where we will discuss the direction of the profession, including the skill sets and technology that have been identified as being integral to actuarial work in the next 5-10 years. At the conclusion of the session, you’ll be able to: • Understand how actuarial modernization will impact employers and the profession. • How actuaries can be leveraged to provide a broader impact to industry. • How social, demographic, and technological changes are driving disruptions in the profession."

Description: This article discusses two key challenges one must overcome to gather the best data for managers to make data-driven decisions.

Description: This month, Expanding Horizons had the opportunity to interview Tim Boonen, the winner of the Society of Actuaries’ (SOA’s) second Actuarial Science Early Career Award.