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Casualty Actuarial Society Announces 2020 Winners of CAS University Award Program

2020 Honorees include McMaster University, Middle Tennessee State University, Temple University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

June 19, 2020 Arlington, VA – The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is pleased to announce that McMaster University, Middle Tennessee State University, Temple University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are the winners of the 2020 CAS University Award Program. The four universities were selected by a panel of judges among a competitive field of applicants for the innovative and exemplary ways they are preparing students for a career in the property and casualty insurance industry. This year’s honorees represent a diverse set of schools, from larger actuarial programs in Temple University and two-time winner University of Illinois, to a smaller program in Middle Tennessee State University. McMaster University is the second Canadian school to be recognized since the program’s inception in 2016.

The CAS University Award Program is an annual program designed to celebrate and honor universities that share our commitment to fostering the development of the next generation of property and casualty actuaries. The selection process is extremely competitive, with nearly 40 schools worldwide having sought recognition through this program.

“As the award program has evolved over the past five years, applicant schools are sharing new approaches in how they incorporate property and casualty concepts into their curriculum, research, and industry engagement. Those innovations are at the center of our evaluation process,” said Anson Lo a Fellow of the CAS who chairs the CAS University Award Program. “As schools continue to adapt and enhance their programs to prepare their students for actuarial careers, the property and casualty insurance industry will likewise be better positioned to meet the challenges of the future. For example, it was impressive to see several diversity and inclusion initiatives that schools have developed within their actuarial programs. I applaud this year’s winners, as well as the many other strong applicants, for their continued efforts to promote property and casualty education.”

The four winning schools will each receive a $5,000 monetary award to further enhance their actuarial programs, and they will be recognized at the 2020 CAS Annual Meeting in November, where they will also present a session highlighting the innovations they’ve incorporated into their programs. The CAS will be providing details of the initiatives and programs that helped this year’s winners stand apart through upcoming articles and web postings, to facilitate the sharing of ideas within the academic community and across the insurance industry.

Past honorees include Illinois State University, University of Connecticut, University of Toronto in 2019; Arizona State University, Renmin University of China, and University of Texas at Austin in 2018; Ball State University, St. John’s University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017; and Illinois State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Connecticut, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016. The CAS University Engagement Committee has a three-year waiting period before winners of the CAS University Award may reapply for recognition.

About the Casualty Actuarial Society
The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is a leading international organization for credentialing and professional education. Founded in 1914, the CAS is the world’s only actuarial organization focused exclusively on property and casualty risks and serves over 9,000 members worldwide. Professionals educated by the CAS empower business and government to make well-informed strategic, financial and operational decisions. Learn more at casact.org.