2017 Society of Actuaries Student Research Case Study Challenge
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is dedicated to advancing education and research for the actuarial profession. As part of its mission, the SOA recognizes the importance of partnering with colleges and universities to help develop future actuaries. With this in mind, the SOA is holding a Student Case Study Challenge, which provides an opportunity for teams of students to apply their actuarial skills on a real world problem. Read the details of the case study, which focuses on the coastal development of an island. Additional data is in the Akua Island Student Data Spreadsheet.
SOA Announces Recipients of Case Study Challenge
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) announces the recipients of the Student Case Study Challenge:
- First place, the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a $5,000 grant. ( Winning Submission)
- Second Place, Ball State University with a $3,000 grant. ( Winning Submission)
- Third place, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a $2,000 grant. ( Winning Submission)
The finalists included a team from the University of Iowa ( Winning Submission), another team from Ball State University ( Winning Submission), and a team from Macquarie University ( Winning Submission).
Semi-finalists, in alphabetical order, are:
- Australian National University
- Boston University
- California State University - Fullerton
- Columbia University
- Georgia State University
- Indiana University Northwest
- University of Calgary
- University of Central Florida
- University of Hong Kong
- Université du Québec à Montréal
About the Case Study Challenge
Over the course of eight weeks, teams of up to five students will research a case study situation, conduct actuarial analysis, formulate solutions, and present recommendations. The work will require a team approach to identify issues and organize priorities. The team will need to understand and select from potential data sources, develop models with appropriate accuracy metrics, summarize relevant results, and then present recommendations in a written format. Teams are encouraged to seek guidance from a faculty advisor to assist them in their overall approach. Teams can look forward to showcasing their creativity while building synergies within an actuarial setting.