Society of Actuaries Names New Recipients of James C. Hickman Scholars Program
October 24, 2024, Chicago, IL – The Society of Actuaries (SOA) announced the six actuarial candidates named as SOA James C. Hickman Scholars. The Hickman Scholars Program provides stipends to doctoral candidates working on actuarial research and education, with this year being the first to include international candidates. The SOA Board of Directors named the program in memory of James C. Hickman, FSA, former dean of the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Business, who helped support actuarial research and teaching as a member of the SOA.
The SOA Board established this program to increase the number of academic actuaries who have a Ph.D. and an actuarial designation; and who intend to pursue a career in academia. Each recipient receives a $20,000 stipend for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The 2024-2025 SOA Hickman Scholars are:
- Ian Weng Chan, University of Toronto
- Olivier Côté, Laval University
- Yuxin Fang, The University of New South Wales
- Changyue Hu, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Hashan Peiris, Simon Fraser University
- Yimiao Zhao, University of Waterloo
These scholarship recipients were chosen from many highly qualified applicants either currently enrolled in or applying to actuarial science doctoral programs or a related field. The Hickman Scholars named this year include students from Australia, Canada and the United States. These recipients have made progress toward, or have already attained, an actuarial designation.
Andrew Peterson, FSA, MAAA, FCA, SOA Managing Director of International noted, “This year marks the first time the Hickman Scholars application was opened to international candidates, and we’re encouraged to see this global interest. The SOA is committed to developing well educated actuaries worldwide and expanding the Hickman Scholars Program to a broader international market follows through on that commitment.”
In addition, the SOA renewed stipends for four previous Hickman Scholars for the 2024-2025 academic year:
- Lydia Gabric, Arizona State University
- Yiping Guo, University of Waterloo
- Benxuan Shi, University of Waterloo
- Michael Zhu, University of Waterloo
Visit the Hickman Scholars page to learn more about the program.
About the Society of Actuaries
With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 33,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and enhance actuaries’ ability to provide expert advice and relevant solutions for financial, business and societal challenges. The SOA’s vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in measuring and managing risk. To learn more, visit soa.org.