Society of Actuaries Announces First Winner of the 2024 Outstanding Educator Award

July 28, 2024, Chicago, IL – The Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Education & Research Section are excited to announce the first-ever recipient of the 2024 SOA Outstanding Educator Award, Diana Skrzydlo. Diana is a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science (SAS) and is the current Math Faculty Teaching Fellow. She has spoken widely on innovative teaching and assessment techniques, including in Indonesia with the READI project.

Between 2019 and 2024, Diana served as the Director of the Master of Actuarial Science program, marking a significant period in her career. Her excellence in teaching was recognized through multiple awards: the SAS department’s teaching award in 2016, the Faculty of Math’s Award for Distinction in Teaching in 2019, and the prestigious University Distinguished Teacher Award in 2023. A proud alumna of the University of Waterloo, where she has been teaching since 2007, she earned her Bachelor’s in Math in 2006 and Master’s in Math in 2007. In 2018, she received her ASA designation from the SOA, contributing her expertise as a council member of the Education & Research Section, a grader for the Advanced Actuarial Mathematics exam, and a committee member for the Fundamentals of Actuarial Practice modules.

The SOA Outstanding Educator Award was designed for actuarial science educators with a current, primary job in education and a minimum of ten years' experience. All eligible applicants can be employed at a college or university but are not limited to these institutions. Our 2024 recipient, Diana Skrzydlo, will receive prestige and a monetary prize of $1,000 USD.

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 32,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and to enhance the ability of actuaries 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 the measurement and management of risk.