2020 CAS UNIVERSITY AWARD WINNER
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
Temple University’s actuarial science program has five actuarial faculty members and 250 actuarial students. The university impressed the judges with its focus on property and casualty insurance across curriculum, research, and industry engagement.
Highlights include:
- The incorporation of property and casualty topics into Temple’s actuarial curriculum for both its undergraduate and Master’s Actuarial Science program, covering material on MAS-I, MAS-II, and CAS Exam 5. The university leverages CAS case studies and property and casualty datasets for its courses. Particularly innovative is the Actuarial Practice – Property Liability course featuring an insurance game/market simulation, that helps students understand P&C insurer operations and the impact of the operational decisions.
- Temple University has a research-active faculty, and its professors produce relevant and impactful research in the property and casualty area, cited by well-known media outlets and published in academic journals. One recent research project referenced in their application led to the development of an insurance product. The university also encourages students to work on research with faculty members and publish articles with department faculty.
- The program connects with the property and casualty insurance industry through several avenues including its lecturer and workshop series, engagement with companies in their recruiting efforts, and their participation in case competitions. The university has hosted a variety of speakers from the P&C industry both through its Snider Distinguished Guest Lecturer Series, and the Actuarial Science Career Development Committee which brings in actuarial focused speakers nearly every week.
- Temple has a robust alumni mentorship program which pairs interested students each semester with an industry mentor, many of whom are from the property and casualty industry. The mentors offer mentees a deep understanding of their industry, specific line of work, and provide invaluable advice.
- The department has hosted an ERM Conference since 2018, which is open to students, featuring risk officers from various industries speaking about challenges organizations face including cybersecurity, supply chain, and climate change.
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“Thank you to the Casualty Actuarial Society for selecting Temple University as one of the recipients of the 2020 CAS University Award. We are thrilled to receive this honor! The faculty strive to create and continually refine an intellectually demanding curriculum for our students. Our student engagement in professional development opportunities further expands their knowledge. The property and casualty field encompasses both traditional and innovative insurance and risk management concepts, making for interesting discussions and thought-provoking applications in the classroom. We appreciate the CAS's recognition of our program.” –Krupa Viswanathan, Ph.D., ASA, Associate Professor and Academic Director, Actuarial Science Program, Temple University |
