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Actuarial Science Program Renewed as Center of Actuarial Excellence

The UNL Actuarial Science program has been renewed as a Center of Actuarial Excellence (CAE) by the Society of Actuaries’ Centers of Actuarial Excellence Evaluation Committee. The designation is given to programs that excel in eight criteria of qualitative and quantitative categories, including composition of the faculty, quality of students and connections with the profession.
 
Warren Luckner, David P. Hayes Memorial Chair in Actuarial Science, believes the program’s strength is in excellence that has been achieved over time.
 
“It confirms the contributions that generations of students, faculty and alumni have made to the profession and the program at UNL,” Luckner said. “The students are preparing for their professional designations while they’re in our program, and the combination of a strong academic and strong pre-professional program is a key to receiving the CAE designation.”
 
He also noted actuarial research achievements from finance faculty Dr. Yijia Lin and Dr. Geoff Friesen, along with actuarial faculty members Dr. Colin Ramsey and Dr. Mostafa Mashayekhi as a growing strength of the program.
 
“We are building the research component up with our new faculty and improving our casualty area as well,” he said.
 
Actuarial Students

Shih Yik Tan and Jill Silhasek study for exams

Shih Yik Tan is a senior actuarial science student from Penang, Malaysia. The designation was key to him attending Nebraska.
 
“When I looked up schools in the U.S., I only considered those that had the CAE designation,” Tan said. “I could tell from their web site that their program would give me a great education.”
 
Jill Silhasek is also a senior actuarial science major from Byron, Minn. Like most upper level actuarial science students at UNL she has already begun to pass her actuarial professional exams.
 
“We have classes that correspond with the actuarial professional exams that we are going to have to take,” Silhasek said. “They are laid out so that you are learning the material at a time that makes sense in order to pass the professional exams.”
 
Silhasek has completed internships with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas and with Aon Hewitt in Lincolnshire, Ill.
Published: February 14, 2013