News and Events

Actuarial Science Program Newsletter!

Exciting News!

  • The 2024 Actuarial Research Conference will be held on MTSU Campus!. We were thrilled to be informed that the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Education and Research Section Council have selected Middle Tennessee State University as the host for the 2024 Actuarial Research Conference (2024ARC). We will make all efforts to providing an excellent conference experience in 2024.

  • MTSU Actuarial Science program has attained the Gold level in the new Casualty Actuarial Society University Recognition Program. MTSU is one of only 12 schools in the United States to make this prestigious list. Alongside us, two institutions in Canada and one in India have been recognized at the Gold Level, and one Australian school has been awarded the Silver Level, bringing the total to 16 recognized schools worldwide. More information can be found here

  • MTSU actuarial science program won 2020 CAS University Award: 2020 CAS University Award

  • MTSU actuarial science program won 2021 Individual Grants Competition and received funding for proposal, “NLP and other AI Techniques for Applications in Actuarial Science”.
  • David Phillips received his BS degree in Statistics from UC-Berkeley in May 2018, then joined MTSU MSPS program for Actuarial Science studies. He received MSPS degree in May 2020 at MTSU. Please read his testimony about our program:  https://advisorsmith.com/education/middle-tennessee-state-university-actuarial-science-student-qa-david-phillips/

  • Courtney DeClerk, who graduated from UT-Knoxville with an UG degree in 2017, joined MTSU MSPS program for actuarial science studies and received MSPS degree in August 2019, just achieved her ASA designation in March 2023.

Past Events

  • Febraury 15, 2024: Samuel Wehner, "The Use of Automation in Actuarial Work and Professional Consideration in that Context"
  • January 26, 2024 : Syed Raza, "Join Our Growing Actuarial Community - A Quick Read with Big Insights!"
  • November 08, 2023: We are excited to announce that the SIGMA team, led by Michelle Bradley, will be visiting our campus to deliver a special presentation titled "Stochastic Modeling – An Introduction to Loss Simulations." This session is particularly relevant for students with an interest in actuarial science, but all are welcome to attend and gain insights into this pivotal aspect of the field.
  • October 27, 2023: We are honored to have Stephanie Cope, Director of Policy Analysis from the Tennessee Department of Commerce, and Insurance (TDCI), visiting our campus. TDCI is exploring the opportunity to onboard interns for their department, making this a great networking opportunity for those interested.
  • October 15-18, 2023: The Conference of Consulting Actuaries held the 2023 CCA Annual Meeting from Sunday, October 15th through Wednesday, October 18th at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. MTSU actuarial faculty memebers and students particpated in this event.
  • September 29, 2023: Talk by Fortitude Re Actuaries with Interviews. Following the talk, there will be an opportunity for interviews with the speakers for those interested in potential employment or internships. This event is open to students from all majors.
  • April 19, 2023: Gary Gau, VP of Actuarial Services and Data Science at PopHealthCare & Emcara, and his colleague visited our campus to give a company introduction and discuss the available opportunities. They are planning to look for 2 entry level actuarial analysts very soon.
  • March 30, 2023:

    We are excited to announce that two actuarial alumni, Adam French (MSPS, 12/2015), Senior Actuarial Analyst, and Paul Dowell (BS 2020, MSPS 2022), Actuarial Analyst at Barrett Business Services (BBSI), will be giving a talk on March 30, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at KOM-206. During the talk, Adam and Paul will share their experiences as actuarial analysts and provide valuable insights into the industry. All students in Actuarial Science, Math/Stat, Insurance, and Risk Management are welcome to participate. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from successful alumni in the field. We hope to see you there!

  • March 24, 2023: Talk by SIGMA Actuarial Consulting on Industry Perspectives and Current Trends at 1.30-2.30PM, KOM 206.

    The speakers will discuss two main topics, namely Perspectives on getting started in the industry and Current Property/Casualty Industry trends (primarily related to analytics). They will also allocate time for a Q&A session after the talk. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry professionals and learn about current trends in the field.

  • November 10, 2022: Professional actuaries from Fortitude Re. had a meeting with actuarial students on November 10th,2022. 
  • October 28, 2022: Al Bingham, Vice President of Professionalism at the American Academy of Actuaries (AAA) presented virtually to MTSU students about actuarial professionalism on October 28th, 2022.
  • October 20, 2022: IGNITE - Risk Management & Insurance Career Fair sponsored by GAMMA IOTA SIGMA was held in Business & Aerospace Building on October 20th, 2022.  
  • September 29, 2022: Shannon Davis and Kelly Uwanjye from Cigna Global Health Service Company held MTSU x Cigna AEDP Info Session virtually on September 29th,2022, they introduced actuarial executive development program and internship opportunities to MTSU MSPS-actuarial science students. 
  • September 15, 2022: Willis Towers Watson (WTW) host a webinar with the MTSU students for the fall campus recruiting and introduced several Full-time and Internship opportunities in the National Processing center (Memphis) on September 15th, 2022. 
  • August 31, 2022: Jack Pipa (ACAS, MAAA) from Select Service, and their colleagues hosted resume polishing, mock interview sessions, and provided some tips and tools on how to create a nice resume and meaningful interview tips on August 31st, 2022. 
  • March 25, 2022: Two actuaries, Ms. Stephanie Passmore and Ms Erin Behrhorst from BlueCross BlueShield Tennessee in Chattanooga gave a presentation. They introduce various actuarial-related job postings currently available at BCBS of TN.
  • November 2, 2021: Alumni concentrate on a meeting "Panel Discussion: How You Secured an Internship and What You Would Do Differently" on November 2, 2021.
  • October 5, 2021:  David Spence and Belina Sengmanyvong with HCA have a meeting named "Company Overview, Their IT Organization, Potential Career Paths, and Internship Opportunities." on October 5, 2021
  • September 28, 2021: Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) Presentation on Excess and Surplus Lines Industry by Jessie Swieter Berger, Chief Operating Officer at Tennant Special Risk, LLC. 
  • September 21, 2021: Actuarial Experiance at AIG: Curtis Barker(MTSU alumnus) and Jonathan Green, Actuarial Analysts at AIG
  • April 29,2021: Modern Actuarial Practice: Keys to Student Success by Brent Carpenetti(MTSU alumnus)

    Mr. Brent Carpenetti is joining with us this Thursday (April 29) at 3.00PM to discuss about “Modern Actuarial Practice: keys to Student Success”. He is a MTSU alumnus, and currently working as a senior actuary at Hannover Re, third largest re-insurance company in the world. Mr. Carpenetti served as an infantry assaultman at US Marine Corps. His prior experience also includes actuarial analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield and sales consultant at Darrell Waltrip Honda-Volvo-Subaru.  Mr. Brent Carpenetti is the first student who achieved the Associate of the SOA designation (ASA) before graduation from MTSU. Other than ASA designation, he holds credentials such as Charted Enterprise Risk Analyst and expected to become a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) in July 2021. 

  • March 29, 2021: Cost Analytics: An Excellent Career Option for Actuarial Students by Dr. Christian Smart

    Dr. Christian Smart is a consultant for NASA and the Department of Defense. He has over 20 years of experience in the application of predictive analytics, machine learning, reliability, and risk management. Dr. Smart has a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, and is a prolific researcher, writer, and presenter. He has received numerous best paper awards and an Exceptional Public Service medal from NASA. Dr. Smart currently serves at the Vice President for Professional Development with the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association. His background in aerospace includes missile defense programs, nuclear thermal propulsion, hypersonic, and robotic and crewed space vehicles. Dr. Smart served as the lead cost estimator for the Ares I launch vehicle and served on the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee. He worked on a Space Shuttle probabilistic risk assessment. Dr. Smart served as Director for Cost Analytics for the Missile Defense Agency for seven years. He lives with his wife, young son, and their cat Elvis live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Solving for Project Risk Management: Understanding the Critical Role of Uncertainty in Project Management is his first book.

  • October 06, 2020: What is an Actuary? Inside the Student Actuarial Program at Sun Life.

    The goal is to provide more insight and information to interested students about Actuarial roles at Sun Life. This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in a career as an Actuary, but who have not had as much exposure to what the career actually entails. Three recent graduates will share their experiences in the Actuarial Student Program and participate in a Q&A panel.

  • September 16, 2020: Cigna Actuarial Executive Development Program (AEDP) Info Session by Ryan Clark (MTSU alumnus) and Sarah Lin (MTSU alumnus

  • September 2, 2020: Career Engagement Online Coffee Meeting with Jimmy Bynum
    Mr. Jimmy Bynum, founder and CEO of Alexander & Preston, will join with us to discuss about career engagement on September 02 at 9:30AM CST. Jimmy will lead an interactive discussion and provide some tips and tools on how to build genuine and meaningful business relationships.  His career has literally taken him around the world and spanned a wide range of industries and responsibilities.  His most fulfilling experiences has been building lasting relationships and helping connect people.  If you are a student that would like to have an open and candid dialogue about the importance of building relationships and how to make those connections – you should join this session.
  • October 2, 2019:  Dr. Liang Hong, FSA, Associate Professor in Actuarial Science of Robert Morris University, visited MTSU and gave a talk to actuarial students entitled “Model misspecification, Bayesian versus credibility estimation, and Gibbs posteriors” on October 2, 2019
  • Mr. Adam French, actuarial analyst for Willis Towers Watson in Nashville, TN, alumnus of MTSU and former president of AMSA, spoke to actuarial students about his experience in the program and gave advice to current AMSA members about entering the actuarial field. In particular, Mr. French emphasized the importance of passing exams and working on soft skills in order to put the best foot forward when searching for a job. 
  • Ms. Michelle Bradley, ACSA, and Mr. Tony King of SIGMA Actuarial Consulting Group talked to AMSA members about the actuarial field and what it is like to work at SIGMA. 
  • Mr. David A. Craig, ASA, the former AMSA president, currently working at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, shared his experience to AMSA members on April 11, 2018.
  • Mr. Matthew. Bravo and Mr. Stephen Henderson from Acruff & Associates spoke to actuarial students, as well as interviewed candidates for internships on November 14, 2018.