About the Department

iowa

Welcome to The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science!

Department Chair: Kung-Sik Chan
Director of Graduate Studies: Aixin Tan
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Statistics & Data Science: Sanvesh Srivastava
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Actuarial Science: Elias Shiu
Graduate Advisor for Statistics: Aixin Tan
Graduate Advisor for Actuarial Science: N.D. Shyamalkumar

2022 Fall Count  (coming soon)
Faculty & Staff Students
Tenure-Track Faculty   Ph.D. Students  
Instructional-Track Faculty  

MS Statistics Students

MS Actuarial Science Students

 

 
Affiliated Faculty   Undergraduate students in Statistics  
Adjuncts and Visitors   Undergraduate students in Actuarial Science  
Graduate Assistants (TA, RA, Graders)   Undergraduate students Actuarial Science Interest  
Administrative Staff   Undergraduate students Data Science  
Professional Advisors   Total Students Majoring  

 

Faculty/Staff Directory

The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science has four interrelated missions by which it serves the University, the state, and the world. These four missions are:

  • to provide both undergraduate and graduate students with strong degree programs and excellent instruction in probability, statistics, and actuarial science;
  • to conduct and publish outstanding research in probability, statistics, and actuarial science;
  • to promote the solid practice of statistics at the University and beyond; and
  • to produce leaders in the insurance, pension, and actuarial consulting industry.

 

Department Chairs, since 1965

Bob Hogg, 1965 – 1983

John Birch, 1983 – 1986

Joe Sedransk, 1986 – 1989

Dick Dykstra, 1989 – 1992

Bob Hogg, 1992 – 1993

Jim Broffitt, 1993 – 2004

Luke Tierney, 2004 – 2010

Dale Zimmerman, 2010 – 2011

Luke Tierney, 2011 – 2015

Joe Lang, 2015 – 2019

Kung-Sik Chan, 2019 – 

 

Distinguished history of the Department

 

Year

Event

1847

The University of Iowa is founded.

1902-03

The first actuarial course, entitled "The Mathematical Theory of Insurance," is taught by Dr. Westfall. (Actuarial courses have been taught at Iowa every year since 1913.)

1910

Department of Mathematics offers "Least Squares and Statistics," the first statistics course at Iowa.

1918

Henry Lewis Rietz is appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics.

1947

Robert V. Hogg arrives at Iowa to study actuarial science.

1965

Department of Statistics is established.

1981

Actuarial Science major is established; department is renamed: Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

2009

Designated by the Society of Actuaries as one of its 12 inaugural Centers of Actuarial Excellence.

2014

Renewal of designation as a Center of Actuarial Excellence. (Through December 2019)

2015

Semi-Centennial Symposium, April 24-25.
2018 Data Science major is established.
2020 Renewal of designation as a Center of Actuarial Excellence. (Through December 2024)
2020

75% of classes taught by Online and Hybrid teaching due to Covid-19
2022 MS in Data Science approved by the University of Iowa Board of Regents, classes will start in the fall of 2022.
2022 The SOA has granted us University-Earned Credit (UEC) status for four exams:
FM (ACTS:3080), FAM (ACTS:4130 & 4150), ALTAM (ACTS:4280), and SRM (STAT:4560 & 4561). To obtain UEC credit for an exam, a student must score at least 85% in the corresponding university course(s). More information about SOA's UEC program can be found in https://www.soa.org/education/resources/uec/uec-program/