Henry L. Rietz Award

This award is presented to a PhD student if their performance on the PhD Final (Comprehensive) Exam in the past year has been truly outstanding. The decision is made by the PhD Comprehensive Examination Committee. The winner receives a certificate and a plaque. The award may be presented to more than one individual.

Departments award/scholarships

All students who first major is statistics are considered for (3) $500 scholarships which are awarded spring and fall. Students are notified individually and recognized.

Taylor Awards in Actuarial Analysis and Academic Performance

Mr. Robert H. Taylor wishes to encourage all students in the department (as well as students outside the department) to pursue scholarship in the actuarial profession. Accordingly, Mr. Taylor established this fund to support annual awards to be given to the University of Iowa students who demonstrate excellence in research and academic performance. Students win this award and are recognized at our annual Knowler-Taylor Awards Day in the Spring semester. These awards also include a financial gift.

Knowler Awards for Outstanding Achievement

Professor Lloyd A. Knowler came to the University of Iowa as an undergraduate student in the late 1920s. He completed his PhD in Mathematics here in 1937, and was appointed to a faculty position in the Mathematics Department (actuarial science was taught in the Math Department until 1965). He retired in 1978, but remained active in our department until his death in 1990 at the age of 82. In addition to his interest in actuarial science, he was a founding member of the American Society of Quality Control. Students win this award and are recognized at our annual Knowler-Taylor Awards Day in the spring semester. 

Department-sponsored exam awards

The department has funds from numerous scholarships to give students awards for those who pass CAS Part 1 (SOA Exam P), CAS Part 2 (SOA Exam FM), SOA Exam MLC, CAS Exam 3F (SOA exam MFE) and CAS Part 4 (SOA Exam C). Currently, we are revising how awards information will be collected and processed. Check back for more information at a later date!

Allen T. Craig Award

This award is presented to the outstanding teaching assistant of the year. To be eligible, a TA must have taught in the preceding fall semester, or in the current spring semester. The decision is based upon nominating statements, faculty evaluations, and visits to the candidates' classes by members of the Awards Committee. The winner receives a certificate and a plaque. The award may be presented to more than one individual.

All students admitted to the actuarial science program are considered eligible for the Lloyd Knowler Scholarship, Principal Financial Group Foundation Scholarship, Harold W. Schloss Memorial Scholarship, D. W. Simpson & Company Scholarship, Towers Watson Scholarship and the Transamerica Scholarship. Each scholarship has recommended guidelines that the scholarship committee follows to make these awards. 

Lloyd A. Knowler Scholarship

Professor Lloyd A. Knowler came to the University of Iowa as an undergraduate student in the late 1920s. He completed his PhD in Mathematics here in 1937, and was appointed to a faculty position in the Mathematics Department (actuarial science was taught in the Math Department until 1965). He retired in 1978, but remained active in our department until his death in 1990 at the age of 82. In addition to his interest in Actuarial Science, he was a founding member of the American Society of Quality Control. The fund for this annual $1,000 scholarship was established through the UI Foundation by the American Society for Quality Control, State University of Iowa Section, in the name of Professor Knowler. It is awarded to students in actuarial science and statistics based on academic merit and future promise, as nominated by the department.

Principal Financial Group Foundation Scholarship

The Principal Financial Group Foundation has generously provided a student scholarship to the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science for many years. For the fall, 2012 the student selected will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Based upon current academic record and success on exams, the student recipient will be selected prior to each academic year by the department.  Students must show explicit interest in this scholarship. 

Harold W. Schloss Memorial Scholarship

In November 1984, the Harold W. Schloss Scholarship was established by the Casualty Actuarial Society as a memorial to Mr. Schloss, a past president of the Society. The fund for this annual $500 scholarship stipend was initiated by Mr. Schloss' wife, Frances A. Schloss, and their children. The scholarship is being used to benefit deserving and academically outstanding students in the actuarial program of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Iowa. The student recipient will be selected each spring by the Trustees of the CAS Trust, based upon the recommendation of the department.

D.W. Simpson & Company Scholarship

D.W. Simpson & Company, Inc., has established a scholarship program to assist students who are majoring in actuarial science. Based upon current academic record and success on exams, the student recipient will be selected prior to each academic year by the department and receive $1,000.

Towers Watson Scholarship

To assist actuarial science students, Towers Watson has established a scholarship program, not only to represent their commitment to our department and our students, but also to signal their belief that our actuarial science program is among the best in the nation. Based upon current academic record and success on exams, the student recipient will be selected prior to each academic year by the department and receive a $1,500 scholarship.

Transamerica Scholarship

Transamerica (formerly known as AEGON) has established a scholarship program to assist outstanding students who are majoring in Actuarial Science. Based upon current academic record and success on exams, the student recipient will be selected prior to each academic year by the department and receive $3000.

Charles E. and Eleanore G. Wilson Scholarship

This fund was established with numerous gifts from Charles E. and Eleanore G. Wilson. Charles Wilson (BA, 1941) attended the University of Iowa during the Depression only because of a scholarship. He was an actuary for 45 years. He established this fund because he wanted to give future students the same opportunity he had and to help the actuarial profession.  The College of Liberal Arts assists us with the application process.

CIGNA Foundation Scholarship

CIGNA has established a scholarship program to assist outstanding students who are majoring in Actuarial Science. Currently this scholarship has been pending and no awards have been designated.

Casualty Actuarial Society Scholarship

The objective of this scholarship is to further students' interest in the property/casualty actuarial profession and to encourage the pursuit of the CAS designations.

Aegon Transamerica Foundation Scholarship

• Spring 2025: Abby Whitehill
• Fall 2024: Ash White, Abby Whitehill
• Spring 2024: Okechukwu Oboh, Ash White
• Fall 2023: Okechukwu Oboh, Ash White
• Spring 2023: Aidan Chaffin, Steven Jiang, Anna Kline, Okechukwu Oboh
• Fall 2022: Mohamed Abdalla, Aidan Chaffin, Anastasia Ellison, Anna Kline, Steven Jiang, Okechukwu Oboh
• Spring 2022: Anastasia Ellison, Steven Jiang
• Fall 2021: Anastasia Ellison, Steven Jiang

Allen T. Craig Scholarship

• 2016-17: 25%-time RA appointments to Rui Huang, Jun Tang and Fuli Zhang; $2000 scholarship to Rebecca Rachan.
• 2015-16: 25%-time RA appointments to Zhijiang Liu and Jun Tang; $2000 scholarship to Sheng Wang.
• 2014-15: 25%-time RA appointments to Zhijiang Liu and Anna Pritchard; $2000 scholarship to Bo Wang.