The CSUF College of Business and Economics is a leader in insurance and actuary education, hosting the largest risk management and insurance program in the western U.S.

On Nov. 4, the college’s School of Risk Management and Insurance reached out to the next generation with a preview of the Modeling the Future Challenge, an opportunity for high school students to present an actuarial case study to professional judges. The program involved 40 students from Bishop Amat High School in La Puente and Dominguez High School in Compton. 

The event, cosponsored by the Actuarial Foundation, was held at Cal State Fullerton and was a collaborative effort between the business college’s Department of Finance and the Department of Mathematics in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Cal State Fullerton is one of only eight regional partners of the Actuarial Foundation, and the only one west of Chicago.

Preparing Students for Actuarial Success – and Titan Futures

“Over the summer, we met with four high school math and data science teachers, with the hopes of recruiting top high school students,” explains Jeff Jolley, a lead lecturer in the actuary science program. “Two of the four teachers brought their students to the November event, and students walked through sample scenarios and brainstormed possible topics for the project phase of the contest. It also gave us the chance to talk about our program.”

Jolley says the Nov. 4 visit was a success in connecting students and the insurance program.

“Our three guest speakers – Dean Sri Sundaram, Director Weili Lu and Math Department Chair Al Agnew – all gave great talks that engaged the high school students,” says Jolley. “One recurring theme was how future business leaders need to be well-versed in the math and data science aspects that drive decisions, especially in managing risk. Hopefully, more than a few of the students will choose CSUF as their next educational stop.”

Students also toured the college and CSUF, which included a visit to the state-of-the-art Titan Capital Management trading lab.

High Schoolers Compete for Scholarships and Experience

With more than $60,000 in scholarships on the line, the Modeling the Future Challenge is both a major professional development and academic opportunity event for the students.

Contestants will present to a panel of professional judges through Zoom, where they will be assessed for both the strength of their argument and use of data.

The contest itself begins later this month and continues through spring 2023. The student teams will select a topic involving risk management and use data modeling to show how the risk could be eliminated or mitigated.

In recent years, winning student presentations have involved topics such as the relationship between cryptocurrency and the environment and where a San Francisco hospital should be built to minimize ambulance response times.

For More on Risk Management and Insurance

The School of Risk Management and Insurance at the College of Business and Economics is a world-renowned and celebrated leader in connecting diverse students – including many from historically underrepresented groups – with versatile and impactful careers in insurance, risk mitigation and actuarial science.

Undergraduate and graduate programs taught by top-notch research and teaching faculty, student- and faculty-led research on the tech-focused future of insurance, and connection to internship and entry-level career opportunities are among the distinctive features that set the CSUF program apart.

For more information as a current or prospective student, donor or business community partner, reach out to [email protected].