Press Release

Society of Actuaries Announces 2024 Actuarial Science Early Career Research Award Winner

Issued by Society of Actuaries

July 29, 2024

Chicago, IL – The Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Education & Research Section are proud to announce the winner of the 2024 SOA Actuarial Science Early Career Research Award, Dr. Andrés M. Villegas, an Associate Professor at the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies at UNSW Sydney. Dr. Villegas’s career is driven by a strong commitment to developing tools that make academic research more accessible to the industry and the wider actuarial community.

Before joining UNSW Sydney in 2015 as a Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Aging Research (CEPAR), Dr. Villegas earned a PhD in Actuarial Science from Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) in London. He is also an alumnus of Universidad de Los Andes and Universidad EAFIT in Colombia, where he pursued a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Engineering, respectively.

Dr. Villegas’s research interests include mortality modeling, longevity risk management, and the application of analytics techniques in actuarial science. His research has been published in leading actuarial journals such as the North American Actuarial Journal; Annals of Actuarial Science; ASTIN Bulletin; Insurance: Mathematics and Economics; and Scandinavian Actuarial Journal. Dr. Villegas is also the developer and maintainer of the R Package for Stochastic Mortality Modelling (StMoMo), which has achieved over 64,000 downloads.

His commitment extends globally, collaborating on research and education initiatives with actuarial professionals in the USA, Australia, and Colombia. Dr. Villegas influences the future of the profession through his roles with the Colombian Actuarial Association, the Australian Actuaries Institute, and as an Associate Editor for the Annals of Actuarial Science, while also co-founding the innovative One World Actuarial Research Seminar.

The SOA Actuarial Science Early Career Research Award was designed for professionals who are no more than ten years into their initial full-time academic role. Dr. Villegas earned the prestige that this award offers, in addition to a monetary prize of $5,000. Eligible candidates have a proven track record of contributing to actuarial science through publications in peer-reviewed journals and showcased relevance to practical industry challenges. Additionally, they must possess a credential from a body recognized by the International Actuarial Association (IAA) or be actively pursuing an actuarial certification.

About the Society of Actuaries

With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 32,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and to enhance the ability of actuaries to provide expert advice and relevant solutions for financial, business and societal challenges. The SOA’s vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in the measurement and management of risk.

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