ASC
ASC
Actuarial Science Club
Alumni Newsletter Spring 2009
Table
Table Of
Of
Contents
ontents
Club
Updates
General Updates ............ pg. 3
Student Survey .............. pg. 4
Spring Banquet .............. pg. 5
Interview:
Rick Gorvet ................... pg. 6
Paul Johnson ................ pg. 7
Goodbye Seniors ............. pg. 9
Sport Updates
Basketball .................... pg. 13
Gymnastics ................. pg. 14
Tennis ......................... pg. 15
Credits ....... pg. 16
Pg. 1
b es
uClUpdat
Club Updates
Updates
Student Survey
Interview: Rick Gorvett and Paul Johnson
Goodbye Seniors
Pg. 2
Club ates
d
p
Spring 2009
U
With the majority of recruitment activities finished in the fall, the Actuarial
Science Club was able to focus on a variety of social and educational events
for students this spring. Our first meeting of the semester updated students
with the upcoming events and on top of the obligatory free pizza, we had a fun
time catching up with the members and meeting some new ones. Some of the
smaller events included a hockey outing and the mentorship program’s trip to
the Krannert Art Museum. We were also able to secure several lectures by
some of our favorite professors. Professors Gorvett and Johnson came to “A
Night with Your Professors” in which they answered students’ questions about
their own careers and advice for succeeding academically and professionally.
Professor David Sinow presented a short lecture on personal wealth management, which is one of his most popular classes on campus, and former Professor Stephen D’Arcy presented on the financial crisis and its impact on actuarial
professions. We also had some alumni come down for various events. Some
of CNA’s youngest actuaries came to speak about their transitions from college
to career, and Towers Perrin sponsored our pre-game party to the Spring Barcrawl. The Spring Banquet was probably our largest event of the semester
with 120 attendees, including students, alumni, professors, and company representatives. See p. 5 for more details. In preparation for the Banquet, we
hosted an etiquette dinner taught by Nell Madigan. We also tried out some
new events, like golf lessons, which was very popular for its first year. Overall,
we tried to fill out the semester with fun and engaging events that everyone
would enjoy.
Pg. 3
Actuarial Science Club
We uncovered a few fun facts in our survey of UIUC Actuarial Science Club members.
What will you miss most about college?
3. Having Friends within walking distance
2. Sleeping in / taking naps
1. Everything!
Favorite ASC Event:
3. Chicago Trip
2. Spring Banquet
1. Barcrawl :-D
Career Goals:
3. Be or find a mentor
2. Top leadership role
1. FSA / FCAS
Personal Goals:
3. Travel
2. Get a dog / car / house
1. Enjoy life!
Pg. 4
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Banquet
2009
Our second annual Actuarial Science Spring Banquet was held at
the Alice Campbell Alumni Center ballroom. We had about 120
attendees, including students, alumni, company representatives, and
professors. Our guest speaker was Jerrold Levy, a worldwide partner
at Mercer, who spoke about the advantages of a liberal arts education,
particularly the opportunity to explore interests outside of one’s major.
Also, the actuarial science program director, Rick Gorvett, gave a
summary of the year and spoke on some important upcoming events,
like the SOA’s accreditation of Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
beginning next year. The actuarial science club officers recognized
corporate donors, professors, and exceptional students, including
research assistants, teaching assistants, graders, scholarship winners, exam passers, and seniors, as well as announced the 20092010 officers. A variety of gifts
were also given. All attendees received
a small basket with candy or nuts,
seniors received a pencil bag filled
with pencils and other aids to help
with the exam studying process,
corporate donors received a
homemade scrapbook describing
the club and its activities, and
professors and new officers received
a custom printed portfolio to help them stay organized. Food was
served buffet-style and was catered by Illini Union Catering. Overall,
our second banquet was an incredible success and we hope that everyone in attendance had an excellent time and will return next year.
Pg. 5
Interview
Rick Gorvett
Interview With
What were you doing at 3.50 pm on April 6th 2009? Most of us were
probably heaving a sigh of relief as the bells rang, signaling the end of class.
However, Professor Rick Gorvett and his family had a much more interesting
memory. Mrs. Gorvett had just given birth to little Matthew Ryan Gorvett!
With the addition of newborn Matthew Gorvett, the Gorvett household
now has three children running around the house. Matthew will certainly have
no problem finding company at home, as sister, Abby Gorvett, and brother, Ben
Gorvett, will be there with him. Abby, 8 years old, was described by Rick to be
“the creative and the artistic one” in the family while Ben, 5 years old, was
described as the “analytical and mathematical one” in the family. Since both
Rick and his wife, Melissa Gorvett, are successful actuaries, one would think that
they would want their children to follow the same path. Professor Gorvett
simply smiled and laughed at that idea, saying he does not mind. He would,
however, “highly recommend them to go to the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign”.
We students see and listen to Professor Rick Gorvett, Director of the University of Illinois Actuarial Science Program, every other day, but we never get
to see Rick Gorvett, the father. Rick sees himself as the “fun parent” and the
“good cop”. He proudly exhibits Abby’s “masterpieces” on his office walls and
never fails to smile as he talks about Matthew and Ben. Professor Gorvett aptly
chose the word “Happy” to describe his family and that is certainly the emotion
that one would feel just listening to him talk about them.
Pg. 6
Interview
Paul Johnson
Interview With
Professor Paul Johnson was born in Milwaukee, WI. He obtained a double major
Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Math as well as a minor in Spanish at the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He realized that his interest was not in Chemistry so he focused on
Mathematics and started to consider actuarial science. After graduation, he worked at
Northwestern Mutual in the Long-Term Insurance Department, helping with the pricing
system. Later, he went to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he obtained
both a Master’s and a Ph.D in Actuarial Science. The experience of being a Teaching Assistant at Madison amplified his enjoyment towards teaching. Being a TA helped him find his
own unique teaching style. Professor Paul Johnson started to teach Math 471 and Math
472 (Actuarial Theory I & Actuarial Theory II) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
last fall of 2008. Here is a short interview with the Professor:
Questions
Question 1: Tell us something most people don’t know about you, such as your hobbies.
- Professor Johnson enjoys video games such as Guitar Hero and Super Monkey Ball. He also
has a big collection of movies.
- Favorite movie genre: suspense
- Favorite movie: Ronin, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Last movie watched in theatre: Watchman
- Loves traveling; he has been to Europe and hopes to go to Japan this upcoming summer.
- He also likes to study foreign languages. He can speak fluent Spanish and understand
Japanese.
- In addition, he enjoys Japanese animation as well as science fiction stories.
Pg. 7
Interview Continued ...
Question 2: What is the greatest difficulty you have faced as a teacher?
- Professor Johnson enjoys teaching and the only thing that was hard to adjust to was the
large class size of 90 students in Math 471 last semester and 80 students in Math 472 this
semester. He always wants to know each of his students at a more personal level, but that
is difficult to accomplish in a large class.
Question 3: How much did being a TA help in your career as a teacher?
- The experience of being a TA helped a lot. Professor Johnson believes that being a
professor is like an advanced version of being a TA, which has helped him to develop a
unique teaching style.
Question 4: What is the biggest obstacle for students in your class?
- Professor Johnson thinks the biggest obstacle for students is to get comfortable with the
class material, since the concepts are new for most people. (It's like learning calculus for
the first time) His class really prepares students for MLC since the homework and assignments are based on real exams. Also, no TI-84 calculators or note cards are allowed in his
exams!
Question 5: Which do you enjoy more? Teaching or Research?
- Professor Johnson enjoys both. Doing research can further expand the knowledge base
of actuarial science, and the results can be applied to public policy and decision making.
He is currently involved in the research of costs and benefits of surgical cancer screening.
On the other hand, he likes teaching because it allows him to interact with students and to
still learn new things along the way. “Every time you teach, you learn a little bit more.”
Question 6: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- Professor Johnson hopes to get tenure at the University of Illinois. He will get more
involved in projects with the Society of Actuaries
Question 7: Is there a secret you want to tell your future students?
- The more practice problems you do, the better you will do. (It is always a good idea to
work on the study materials for MLC, e.g. the study manuals.)
Pg. 8
They do not just graduate, they graduate with style!
Congratulation Seniors!
We interviewed the
graduating ASC board
members who are going to
join the alumnus soon
enough. Here is what they
have to say about their
experiences at U of I:
-
Her favorite restaurant is Za's and her favorite bar is Firehaus
-
Right after graduation, she will be studying abroad in Germany
for 8 weeks and then going to London, Barcelona, Nice, and Paris
for about 2 weeks total. In late July, she will be starting at Zurich
North America
-
Before graduating she wants to pass Ecam C, attempt to learn
German and enjoy the rest of college life.
-
Her main advice for the underclassmen is:
“Make sure you have a plan of what you want to do and when you
want to do it. Your plan can be flexible, but it helps you visualize
what you want to get done over the next few years”
Pg. 9
She didn’t plan to go to a university so close to home but when she visited the University with her
parents and met with Professor Gorvett, she set her eyes on the actuarial science program.
Her favorite restaurant is Ko-Fusion (dollar sushi Sundays!). Her favorite bar used to be Brothers but along her stay at U of I she’s been going to Legends a lot to hang out with friends.
In early June, she will start working at CNA Insurance
Eventually she hopes to do a lot of traveling. Her list of countries to visit includes Italy, Australia, and Japan.
Go to a bar outside of camps
Go ice skating and/or see a hockey game at the Ice Arena
Visit the Krannert Art Museum
Go to Allerton Park in Monticello
Visit the quad on a summer night with friends
Her advice for the underclassmen is:
“Make exams a priority, but don't let it conquer your life. After 1 or 2 exams you really don't need any
more to find a job, but if you want your Fellowship really quickly then of course push for more. Employers are looking for a well-rounded person, so get involved in an extracurricular or two that you are really
interested in and really get involved. And remember that no matter how brilliant you are, if you're not a
good fit for the company, it's just not meant to be, so take everything in stride. The absolute best thing
you can do is find a few people to work with in each of your actuarial classes- you don't have to understand everything instantly on your own! And don't just look for students who can help you; finding a
student that *you* can help can be just as beneficial to you since explaining the material helps to
reinforce the concepts.”
He felt like he developed and matured as a person during his college experience.
Through being an Actuarial Science Club board member, he was able to learn the importance of meeting
deadlines and making sure the job gets done, even when nobody is looking.
At the State Farm Research Center as an Actuarial Intern, he was able to learn how to conduct research
and find innovative ways to solve problems.
He was also able to develop his teamwork skills and presentation skills through group projects in
Professor Gorvett's class
He will be working at The Hartford starting on June 1st, 2009.
Before graduating he still needs to take a tour of the Altgeld Bell Towers!!!
His advice for the underclassmen:
“Pass those exams! It'll make your time job hunting a lot easier”
Pg. 10
Her favorite hangout spot is in her apartment with my friends.
She always enjoy eating Papa Del's pizza
Her favorite memories from U of I include volunteering at the Champaign County Humane
Society and playing catch outside on a nice day.
The things she won't miss is writing papers and paying rent.
After graduation, she will be taking a vacation to Jamaica before starting at Northwestern
Mutual in Milwaukee as an Actuarial Associate.
She also intends to adopt her own dog.
She thinks she has seen and done everything she wants to on campus but might try to take a
trip out to the Vermillion River for a day of canoeing.
Her advice to underclassmen is:
“Take advantage of what the Actuarial Science Club offers. Go to events and get your name out there. If
you can, get an internship! They are lots of fun and give you a great idea of what life is like as an
actuary.”
Pg. 11
s
t
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o
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SUpdates
Sports Updates
Basketball
Gymnastics
Tennis
Pg. 12
l
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The Fighting Illini 2008-09 men’s basketball team posted a record of 24-10 on
the year, marking this as the 10th most-win season in school history. They were
the runner-up in the Big Ten and appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the
ninth time in the last ten seasons. Chester Frazier was named team MVP. Mike
Davis won the Most Improved Player and Illini Rebounders Award. Mike Tisdale
won the Ralf Woods Free Throw Trophy. Calvin Brock won the 6th Man Award,
and Trent Meacham was awarded the Lou Henson Courage Award.
Date
October 26
Basketball
November 2
November 9
November 14
November 16
November 20
November 23
November 28
November 29
December 2
December 6
December 8
December 10
December 20
December 23
December 28
December 30
January 4
January 10
January 14
January 17
January 20
January 24
January 29
February 1
February 5
February 8
February 12
February 15
February 18
February 22
February 26
March 1
2008 - 2009 Men’s Basketball
Opponent
2008
Orange & Blue
Scrimmage
Florida Southern
Lewis
Easter Washington
Texas A&M- Corpus
Christi
at Vanderbilt
Jackson State
at Kent State
at Tulsa
Clemson
at Georgia
Hawai’l
Chicago State
Detroit
at Missouri
Eastern Michigan
at Purdue
2009
at Michigan
Indiana
Michigan
at Michigan State
Ohio State
Wisconsin
at Minnesota
Iowa
at Wisconsin
Purdue
at Northwestern
at Indiana
Penn State
at Ohio State
Minnesota
Michigan State
Pg. 13
Result/Score
W 79-66
W 82-61
W 62-56
W 66-50
W 72-53
W 69-63
W 78-64
W 69-63 (OT)
W 48-44
L 76-74
W 76-42
W 68-58
W 89-50
W 82-51
W 75-59
W 62-53
W 71-67 (OT)
L 74-64
W 76-45
W 66-51
L 63-57
W 67-49
W 64-57
L 59-36
W 62-54
L 63-50
W 66-48
W 60-59
W 65-52
L 38-33
W 70-68
W 52-41
L 74-66
s
c
i
t
s
a
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yG mGymnastics
In the NCAA conference, two Illinois members won
national championships while receiving three event titles
overall. Sophomore Paul Ruggeri captured the 2008 NCAA
high bar title for his second consecutive national championship. He earned a total of four All-American honors. Daniel
Rilbeiro was also crowned a national champion in pommel
horse. Illinois’ coach Yoshi Hayasaki was named Big Ten
Coach of the Year, marking a fantastic end to a phenomenal
coaching career. Coach Hayasaki will be stepping down this
year, after coaching 89 All-Americans, 46 Big Ten Champions
and 13 National Champions.
Date
January 17
January 24
February 14
February 21
February 28
March 7
March 14
March 21
April 3
April 16
April 17
2009 Men’s Gymnastics (Team)
Meet
Windy City Invitational
Illinois vs. Ohio State
Illinois vs. Penn State
Pacific Coast Classic
Illinois vs. Iowa
Illinois vs. UIC
Illinois at Michigan
Illinois at Minnesota
Big Ten Championship (Team)
NCAA Championships Qualifier
NCAA Championships
Pg. 14
Result/Score
2 (of 6) 342.25
W 351.95-349.05
W 345.50-339.80
5th (of 7) 350.55
W 353.00-337.50
W 357.85-342.80
W 354.90-353.90
W 353.60-347.70
1st (of 6) 357.10
2nd (of 6) 359.30
5th (of 6) 359.30
nd
s
i
n
Tenni
nTe s
The 2009 Big Ten Men’s Tennis Tournament took place from Thursday,
April 23, to Sunday, April 26. Ohio State (10-0, 28-1) had the Number one seed
for the fourth consecutive year, with a record of 49 consecutive victories against
Big Ten opponents. The Illini had the Number 2 seed (8-2,19-7) and made it to
the finals where they lost 1-4 in the championship match vs. Ohio State. After
finishing the regular season off on a high note by defeating Michigan State and
having had a consistently solid performance before that, the Illini proved to be a
formidable opponent this season.
Date
January 16
January 16
January 17
January 23
February 6
February 7
February 10
February 13
February 14
February 15
February 27
February 27
March 1
March 1
March 6
March 7
March 15
March 29
March 31
April 3
April 5
April 8
April 11
April 12
April 18
April 19
2009 Men’s Tennis
Opponent
Toledo
Ball State
Pepperdine
Virginia
Duke
Tennessee
Florida
UCLA
Tulsa
Baylor
Detroit
Purdue
Northern Illinois
St. Louis
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Texas A&M
Notre Dame
Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Kentucky
Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Pg. 15
Result/Score
W 6-1
W 7-0
W 6-1
L 1-6
W 5-2
L 3-4
W 4-3
L 2-4
W 4-3
W 4-2
W 5-0
W 4-3
W 4-0
W 4-0
W 4-3
W 4-3
L 3-4
L 3-4
W 6-1
W 5-2
W 4-3
W 4-3
W 7-0
L 1-6
L 3-4
W 6-1
ASC
Credits
Alumni Newsletter Spring 2009
Katelyn Swartz: Club updates and Spring
Banquet
Kathy Gu: Student Survey
David Dosher: Sports Updates
Hebo Yang: Interview with Paul Johnson
Isa Mansor: Goodbye Seniors
Wan Intan Suhaila: Interview with Rick Gorvett
Yankun Guo: Sports Updates and Interview with
Paul Johnson
Max Liu and Laura Zahn
Yankun Guo
Actuarial Science Club