Actuarial Faculty

Dr. Krzysztof Ostaszewski, FSA, CFA, MAAA
Actuarial Program Director

Our program director, Dr. Krzysztof Ostaszewski, received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Washington. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has previously taught actuarial science, mathematics, and investments at New England Actuarial Seminars, Olin School of Business at the Washington University in St. Louis, University of Ulm in Germany, University of Louisville, University of California at Davis, University of Warsaw in Poland, Technical University of Lodz in Poland, and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. He was a research visitor to the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and Universite Catholique de Louvaine-la-Neuve in Belgium. He has published research papers in actuarial science, mathematics, economics and finance in leading journals, such as American Economic Review, Journal of Risk and Insurance, Journal of Business, North American Actuarial Journal, and Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, as well as research monographs with Elsevier, Society of Actuaries and American Mathematical Society. He was the 1995 Fulbright Research Fellow in actuarial science and a Fulbright Senior Specialist in 2003-2004. He worked as an actuary at Hartford Life and Providian Capital Management (now part of Aegon USA). Dr. Ostaszewski received several awards for his research, including the 2005 Mehr Award of the American Risk and Insurance Association, the 2004 Hardigree Award of the Western Risk and Insurance Association, and the 1999 Best Research Paper award from the Kentucky Economic Association.

Dr. Ranee Thiagarajah, ASA

Dr. Ranee Thiagarajah holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Windsor and is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. She has previously taught actuarial science and statistics at the University of Windsor, University of Waterloo, Concordia University, and the University of Iowa. She also holds a Master degree in actuarial science from the University of Iowa. She worked as an actuary at Swiss Re and Lincoln National insurance companies. She has published numerous research papers in statistics.

Dr. Ostaszewski and Dr. Thiagarajah work directly in the Actuarial Program in the Department of Mathematics. Other actuaries involved in our program are:

• Dr. Kevin Ahlgrim, ASA, MAAA, who works in the Department of Finance, Insurance and Law at Illinois State University, and teaches investments class required of actuarial students.
• Mr. Erich Brandt, FCAS, MAAA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Mr. Gerry Brogla, FSA, MAAA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Mr. Rama Duvvuri, FCAS, MAAA, who is involved in teaching of actuarial computing.
• Mr. Erik Gravelle, FSA, MAAA, who is involved in teaching financial mathematics, pension funding and reserving.
• Mr. Dale Hall, FSA, CFA, MAAA, MBA, who is involved our teaching of asset-liability management, pension funding and reserving.
• Mr. Gregory Hayward, FCAS, MAAA, who serves as the Casualty Actuarial Society Liaison for Illinois State University.
• Dr. Keith Holler, FCAS, ASA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Ms. Stacey Kidd, FCAS, MAAA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Dr. Ewa Kubicka, ASA, who teaches in our actuarial examination seminars.
• Mr. Michael LaMonica, FCAS, MAAA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Mr. Michael Pauletti, FCAS, MAAA, who serves as the Casualty Actuarial Society Liaison for Illinois State University.
• Ms. Kathleen Pechan, FCAS, MAAA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Mr. Dean Westpfahl, FCAS, MAAA, who serves on our Advisory Board.
• Mr. Ken Williams, FCAS, MAAA, who serves ast the Casualty Actuarial Society Liaison for Illinois State University, serves on our Advisory Board, and is involved in teaching of actuarial models.