Actuarial Science | North Central College

Eric McKee earns honors for outstanding major in finance, actuarial science

Eric McKee of Naperville earned honors for outstanding major in finance and actuarial science during Honors Day May 15 at North Central College.

May 21, 2012—Eric McKee of Naperville earned two academic awards during Honors Day May 15 at North Central College.

McKee was recognized with the 2012 Outstanding Major in Finance Award and the 2012 Outstanding Major in Actuarial Science Award.

McKee is a senior triple-majoring in actuarial science, finance and classical civilization. He is the son of Roger McKee and Diane Zurbriggen and a graduate of St. Francis High School in Wheaton.

Heather Carlson ’91 delivers keynote address at Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research

Heather Carlson '91 delivered the keynote address at North Central College’s 15th annual Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research.

May 15, 2012—If you want to succeed at scientific research, you’ve got to be able to work well with others.

That was the advice North Central College students and others heard May 15 during the keynote address at the College’s 15th annual Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research from professor, pharmaceutical researcher and North Central alumna Heather Carlson ’91.

2012 Goldwater Scholar, Maria Gommel

Maria Gommel ’13 has been named a 2012 Goldwater Scholar, the highest national undergraduate award for achievement in math, science and engineering. Gommel is majoring in actuarial science and mathematics and intends to pursue a doctorate in mathematics after graduation.

Learn lessons of calculus with humor and music

North Central College hosts “Calculus: the Musical!”—a comic and memorable review of the concepts and history of calculus—on April 3.

“Calculus: The Musical!”—a comic review of the concepts and history of calculus—returns April 3 to North Central College as part of a national tour.

Using musical parodies that span genres from light opera to hip-hop, the show is a blend of sketch comedy, musical theatre and classroom lecture. All this makes the learning of calculus fun and entertaining.

Kim presents and publishes papers in journals

Doh-Khul Kim, North Central College associate professor of economics and finance, presented paper at conference and published two papers in economic journals.

Doh-Khul Kim, associate professor of economics and finance, presented his paper, titled “Inflation and Equity Market: Sectoral-level Analyses,” at 39th Annual Conference of Academy of Economics and Finance held in Charleston, S.C., Feb. 8-11. The conference focused on contemporary issues and teaching methodology related to economics and finance.

Study Abroad Programs

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North Central College hosts AMC 8 math contest

Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave.

North Central College will host a testing site for the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) for students in grades 8 and below Nov. 15.

Oct. 3, 2011—North Central College will host a testing site for the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) for students in grades 8 and below. Students who are either home-schooled or enrolled in area junior high schools are invited to participate. The contest will be held at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the College’s Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave., Naperville.

Wilders and Van Oyen publish article on symmetry of math and art

Professors Richard Wilders and Lawrence Van Oyen

North Central College Professor of Mathematics Richard Wilders and Professor of Music Larry Van Oyen publish article on art and transformations in math class.

Lawrence Van Oyen (photo, right), professor of music, and Richard Wilders (left), Marie and Bernice Gantzert Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of mathematics, had their co-authored article, “Turning Students into Symmetry Detectives,” published in the September issue of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The article discusses how the mathematical concept of symmetry can be used to analyze certain kinds of art.

Chinese CDC looks to Gao for answers

Linda Gao, professor of mathematics with Maria Gommel ’13 and Sam Jaros ’12

Research assistance from North Central College could help determine whether residents of China receive government-funded vaccinations for chicken pox.

Research assistance from North Central College could help determine whether residents of China receive government-funded vaccinations for chicken pox. This summer, Linda Gao, professor of mathematics, hosted a representative of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Dapeng Yin, M.D., an epidemiologist who works for the agency in Beijing, visited North Central for five weeks to consult with Gao. She has been using mathematical models to research trends of the spread of the disease and the cost-benefits of various vaccination strategies in China.

Eric McKee

At North Central College, Eric McKee found a rigorous academic and balanced liberal arts education.

“I’m getting a broad education,” he says. “I have better writing and communication skills than someone who just learned math and technical information. At North Central you learn the math but you also learn how to communicate.”

Actuaries in the United States and Canada achieve professional status by passing a set of three examinations and other requirements set by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) or the Society of Actuaries (SOA). Eric says his professors are “really good at helping me learn the material.” North Central’s program prepares students for the first two exams, and then offers classes that meet the requirements for the third exam, called the Validation by Educational Experience. “My classes for the first two exams were really helpful, because I was struggling to learn the material on my own.” He hopes to take the third test before he graduates.

Eric wants to join an actuarial firm after he graduates. As a student he earned money working as a math tutor through North Central’s EDGE Structured Study program.