Stuart Klugman, FSA, Ph.D.
Principal Financial Group Professor of Actuarial Science
Drake University

Throughout his 39 years as an actuarial professional, Stuart Klugman has come full circle, not once, but twice. When he graduated from Drake University with a BS in Business Administration and an Actuarial Science Major, he never dreamed that 18 years later; he would find himself as Drake's Principal Financial Group Professor of Actuarial Science. He received his Fellowship (FSA) from the Society of Actuaries (SOA) in 1978 and, bringing everything full circle, 31 years later he joined the SOA as the Staff Fellow in Education, directly involved with the education and exam process. "As a staff actuary, my job is very different from the typical actuarial role. My tasks include reviewing exam questions, investigating exam cheating allegations, writing content for e-Learning modules, responding to questions about the exam system from candidates and members, and preparing reports for the education committees and SOA Board," said Stuart.

To those that know Stuart, joining the SOA staff comes as no surprise. He has been a dedicated SOA member and volunteer throughout his entire career. He was selected to co-author the book Loss Distributions, which was added to the SOA syllabus in the late 1980s. In 2001, he was asked to co-chair the redesign of the entire SOA education and examination system, which was implemented in 2005. In 2007, as a result of his dedication and contribution to the profession and the association, he received the distinguished SOA President's Award.

Today, Stuart shares his experience and knowledge with students through his work on the SOA education and University Outreach teams. His favorite insights to share? Regarding exams, Stuart continually emphasizes to students now as he did when he was a professor at Drake, "don't just study to pass the exam; study to learn the material and make it useful in your career." Additionally, Stuart encourages students to branch out in their course work. For example, even he was surprised to find that his favorite college course was Speech, where he learned that he actually really likes giving presentations – a skill he has used often throughout his career.

As he works to prepare the future of the profession, he's excited about the possibilities. "While in a technical sense actuaries have always managed risk, now we see that the risks are bigger than we may have thought and it is the profession's responsibility and goal to continuously improve our ability to understand and manage these risks," said Stuart. If history is any sign of what's to come, Stuart will inevitably play a role in making this vision come full circle.