Actuarial Science Faculty

Professor & Founder, Actuarial Program (BS & MS)
efrom@utdallas.edu
972-883-6457
FO 2.402F

Sam Efromovich is an Endowed Professor with the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also the Founder of the Actuarial Science program. He received his Ph.D. in Information Theory & Mathematical Statistics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and, prior to joining UT Dallas, he held academic appointments at Central Connecticut University and University of New Mexico. He has over 200 publications in leading finance, economics, statistics and mathematics journals. His research interests include biostatistics, information theory, optimization, probability, statistical inference, sequential/nonparametric curve estimation, time series analysis, statistics of finance, and actuarial science.

Professor Efromovich teaches Probability and Statistics classes that are used for VEE accreditation and preparation for SOA/CAS exams P/1, SRM and PA. He is also an elected Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and the American Statistical Association, and his research is supported by grants from NSF, NSA, and CAS. Furthermore, he has authored two books – Missing and Modified Data in Nonparametric Estimation: With R Examples (2018) and Nonparametric Curve Estimation: Methods, Theory and Applications (1999).

Associate Professor, Actuarial Program (BS & MS)
liang.hong@utdallas.edu
PHY 1.900
Liang Hong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Purdue University. He has been a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) since 2011. His research spans a wide spectrum of topics including actuarial science, data science, machine learning, statistics, and mathematics. In addition to research and teaching, he has been serving on various education & research committees in both the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries.

Clinical Professor & Undergraduate Advisor, Actuarial Program (BS)
natalia.humphreys@utdallas.edu
972-883-6597
FO 2.402E

Natalia Alexandra Humphreys is a Clinical Professor with the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the Undergraduate Advisor for the Actuarial Science program. She received her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the Ohio State University. Her actuarial designations include Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), and Qualified Actuary. Dr. Humphreys’ research areas are Probability, Applied Complex Variables and Actuarial Science. In addition to teaching various actuarial classes designed to prepare the students for CAS/SOA exams, she offers her students a wide array of projects to develop technical and business skills relevant to both actuarial consulting and the insurance industry.

Dr. Humphreys also develops and maintains UT Dallas connections with various actuarial organizations as well as local high schools and community colleges. Furthermore, she is also a member of several SOA education committees supporting and promoting quality actuarial education.

Clinical Assistant Professor & Graduate Advisor, Actuarial Program (MS)
Wenyi.Lu@utdallas.edu
972-883-3844
FO 2.604F

Wenyi Lu is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also the Graduate Advisor for the Actuarial Science program. He received MS degree in Applied Statistics from Bowling Green State University (1999), and his second MS degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Iowa (2000). He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (2007 FSA) and teaches actuarial classes designed to prepare the graduate students for SOA exams LTAM and STAM.

Before joining UT Dallas, Professor Lu had taken on progressive actuarial positions with Trustmark Insurance Company, ING US Financial Services, AIG, MetLife (China operation), Manulife (Canada), and culminated in Appointed/Chief Actuary of AVIVA (Vietnam operation). He has extensive experience in life product development, valuation, ALM, experience study, and projection. His professional expertise and research interests are in actuarial science, statistics, assets and liabilities management, and experience study of insurance portfolio.

Professor of Instruction, Actuarial Program (MS)
yuly.koshevnik@utdallas.edu
972-883-4178
FA 2.408

Yuly Koshevnik is a Professor of Instruction with the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. He earned his PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Moscow University. Prior to joining UT Dallas, he served as an Associate Professor of Statistical Science in Southern Methodist University and as a Senior Statistical Analyst in MCI WorldCom Inc.

Over the years, Dr. Koshevnik has taught various Mathematics and Statistics courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. He recently authored the book “Statistical Thinking: Tools and Applications” and has numerous publications in leading statistics journals. His research interests include non-parametric and semi-parametric estimation theory. He has been involved in Actuarial Program since Fall 2014 and has taught actuarial classes that prepare the graduate students for SOA/CAS preliminary exams.

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Actuarial Program (BS & MS)
neha.makhijani@utdallas.edu
972-883-6419
FO 2.410G

Neha Makhijani is an Assistant Professor of Instruction with the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. She received her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. She is actively pursuing her associateship exams with the Society of Actuaries and has already passed five of them (Exams P, FM, MFE, MLC, and C). Prior to joining UT Dallas as a full-time Actuarial/Mathematics faculty, Dr. Makhijani taught various Mathematics courses at UT Dallas and Collin College. She has been involved in Actuarial Program since the Fall of 2018 and teaches actuarial classes designed to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for SOA exams FM, IFM, and LTAM. Her research interests include associative rings and algebras.