The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science is proud to announce the appointment of Mary Hary and Gord Willmot as Distinguished Professor Emerita and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, recognizing their exceptional contributions to research, teaching, mentorship, and academic leadership over decades of dedicated service.
Professor Hardy served in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science from 1997 to 2023 and is a globally recognized leader in Finance, Actuarial Science, and Insurance. She authored seven books, over 50 papers, and pioneered the widely adopted Conditional Tail Expectation risk measure. As founding director of the Master of Actuarial Science program and supervisor to over 60 graduate students, she shaped a generation of scholars. She held leadership roles at the University of Waterloo Faculty Association, including Acting President, and was among the first women on the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Board. Her many honors include the prestigious Finlaison Medal and Harold D. Skipper Award, and SOA’s Lifetime Volunteer Award.
Professor Willmot’s four-decade connection with the University spans from student to internationally acclaimed professor and researcher. A leading figure in insurance risk modelling and ruin theory, he has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and is among the most-cited in his field. His co-authored book Loss Models: From Data to Decisions, is regarded as the standard reference for academic programs and SOA’s professional certification. His mentorship has cultivated a generation of scholars who now hold influential academic positions worldwide, a legacy recognized with the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision by the University of Waterloo.
Through their remarkable contributions, Professor Mary Hardy and Professor Gord Willmot have helped establish the University of Waterloo as a leading institution in actuarial science world-wide. We celebrate their achievement and appointments as Distinguished Professor Emerita/Emeritus!