The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science is a top-tier academic unit among statistical and actuarial science globally. Our community is engaged in topics such as actuarial science, biostatistics, data science, quantitative finance, statistics, & statistics-computing. Our department is home to 70 full-time faculty researching diverse and exciting areas, over 2000 undergraduate students from around the world, and approximately 200 graduate students in master, doctoral, and professional programs.
News
Professor Ruodu Wang receives inaugural Ken Seng Tan Award in Risk Sciences
Professor Ruodu Wang has received the inaugural Ken Seng Tan Award in Risk Sciences for his co-authored paper, "Risk Aversion and Insurance Propensity" (American Economic Review, 2025).
Mary Thompson appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
Professor Mary Thompson of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. The new appointments were announced on June 26, 2026, by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour, Governor General of Canada.
Professor Thompson’s citation reads:
“Mary Thompson has transformed statistical science through advances in survey methodology and public policy research. This University of Waterloo professor made major contributions to the International Tobacco Control Project, advised national agencies and helped found the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute. She also champions women in the mathematical and statistical sciences.”
Read the full UW Media Relations article: Distinguished Waterloo researcher named to Order of Canada
The announcement and the complete list of the new appointees are available on the Governor General’s website.
Ting Zhang Receives the 2026 Samuel Eckler Gold Medal
The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science is pleased to announce that Ting Zhang is the recipient of the 2026 Samuel Eckler Gold Medal. This prestigious award is presented annually to the graduating student with the highest academic standing in the Actuarial Science major at the University of Waterloo.
Events
Student seminar: Aelita Huang
Aelita Huang
PhD Candidate, University of Waterloo
Room: M3 3127
Actuarial Science and Financial Mathematics seminar: Xing Wang
Xing Wang
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Room: M3 3127