The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) has selected four universities to receive the 2016 CAS University Award, an honor created to recognize schools doing exemplary work in preparing students for a career in the property/casualty insurance industry. The schools honored in the program’s inaugural year include Illinois State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Connecticut, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The CAS encourages universities to expose their students to opportunities in the property/casualty insurance industry. According to CAS, historically at the university level actuarial students’ awareness of the property/casualty industry at had been limited; however, with the growth in interest of actuarial careers, as well as the increasing demand for the skills of credentialed property/casualty actuaries, schools have had success incorporating property/casualty curriculum into their programs.

The selection process for the first CAS University Award Program considered nominations of 24 schools throughout North America, Asia and Australia. Schools shared the ways they are exposing their students to the property/casualty insurance industry in the areas of curriculum, research, industry engagement and innovation.

Winners of the 2016 CAS University Award Program were determined by a panel of judges from companies across the property/casualty insurance industry.

“The selection process was a challenge because there are so many schools doing really exciting work to prepare our future members,” said Chris Coleianne, a fellow of the CAS who chaired the CAS University Award Program.

The four winning schools will be recognized at the 2016 CAS Annual Meeting, taking place November 13-16, 2016 in Orlando.

The CAS plans to conduct its University Award Program annually.