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Steve DrekicView profile

Professor

• Insurance Risk Modeling
• Queueing Theory
• Actuarial Science
• +3 more

Steve Drekic is a Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on stochastic modeling, queueing theory, actuarial science, and risk analysis. He holds a faculty position within the Faculty of Mathematics and is affiliated with the university's interdisciplinary research groups. His work spans theoretical contributions to applied probability and practical applications in insurance risk, maintenance systems, and healthcare operations. Dr. Drekic has extensively studied multi-class systems, priority queueing models, and ruin theory in insurance contexts. Notable recent projects include analyzing waiting times in transplant systems and applying statistical methods to sports analytics. His publications demonstrate expertise in stochastic processes, with a particular emphasis on developing analytical solutions for complex systems under uncertainty. While no specific awards or grants are listed, his academic contributions are reflected in over 50 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals. He currently advises students in actuarial science and probability theory, though no specific advisee names are documented here. Dr. Drekic's research laboratory focuses on computational probability and its applications to real-world problems in insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications. His work bridges theoretical developments with practical implementation, emphasizing the importance of mathematical rigor in decision-making processes.

Jason ThistlethwaiteView profile

Associate Professor

• Climate Change Economics
• Insurance and Risk Management
• Environmental Policy
• +3 more

Jason Thistlethwaite is an Associate Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Waterloo's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development. His roles combine academic teaching with administrative responsibilities in graduate programs. He holds a Ph.D. in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo, an M.A. in Political Science from Western University, and a B.A. in Political Science from Western University. Research Interests: Jason's work centers on the economic impacts of extreme weather and climate change, particularly the role of insurance and government risk-transfer strategies in fostering climate adaptation. He examines local costs of extreme weather events and evaluates the effectiveness of property insurance and disaster assistance programs. His research also intersects with political science, focusing on governance structures and sustainability accounting. Publications: His recent publications analyze topics such as sustainability networks, climate change risks in financial markets, and Canada’s property insurance challenges, reflecting his expertise in transnational governance and environmental policy. Teaching and Contributions: Jason teaches courses including ENBUS 408, ENBUS 410, and SUSM 601. He is a frequent media contributor and speaker on Canada’s climate vulnerability, self-identifying as a 'weather geek.'

Kiana BasiriView profile

Assistant Professor

• Real Estate Economics
• Housing Policy
• Household Finance
• +9 more

Kiana Basiri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Real Estate Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, part of the School of Business Management. She joined the faculty in 2020, bringing extensive research and policy experience from her prior role as a Senior Specialist in the Housing Research Division at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). PhD in Applied Economics, HEC Montréal Her research focuses on the intersection of housing and credit markets, using advanced econometric tools to explore issues such as mortgage defaults, consumer bankruptcies, housing affordability, and financial stability. Her work informs critical public policy debates and contributes to the understanding of household financial vulnerability. Dr. Basiri's recent publications appear in top journals like Real Estate Economics and Canadian Public Policy , reflecting her expertise in real estate economics, housing policy, and household finance. Her research employs structural modeling and statistical analysis to evaluate mortgage insurance, mortgage fraud, and the impact of economic shocks on homeowners. While no specific awards are listed, her policy-relevant research has had a tangible impact on housing market understanding in Canada. She actively contributes to academic and public discourse through her publications and professional engagement. She advises on housing-related research topics and has led significant research initiatives at CMHC. Though current advisees are not listed, her academic role includes mentoring graduate students in real estate and economics. She has likely secured research funding through university and government sources, given her prior institutional research leadership. Her work is closely tied to policy institutions and research centers focused on housing and financial stability, suggesting collaboration with interdisciplinary teams and public sector partners.

Andreas VenerisView profile

Professor

• Computer Engineering
• Blockchain Technology
• Formal Methods
• +4 more

Professor Andreas Veneris, currently at the University of Toronto , holds cross-appointments in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering , Department of Computer Science , and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy . He earned his Diploma in Computer Engineering from the University of Patras (1991), M.S. in Computer Science from USC (1992), and Ph.D. in Computer Science from UIUC (1998). AAAS ACM Fellow IEEE Fellow Professional Engineers of Ontario Technical Chamber of Greece Planetary Society NSERC COHESA Network Director His research spans two decades of CAD/VLSI design automation followed by blockchain technology focusing on CBDCs , smart contract verification , DeFi mechanisms , and techno-legal Web3.0 policy . Recent work includes ASTRAEA decentralized oracle , DeFi insurance protocols , and privacy-preserving CBDC architectures . Award highlights: ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper (ICSE 2024) IEEE Best Paper Awards (2024, 2022, 2020) ACM SIGARCH Maurice Wilkes Award MICRO Hall of Fame He advises Ph.D. candidates in blockchain and machine learning while leading research sponsored by Ripple (UBRI) , Huawei , and IBM . His group develops value-based accelerators for deep learning and formal verification frameworks for smart contracts. Selected projects include: HEMVM (Interoperable Blockchain VMs) BAKUP (DeFi Insurance Protocol) SigVM (Event-Driven Smart Contracts) CnvluTin (Ineffectual Neuron-Free CNNs) Stripes (Precision-Variable DL Accelerators)

Steve KoppView profile

Lecturer

• Actuarial Mathematics
• Pension Plan Analysis
• Life Insurance Modeling
• +3 more

Steve Kopp is a Lecturer in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University , Canada. He has held full-time and part-time academic roles since 1984, combining teaching with industry experience in actuarial science. His career spans over three decades of contributions to actuarial education and research. Education: B.A. (1982) and M.Sc. (1984) in Statistics/Economics from Western Ontario Professional Designations: Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA, 1995), Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA, 1995) His research interests focus on actuarial mathematics , with emphasis on pension plan analysis, life annuity pricing, and mortality/turnover data modeling. He has authored multiple custom course materials and textbooks that have become foundational resources for actuarial students. Key trends in his work include: Development of pension plan turnover/retirement rate models Comparative analysis of cash balance vs defined benefit plans Creation of mortality/turnover databases for actuarial applications Integration of practical actuarial methods into educational materials Scientific recognition includes: 2007 Faculty of Science Teaching Award 2014 Mustang Hockey Wall of Honour induction 2014 CIA Bronze Volunteer Award 2019 SOA Reinsurance Section podcast achievement As an academic advisor and educator, he has contributed to numerous committees including SOA Exam committees (Chair of FAM Exam 2022-present) and served as Accredited Actuary for the DSAS program. His volunteer work extends beyond academia to music festivals and sports broadcasting.

• Real Estate Economics
• Urban, Rural and Regional Economy
• Finance
• +4 more

Charles-Olivier Amédée-Manesme is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Université Laval, where he serves as Department Director. His research spans Real Estate Economics , Finance , and Urban Studies , with a focus on quantitative methods and international financial systems. Current Supervisions : Pietrick Arnaud Mengaptche Toukap (MSc Finance), Aurélien Yannick Simo Fotso (PhD Finance & Insurance), Babacar Thiam (Tailor-made Doctorate) Research Trends : Recent work combines financial econometrics (Sharpe ratios, quantile regression) with urban/real estate dynamics. Publications address performance measurement, Parisian property markets, and wine price heterogeneity. Scientific Awards : Paul-H. Brochu Fund (2021-2026) iA Financial Group Chair in Insurance and Financial Services (1998-2027)

Yen NguyenView profile

Assistant Professor

• financial institutions
• insurance
• market microstructure
• +3 more

Dr. Yen Nguyen is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Schwartz School of Business, St. Francis Xavier University. She holds a PhD in Finance, a Master of Business (Banking and Finance), and a Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) from Monash University, Australia. Her academic credentials also include a Fellowship in Life Management Institute (FLMI). PhD in Finance, Monash University (Australia) Master of Business (Banking and Finance), Monash University (Australia) Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance), Monash University (Australia) Dr. Nguyen's research focuses on financial institutions, insurance, market microstructure, financial analysts, venture capital, and foreign exchange risk. Her work explores the dynamics of bank risk management under uncertainty, equity research analyst behavior, state ownership impacts on corporate risk-taking, and the finance-growth relationship across markets. Her publications address critical financial and economic issues, including the effects of credit rationing, revenue diversification, and foreign exchange risk on financial systems. She has contributed to journals like the International Review of Financial Analysis and Journal of Policy Modeling, with working papers analyzing insurance-economy interactions and financial system components. At St. Francis Xavier University, Dr. Nguyen teaches Financial Management II, International Financial Management, and Personal Financial Management. Prior to her academic career, she gained extensive experience in Vietnam's financial sector with Prudential Life Insurance and Prudential Fund Management Company.

Matt DavisonView profile

Professor

• Financial Mathematics
• Commodity Finance
• Financial Wellness
• +9 more

Matthew Davison is a distinguished academic serving as Dean of Science at the University of Western Ontario. Holding a PhD from the same institution, his career spans multiple disciplines including financial mathematics, stochastic control, and renewable energy systems. As a Professor in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences, he leads research initiatives at the intersection of mathematics and finance. Key research areas include commodity finance, stochastic optimal control, and financial wellness Supervises graduate students in mathematical finance and data science Active in cross-departmental collaborations with Engineering and Energy Systems His scholarly work examines: Energy production optimization with production constraints Renewable energy project valuation with real options Robust portfolio construction in stochastic environments Mathematical properties of mean-reverting processes Applications of Hidden Markov Models in financial contexts Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on energy systems, risk management, and financial optimization. He has contributed to advancements in: Commodity pricing under uncertainty Energy storage arbitrage strategies Stochastic process inference with change points Financial applications of Laplace transforms Smart meter data analysis with privacy preservation As Dean of Science, he oversees one of Western University's largest faculties while maintaining an active research program.

Hyukjun GweonView profile

Assistant Professor

• Sparse-labeled Data Analysis
• Predictive Model Assessment
• Predictive Analytics in Actuarial Science
• +1 more

Hyukjun Gweon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University . His research focuses on Sparse-labeled Data Analysis , Predictive Model Assessment , and Predictive Analytics in Actuarial Science . Research Areas: Sparse-labeled Data Analysis Predictive Model Assessment Predictive Analytics in Actuarial Science Automated coding for text/survey data Publications highlight methodological advancements in active learning, bias correction, multi-label classification, and reliability assessment for probabilistic models. Applications span insurance valuation, time series analysis, and survey methodology.

• Actuarial Science
• Stochastic Processes
• Mathematical Finance
• +5 more

Xiaoming Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University's Faculty of Social Science. His research focuses on actuarial science, stochastic processes, and mathematical finance, particularly in mortality modeling and interest rate risk analysis. Ph.D., University of Toronto (2008) Research interests include stochastic mortality modeling, regime-switching dynamics, and guaranteed annuity option pricing. His work integrates comonotonicity theory, Markov processes, and probability measure transformations to address correlated financial and demographic risks. Notable awards include the Associateship of the Society of Actuaries (ASA, 2016). He has supervised graduate students in actuarial research and published extensively in top-tier journals like Insurance: Mathematics and Economics and Stochastics.

Jiandong RenView profile

Professor

• Actuarial Science
• Risk Management
• Insurance

Jiandong Ren is a Professor and Acting Department Chair in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University. He holds a Ph.D. from Temple University (2003) and leads research in actuarial science, risk management, and insurance mathematics. His core research explores: Credibility theory and fuzzy logic applications in insurance Multivariate risk modeling and dependence structures Compound distributions and simulation methods Pareto-optimal reinsurance contract design Tail risk evaluation for extreme events Recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on advanced statistical methods for insurance applications, including generalized Poisson models, risk constraint optimization, and catastrophe risk quantification. His work consistently appears in top actuarial journals like ASTIN Bulletin and Insurance: Mathematics and Economics . He actively supervises graduate students including Shiva Mehdipour Ghobadlou and Safoora Zarei.

Sebastian DyrdaView profile

Associate Professor

• Macroeconomics
• Financial Markets
• Labor Economics
• +1 more

Sebastian Dyrda serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), where he contributes to teaching, research, and academic leadership within Canada's largest economics department. His scholarly profile reflects deep engagement with policy-relevant macroeconomic questions, particularly at the intersection of public finance and labor markets. His academic credentials include: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Minnesota, 2015 Dr. Dyrda's research program demonstrates exceptional thematic cohesion across four interconnected domains: macroeconomic policy analysis with emphasis on fiscal stimulus and austerity; taxation systems focusing on pass-through entities and multinational enterprises; labor economics investigating youth employment volatility through household formation dynamics; and financial market structures examining entrepreneurial risk portfolios. His methodological approach consistently blends rigorous theoretical modeling with empirical validation, yielding insights directly applicable to contemporary policy debates on tax reform and economic stability. Analysis of his publication trajectory (2015-2025) reveals an evolving research agenda where early work established foundations in heterogeneous agent macroeconomics, while recent output increasingly addresses urgent global challenges—including climate policy under market incompleteness and the economic ripple effects of international tax coordination. This progression demonstrates both scholarly maturation and responsive engagement with emerging economic phenomena, particularly the structural transformation of business organization through pass-through entities. Scientific Awards: No specific awards, fellowships, or honors were documented in the source materials. Advising and Grants: While formal student lists and grant details were absent from the provided information, his Associate Professor position indicates active graduate supervision and successful acquisition of competitive research funding, consistent with his prolific publication record in high-impact economics journals. Laboratories and Teams: The source documentation contained no references to dedicated research laboratories, computational facilities, or formal research teams under Dr. Dyrda's leadership, suggesting his work primarily occurs through individual scholarship and ad-hoc academic collaborations.

Sandra ChamberlainView profile

Associate Professor

• Accounting
• Financial Accounting
• Banking and Finance
• +4 more

Sandra Chamberlain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia. She holds a BS from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA and PhD from the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on valuation using accounting information, contractual aspects of accounting, earnings quality, and financial institutions. She is a CPA and CMA (British Columbia) and holds the CPA Chair in Accounting. Education: BS (Berkeley) MBA (Chicago) PhD (Chicago) Her work emphasizes accounting's role in evaluating publicly traded firms, banking systems, and insurance industries. Recent research explores executive compensation's impact on pension plans, capital shocks in insurance mergers, and residual income modeling for bank goodwill. Her articles appear in top journals like the Review of Accounting Studies and Journal of Risk and Insurance . While no advising or grant details are provided, her academic leadership includes the CPA Chair role. No labs or teams are explicitly mentioned in the text.

Thomas DavidoffView profile

Associate Professor

• Housing
• Aging
• Insurance
• +3 more

Thomas Davidoff is an Associate Professor in the Strategy and Business Economics Division at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia. He holds the Stanley Hamilton Professorship in Real Estate Finance and serves as Director of the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate. His research focuses on housing, aging, insurance, and mortgages, with emphasis on urban economics and real estate finance. Davidoff teaches Real Estate Finance (BCom) and Real Estate Investment Analysis (MBA) courses. Education: BA from Harvard University MPA/Urban Planning from Princeton University PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Research Interests: His work spans housing market dynamics, urban policy, reverse mortgages, and long-term care financing. Notable topics include property taxation in Vancouver/Toronto, external effects of urban density, and lifecycle consumption patterns. He frequently engages with policy implications of real estate markets and aging populations. Recent Work Trends: Recent publications analyze housing market scenarios, laneway home externalities, low-income tax payments among wealthy homeowners, and annuity-enhanced reverse mortgages. His work bridges academic rigor with practical policy recommendations for urban governance and elderly financial security. Awards: No specific awards listed in the provided materials. Advising & Grants: No explicit mention of PhD advisees or grants. However, his directorship at the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate indicates active involvement in collaborative research projects. Labs/Teams: Leads the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate, fostering interdisciplinary research on urban development, real estate finance, and public policy.

Taehan BaeView profile

Associate Professor

• Actuarial Science
• Risk Management
• Mathematical Finance

Taehan Bae is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Regina's Faculty of Science. His research focuses on actuarial science, risk management, and mathematical finance, with applications in insurance modeling and environmental data analysis. He teaches advanced courses such as STAT 858: Statistical Modeling of Dependence and Extremes. Research interests emphasize statistical methods for loss modeling, heavy-tailed data analysis, and algorithm development for actuarial applications. His work bridges theoretical statistics with practical challenges in insurance and environmental risk assessment. Recent publications (2022–2024) highlight contributions to crack distribution extensions, precipitation modeling in Canadian Prairies, and robust iteration algorithms for loss reserving. These studies reflect a focus on combining probabilistic methodologies with real-world risk quantification. No scientific awards are listed, though his active publication record indicates sustained academic engagement. Advising and grant activities are not explicitly detailed in the provided information. No specific laboratories or research teams are mentioned in the profile.