Welcome to Statistics and Actuarial Science

The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science is happy to be recognized by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) as a Silver Tier member under the CAS University Recognition Program. This program recognizes academic institutions with a demonstrated commitment to preparing property and casualty actuaries through their educational offerings. The CAS is the world’s only actuarial organization focused exclusively on property and casualty risks, serving over 10,000 members worldwide. The university will receive a set of benefits that accompany this honour, including being featured on the official CAS University Recognition Program list on the CAS website.

Biostatistics professor and serial winner Michael Wallace on maximizing your odds in annual Tim Hortons contest.

Michael, an associate professor in Statistics and Actuarial Science, made headlines in 2020 when he figured out how to win the coffee chain’s newly digital Roll Up game 98 per cent of the time. That winning streak was the result of playing all his accumulated rolls in the middle of the night on the last day of the promotion. Though he only won free coffee and donuts, his high win rate got the attention of Tim Hortons. When they changed their algorithm, he kept playing, developing a new strategy in 2023 that resulted in another winning streak, and another round of media coverage.

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Zhou, Kenneth Q. (BMath, 2013; MMath, 2015; PhD (Actuarial Science), 2019, University of Waterloo) joined the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science on January 2nd, 2025, as an Associate Professor. Prior to this appointment, he was an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at Arizona State University. Kenneth’s research centres on insurance data analytics, actuarial modelling, and risk management, with a particular focus on addressing the technical and economic challenges of life insurance practices. His recent work examines disparities, discrimination, and fairness issues in actuarial mathematics. Kenneth is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and an Associate of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (ACIA).