2026 Simon Lecture
The 2026 Ronald H. and Mary E. Simon Actuarial Science Lecture will take place on Friday, November 6, in the Shadows Ballroom at the Graduate Hotel East Lansing.
The Simon Lecture is an annual event sponsored by the Simon family, prominent supporters of MSU’s Actuarial Science Program. The lecture series began as a way to enrich the program by bringing industry leaders and academic experts to discuss topics related to actuarial science, risk management, and finance.
In 2026, we are pleased to welcome Ian Duncan, a health actuary and adjunct professor of actuarial statistics at the University of California Santa Barbara. Duncan is also the president-elect of the Society of Actuaries for 2026-27.
The program and dinner will begin at 5:15 p.m. A VIP and networking reception will take place preceding the event beginning at 4:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend the event; however, registration is required.
Register for the 2026 Simon Lecture
Presenter
Ian Duncan
Ian Duncan is a health actuary, Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and an Adjunct
Professor of Actuarial Statistics at the University of California Santa Barbara. He
holds a master's degree in economics from Balliol College, Oxford, and a Ph.D. in
statistics from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Duncan has founded several companies including Santa Barbara Actuaries Inc. (merged
with Arbital Health) and currently serves on the boards of Arbital Health, Clover
Insurance and other healthcare start-ups and incubators.
In 2025, Duncan was elected to be the 78th president of the Society of Actuaries for
2026-27. He has served on many committees of the SOA. He is the author of numerous
peer-reviewed papers on healthcare outcomes and predictive modeling, and several books.
His books include a second edition of “Healthcare Risk Adjustment and Predictive Modeling” (Actex Publications, 2018).
You can view more of his story on his YouTube channel.
Student Presenter
Noah Gscheidmeier
Noah Gscheidmeier is a senior at Michigan State University, originally from Hickory,
North Carolina. He is pursuing bachelor's degrees in actuarial science and statistics,
with minors in data science and economics.
In his time at Michigan State, Noah has conducted research under Dr. Gee Lee, working
with housing insurance pricing and reserving in workers' compensation.
Noah has also been active in MSU's Actuarial Science Club, currently serving as president
for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years. During this time, he has helped facilitate
the annual Actuarial Science Job Fair and has doubled the average attendance of the
club.
Noah has held internships at Alex Lee, Inc., SafePoint Insurance, and National Life
Group. He has passed the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Exams FM and P, and is studying
for Exam FAM, with plans to take it in July 2026.
Outside of school, Noah serves as a leader in Young Life, mentoring youth at Eaton
Rapids High School.
Sponsors
If you are interested in donating and sponsoring future editions of the Simon Lecture, please contact Jessie Pung, senior director of development for the MSU College of Natural Science, at pungjes1@msu.edu or make your gift at natsci.msu.edu/simon-lecture/