Dr. Nan Zhu

Associate Professor

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Biography

Nan Zhu is an Associate Professor in Risk Management at the Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University. He earned his PhD in Risk Management and Insurance from Georgia State University in 2012, a Master's in Financial Mathematics, and a Bachelor's in Economics from Peking University, China. Dr. Zhu's research focuses on stochastic mortality modeling, secondary life market, longevity risk management, and insurance contract theory. His notable works include the paper 'Lapse-and-Reentry Variable Annuities,' which received the 2017 Redington Prize from the Society of Actuaries. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA). Dr. Zhu teaches undergraduate courses in actuarial science, and he has been recognized as a Penn State Teaching Fellow, receiving the Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2023.

Research Interests

Stochastic Mortality Modeling Secondary Life Market Longevity Risk Management Insurance Contract Theory

Courses

RM 411 – LONG TERM ACTUARIAL MATH FUND RM 497 – Special Topics RM 412 – LONG TERM ACTUARIAL MATH ADV RM 415 – Modeling Actuarial Science

Requirements for Pennsylvania State University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:23
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7
GRE General
Prerequisites
Master's degree in related field for PhD Baccalaureate degree from accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Writing Sample
  • Official Transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE scores are highly recommended but not strictly required for Applied Linguistics.