Mandy Hammell

Color portrait of Mandy Hammell

Professor Of Practice in Risk Management, Program Chair of Actuarial Science Program

Department Risk Management
Office Address 309 Business Building
Phone Number 814-865-4153
Email Address ajw102@psu.edu

Download Photo

Education

B.S. Mathematics, Mathematics (Actuarial Science), Penn State, 1990

Courses Taught

RM 214 – Review Prob Theory (1.5)
This course introduces students to actuarial science topics and the actuarial profession. To become an actuary, individuals must pass a series of professional examinations that accredit them as professionals in the field. This course provides an introduction to the material on the earlier exams such as applications of probability theory to insurance, financial mathematics (compound interest and annuities), and provides instruction on spreadsheets, so that students can perform their homework using them. Topics covered include applications of the following to insurance and actuarial science: conditional probability, independence, combinatorial principles, Bayes Theorem, and random variables. Specific probability distributions used include the binomial, uniform, Poisson, geometric, negative binomial, hyper-geometric, and multinomial discrete distributions, as well as the exponential, normal, uniform, and gamma continuous distributions. Expectations, distribution parameters, means, medians, modes, variances, skewness, and moment generating functions are also covered. The more advanced topics of joint, marginal, and conditional distributions are used, along with functions and transformations of random variables. The application of probability theory to risk management is addressed. Throughout the course, sample problems will be reviewed to help prepare students for the actuarial professional exams.

RM 410 – FIN MATH FOR ACTSC (3)
Compound interest and annuity functions; equations of value; determination of yield rates; construction of tables.

RM 494H – Research Project (2)
Supervised honor student research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

RM 496 – Indep Studies (Variable)
Creative Projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Honors and Awards