Krzysztof Ostaszewski is a native of Lodz, Poland. He received a Master degree in mathematics from the University of Lodz in 1980, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1985. He is a 1991 Chartered Financial Analyst, a 1994 Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, a 1999 Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a 2009 Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst, and a 2010 Fellow of the Singapore Actuarial Society. He was a 1995 Fulbright Research Fellow in Poland, studying actuarial aspects of free market reforms, and a Fulbright Specialist in the periods 2003-2004 and 2013-2015. He is a current Fulbright Specialist, till February 7, 2025. He is also a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.
He is now a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and the Actuarial Program Director at Illinois State University. That program is a Society of Actuaries Center of Actuarial Excellence, and was among the first thirteen in the world to receive that designation in 2009, first nine so designated in the United States, and the first one in the state of Illinois. The program is also recognized, as of 2023, as Gold Level (highest level of recognition) in the Casualty Actuarial Society University Recognition Program, and won the Casualty Actuarial Society University Award in 2016 (the inaugural one) and again in 2019. It should be noted that Illinois State University is also a Global Center of Insurance Excellence, and was listed by A.M. Best among the four best universities to study insurance in the United States in 2018.
Krzysztof Ostaszewski has authored or co-authored two research monographs in mathematics published by the American Mathematical Society, and four research books in actuarial science: two published by the Society of Actuaries, one with Elsevier, and one with Wydawnictwa Naukowo-Techniczne in Poland; as well as several other books, including five volumes of poetry. His research in actuarial science has been published in the Journal of Risk and Insurance, The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance – Issues and Practice, North American Actuarial Journal, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Journal of Insurance Regulation, Proceedings of the Casualty Actuarial Society, Risks, Journal of Insurance Issues, Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, German Risk and Insurance Review, Journal of Actuarial Practice, and other journals. For his actuarial research, he was recognized with the 2005 Robert I. Mehr Award from the American Risk and Insurance Association and the 2003 Donald Hardigree Award from the Western Risk and Insurance Association. His research works in mathematics have appeared in journals such as: Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, Forum Mathematicum, Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo, Tatra Mountain Mathematical Publications, Real Analysis Exchange, Communications in Mathematics, Semigroup Forum, International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences, Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, and Demonstratio Mathematicae. His works in economics appeared in American Economic Review and Journal of Business. His poetry publications appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Poetry Australia, Writ, The Antigonish Review, and many other journals and magazines, including leading publications in Polish (e.g., Zycie Literackie, Poezja, Tworczosc, and Kultura in Paris).
In the period 2011-2013 he was the Research Director for Life Insurance and Pensions at the Geneva Association. He has worked in asset-liability management and modeling, as well as investment management, at Hartford Life, Providian Capital Management, and his private consulting practice.
He is one of the coauthors and signatories of the Actuarial Standard of Practice No. 32 concerning social insurance.
Throughout the 1980s he wrote a column Fall in Love with Capitalism for Echo Polish Weekly in Toronto, Canada.
All information contained here is, to our best knowledge, correct, but it is merely a representation, and should not be considered to be any form of professional advice. This electronic publication should not be misconstrued as the official position of Illinois State University, or its Department of Mathematics. We are glad to provide as much information as possible here, but we kindly ask that in any decision related to matters listed here you seek additional counsel and information. Comments on this Home Page are welcome and should be sent to Dr. Krzysztof Ostaszewski at his e-mail address: krzysio@ilstu.edu.