Tomkins and Brissman Named Distinguished Science Alumni for 2015
02-02-2015
Dr. Jim Tomkins
Chancellor, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Statistics, Vice-President (Administration) Emeritus, President Emeritus
University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan
Dr. Tomkins received his PhD from the Department of Statistics in 1970. He has spent his career at the University of Regina, beginning in 1969 in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. During which, he has had an active research and academic career that has been rewarded several times with promotions and accolades.
Most recently, he was elected to a three-year term as Chancellor of the University of Regina, where he serves on the University’s Board of Governors. Prior to which, he had served as President and Vice-Chancellor at the University from 2007 to 2008. He was also seconded to the Government of Saskatchewan as a Senior Policy Analyst in post-secondary education from 1994 to 1998. In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Tomkins’ research was recognized and supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for33 years, and he served as chair on three different NSERC selection committees.
He has been awarded with several honors and most recently the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Regina Board of Governors in 2008, and now the Statistics Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University College of Science.
Mr. Mark Brissman
Regional Director & Actuary
Aon Global Risk Consultants (AGRC), Dallas , TX
Mark Brissman earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Mathematics at Purdue University. He then continued on to earn his Master of Science in Industrial Administration from the Krannert Graduate School of Management. He was awarded the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation after passing a series of 10 examinations on insurance contracts, coverages, and laws. He became a designated actuary as an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society as well as a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. In 1993, he was awarded his Fellowship earning the Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society designation.
Currently, Mr. Brissman is the Regional Director and Actuary at AGRC in Dallas, Texas. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing a team that delivers actuarial analyses and deliverables for clients’ self-insurance policies, providing staff peer reviews to ensure compliance, and assisting in the overall strategic planning for the practice. AGRC is a large firm with many clients consisting of Fortune 500 companies. He also serves as AON’s national practice leader for predictive analytics.