Research Center

RAMA DUVVURI
Modeling and Analytics Graduate Network (MAGNet)

Hometown:
Born in Columbus, Ohio, raised in Bloomington, Illinois

Alma Mater:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Computer Science)

Nicknames:
Rama-Llama-Ding-Dong, Rama Mama, Rama the Great (I’ve been trying to put one of these on my business cards, but my department secretary keeps denying the requests.)

Most vivid college memory:
On my first day at the U of I, the newly-hired head football coach welcomed us for our freshman convocation. At the conclusion of his speech, he encouraged us to, “Buy your tickets to Pasadena today!” I’m glad I didn’t have enough money to follow his advice, since we proceeded to get blown out in every game that season.

Career:
During college, I worked a summer in the Agency Department at State Farm Corporate Headquarters; then interned for about a year in Life Actuarial. I started full time in the Auto Actuarial Pricing area, where we worked with various zones on implementing rate changes for a variety of states and provinces.

I later moved into the Strategic Research area of Property & Casualty Actuarial, which is responsible for the design of our rating plan, and worked on the development of the most significant change in our pricing plan in years.

I then moved to the Modeling and Statistical Analysis unit of Strategic Resources, where we provide analytic consulting services to a variety of Corporate departments and the field.

More recently, I was approached to lead the creation of the Modeling and Analytics Graduate Network (MAGNet) for the Research Center. This program is a great opportunity for both State Farm and myself, so I was very excited to accept the challenge.

What I like most about my work at the Research Center:
Influencing and shaping employees very early in their professional careers. Working at the Research Center is often the first opportunity many of our interns have to apply their education and skills to something other than homework. So you have the opportunity to see people who are genuinely excited about the work they are doing. It is very rewarding to be around that kind of enthusiasm.

My future vision for the Research Center:
I hope to see the Research Center have greater autonomy within the State Farm organization. Rather than serve as extensions of three separate departments, the Research Center would serve as a unified resource for all of Corporate. I think this would allow for greater collaboration, as well as make more use of the talent available at the University.

Outside of work, I think I’m really good at:
Online bargain hunting. People who work with me complain that they end up spending more because of all the deals I find for them. I’m soon going to need to build a bigger house to contain all of my useless purchases.