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UCF FinTech-AI Lab Is Shaping AI Talent

Kellie Wise — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:30:37 +0000

What happens when graduate students go beyond the classroom to tackle real-world artificial intelligence (AI) challenges facing the financial industry?

ɫ��’s , that experience comes to life in the FinTech-AI Lab.

The lab puts fintech master’s students to work on complex AI and machine learning problems alongside faculty researchers and industry mentors. Beyond technical expertise, the experience gives students a front-row seat to how AI is being used to solve business challenges and the opportunity to contribute to what comes next.

Established to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry innovation, the lab pairs selected students with leading industry organizations to develop solutions with the potential to influence products, improve decision-making and drive innovation across financial technology.

Each semester, just two to four students are selected through a competitive process based on academic performance and faculty interviews. Instead of completing a traditional capstone project, they join a faculty-led research team conducting applied AI research for industry partners.

Partnership Powering Innovation

One of the lab’s most impactful collaborations is with Equifax, a global leader in data, analytics and technology.

Together with Miller College of Business faculty, Equifax identifies high-impact business challenges, provides resources and mentors students throughout the research process. Fintech faculty members, Associate Professor Cuneyt Akcora and Assistant Professor Yafei Zhang, lead the lab’s research initiatives, meeting weekly with student teams and collaborating with Equifax to review progress and refine projects.

Students spend more than a year working on AI research, gaining an experience that closely resembles a part-time industry internship.

“The partnership shows what makes UCF’s master’s in fintech distinctive,” Zhang says. “Students not only learn finance, AI and data science in the classroom; they apply these tools to real industry problems with guidance from faculty and industry mentors. In the AI era, that kind of hands-on, corporate-partnered experience is essential.”

Turning AI Skills Into Industry Solutions

The impact of the FinTech-AI Lab comes to life through the work of its students, whose research tackles real challenges facing the financial industry.

Fintech graduate student Michael Azzi set out to help address synthetic identity fraud, the fastest-growing financial crime in the United States.

Azzi developed an address-intelligence framework that combines Google’s Gemini large language model, the Google Places API and a rule-based risk engine to identify high-risk addresses, including virtual offices and private mailbox services. The approach could help improve fraud detection within consumer credit files.

“Working on synthetic identity fraud detection at Equifax showed me how AI can be applied to real-world business challenges,” Azzi says. “Being able to combine large language models with live address intelligence to help protect consumers made this one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on.”

Another fintech graduate student, Clare Anandra Eric Hamissi, investigated how government intervention programs, including stimulus payments and loan forbearance, influenced consumer default risk.

Her findings revealed that lower-income consumers and those with lower credit scores experienced the greatest reductions in default risk.

The projects don’t necessarily end when the research does. When a project demonstrates strong business potential, Equifax evaluates the results for possible productization or internal implementation, giving students the opportunity to contribute to solutions that could make a measurable impact across the financial industry.

Opening the Door to Experiential Learning

The FinTech-AI Lab demonstrates the Miller College of Business’ commitment to experiential learning while providing students with a new way to prepare for and help shape an AI-driven future.

Students gain experience working with enterprise-scale data, collaborating with faculty researchers and industry professionals, and solving problems at the intersection of finance, AI and data science.

As the lab prepares to welcome its third cohort of fintech student researchers this fall, it continues to set UCF’s Master’s in FinTech program apart. Students don’t just learn about AI, machine learning and financial technology — they put that knowledge to work alongside faculty and industry experts, solving real business challenges with the potential to influence products and business decisions.

The UCF Master’s in FinTech is a STEM-designated graduate program that prepares the next generation of fintech leaders through AI, data analytics and emerging financial technologies. The first program of its kind in Florida, the program is offered each fall with in-person and online options.

Applications are now open for Fall 2027.

Successful Entrepreneur Turns to UCF to Amplify His Impact

Jen Cramer — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:45:38 +0000

When corporate finance executive and entrepreneur Alex Hubenthal ’13 senses change on the horizon, he doesn’t shy away — he leans in.

At 16, he opened his first brokerage account in 2008, with his grandmother’s help, during the Great Recession because he saw a market that had no place to go but up.

When cloud accounting platforms were just starting to become viable in the early 2010s, he was an early adopter, eventually building a firm that served clients remotely.

Now as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the business landscape, Hubenthal decided to embrace this latest inflection point by enrolling in UCF’s .

“UCF is ready for every Knight who dares to lean in.”

“UCF doesn’t just educate you. It finds you. It amplifies who you are and prepares you to make a difference,” says Hubenthal, who is from Elon, North Carolina. “Sometimes I’m amazed that this small-town kid has ended up consulting with business leaders in boardrooms across the globe. Somewhere out there, another teenager is watching the world shift and feeling that pull. UCF is ready for every Knight who dares to lean in.”

UCF alumni Alex Hubenthal ’13 (left) and Barry S. Miller ’95 (right) at the College of Business.

Leading With a Spirit of Innovation

It’s Knights like Hubenthal who inspired Barry S. Miller ’95 to invest a transformational $50 million gift into the College of Business to further strengthen UCF’s reputation as a global leader in fintech, AI and business innovation.

A graduate ɫ��’s program in the , Hubenthal initially came to UCF to study ��Ի��engineering. But after witnessing the impact of the Great Recession on families, including his own, he switched to business and finance.

“I made it my mission to understand what happened, why it happened and how to help prevent it,” Hubenthal says.

Early in his career, Hubenthal worked in corporate finance, gaining hands-on experience��Ի��learning how established organizations manage their financial infrastructure.

In 2015, just two years after earning his bachelor’s degree, he co-founded a data analytics firm with fellow UCF graduates, bringing enterprise-grade big data and analytics services to local businesses at an accessible price point. That venture earned Hubenthal recognition as part of Business North Carolina magazine’s cover story on innovation in 2016.

Building on Success

He has since founded firms rooted in data analytics, accounting and finance — including his firm Bookscaping — started a financial literacy podcast to share his expertise with small businesses, and published a book, The Simple Fiscal Method: 17 Financial Lessons for Every Small Business Owner to Succeed in Life.

In 2022, he signed on as vice president of finance for ryco.io, an educational startup where he built and still leads the company’s financial strategy and operations.

He is currently beta testing an automated system for the company, which almost fully manages its payable function with safeguards, audit trails and authorizations built in. He envisions this empowering ryco.io to scale its financial operations.

Hubenthal wanted to fully immerse himself in this new era of business and tech, so he is turning to UCF’s fintech program to prepare him for what’s ahead.

“For me, the real world is the lab. And thanks to UCF, I’m just getting started.”

“The program put me in a room with nearly 30 students from four continents who felt like family within the first month,” Hubenthal says. “Just weeks ago, I built a portfolio optimization tool for my own retirement account — 1 million simulated market days��Ի��almost 4,000 years of data, solved by a supercomputer in under three seconds — using what I learned in this program.

“For me, the real world is the lab,” he continues. “And thanks to UCF, I’m just getting started.”

First-Gen Alumnus Behind Transformational Gift Believes in Power of Philanthropy to Change Lives

Jen Cramer — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:04:36 +0000

When Barry Miller ’95 was graduating from high school, his dad decided to make a move from northeast Pennsylvania to the warmer climate of Daytona Beach, Florida. He urged his son, who was interested in business and accounting, to check out UCF. Since there wasn’t much information available online in the early 1990s, Miller ultimately sent a letter to UCF requesting a brochure and an application.

Miller was impressed by our reputation as an early leader in technology and STEM fields, our connection to the space program and our success expanding into other areas. In fact, UCF boasted one of the highest certified public accountant (CPA) pass rates of any public university — impressive to an aspiring accountant.

So Miller applied, was accepted and committed to UCF sight unseen. It was the beginning of a journey that would change his family’s trajectory, along with the university’s.

Today, he committed a transformational $50 million gift — the largest single philanthropic investment in the university’s history — to position UCF as a global leader in fintech, artificial intelligence (AI) and business innovation by establishing the Barry S. Miller College of Business.

Barry ’95 and Rosie Miller ’95 with their two daughters.

First-Generation Student

Miller is president and co-founder of both Voloridge Investment Management and Voloridge Health. He also founded and sold another successful business in his entrepreneurial career.

But back when Miller was attending UCF, he was paving the way as the first in his family to go to college. His dad, a self-taught contractor and developer and a single father, saw the value of higher education for his son.

“My father had a deeply ingrained work ethic that he passed on to me,” Miller says. “In the summer, he would get me out of bed early and have me carrying lumber and working on roofs. I learned to work hard, but I also learned that [it] was a tough job to do for 50 years. I wanted to try a different path.”

Once he started on that path, there was no stopping him.

Building Foundations

ɫ��, Miller became a star student. He excelled in accounting, learned numerical analysis and had a knack for understanding financial markets. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in finance.

“I learned how to really study and apply myself academically at UCF. Essentially, I was learning strategy and project management as I made my way through school,” Miller says. “I didn’t know how impactful those habits would be until later in life. I realize now that everything I learned at UCF has been foundational to my success.”

“I realize now that everything I learned at UCF has been foundational to my success.”

Outside of class, Miller became a student-athlete, playing football when he initially came to UCF. That’s where he met then-quarterback Darin Hinshaw ’90 ’94MBA, who encouraged him to join his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE), and became his big brother.

“Initially, I wasn’t interested in joining a fraternity. I had this idea that fraternities weren’t serious about school or life, and I was,” Miller says. “But my experience in PIKE ended up being formative. It’s where I learned about being a gentleman, dressing for success, networking and more.”

“To this day, so many of my friends are former fraternity brothers, including one of my best friends, Sean Hayes ’95, who has also been my business partner for nearly 30 years,” Miller continues. “As I look back, everything in my life has a connection to UCF — my friends, my business partners, my career and even my wife Rosie ’95, since we met in college.”

Leaving a Legacy

As he built his career and found success in the business and financial world, Miller wanted to give back to UCF. Over time, he has invested in first-generation and STEM student scholarships, UCF Athletics’ Knights Leadership Academy, the John T. Washington Center mural and more.

Each gift has been based on a personal connection or conviction.

“Being a first-generation student myself, having that opportunity to support students who are the first in their families to go to college is personal to me,” Miller says.

Barry ’95 and Rosie ’95 Miller at the Go For Launch campaign kickoff event. (Photo courtesy of Barry Miller ’95)

As his capacity to give grew, Miller wanted to make a transformative gift that would have an impact today and for generations to come. That led to conversations with university leaders about the opportunity to establish as a global leader in fintech, AI and business innovation.

To help bring that vision to life — and to build early momentum for , UCF’s comprehensive campaign to fuel bold ideas and build its future — Miller has committed to a $50 million gift, establishing the Barry S. Miller College of Business.

The investment will accelerate an innovative new model of business education designed for a world where technology, data and decision-making are inseparable, and it will prepare students with the skills the marketplace demands.

“We are at a seminal moment in business, and AI and new technologies are creating fundamental shifts at a dramatically faster speed than ever before,” says Miller, who was inducted into the UCF College of Business Hall of Fame in 2022. “I want UCF to become the leader in business education, paving the way for everyone else.”

Inspiring Others

“Finding a way to have an impact is one of the most gratifying things you can do with your time and money.”

Until recently, Miller has made most of his gifts to UCF anonymously. But as UCF unveiled Go For Launch, he saw a powerful opportunity to step forward and encourage others to do the same. By sharing his commitment more openly, Miller hopes to help build momentum and invite broader participation in UCF’s vision.

“I hope this gift inspires people to be part ɫ��’s mission to create a bold new future and give at whatever level they can. Maybe it’s $10, $100 or $1,000 — it all makes a difference,” Miller says.

“I want to tell people this: If it’s not your time to make a gift today, maybe it will be a year from now, or five years from now,” he continues. “Finding a way to have an impact is one of the most gratifying things you can do with your time and money.”

UCF Prepares Next Generation Through Fintech Program

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:05 +0000

As Florida’s Premier Engineering and Technology University, UCF aims to prepare students for emerging and evolving industries. With its location in Orlando, the university aligns academic offerings with sectors that are on a rise in the region and across the state, such as UCF’s fintech interdisciplinary program offered through College of Business and College of Engineering and Computer Science. Orlando is among the top ten fastest-growing tech hubs in the U.S., with a projected tech industry job growth of 27% by 2030. Among the most steadily strengthening markets is fintech, as Florida is home to the third-largest cluster of insurance and banking companies in the U.S.

The traditional financial system is evolving from the days of simple paper notes and metal coins backed by gold. Fintech, or financial technology, refers to computer programs and other technologies used to support or enable banking and financial services. Advancements in technology have led to cost-effective and streamlined financial programs, such as cryptocurrency on blockchains, which are shared digital ledgers.

In 2019, UCF launched the fintech program which now features undergraduate certificates and a minor in fintech, a master of science in financial technology, bachelor’s in finance, and online programs in fintech and data analytics. The university also offers the first master’s degree in fintech in Florida. The need for this education and talent development for fintech roles is paramount. In addition to Orlando’s overall projected tech industry job growth in 2030, financial analysts job growth is expected to grow 12.2%, blockchain developers will rise 32% and cyber defense analysts will increase 33% by the same year.

The master’s program graduates 60 to 70 highly qualified students each year. Most of them are currently working for major financial institutions, corporations and consulting companies in Central Florida and beyond. The work done by UCF will have a lasting impact on the financial sector for decades to come, and the university is well-positioned to navigate the shifting trends of an ever-evolving field.

Fintech Studies in a Changing Landscape

UCF’s future fintech involvement in this area includes developing an artificial intelligence (AI) lab within the finance department. Researchers participating in the program are looking at having blockchain nodes within the department, allowing them to download and access blockchain data, such as Bitcoin prices and activity on the transaction network. It would enable students to more easily learn about fintech and access up-to-date cryptocurrency information as they conduct research.

Cuneyt Akcora, associate professor of finance.

Associate Professor of Finance Cuneyt Akcora says at the beginning of Bitcoin — the first established cryptocurrency — in 2009, the transaction network data was unstable, which caused researchers to examine Bitcoin and its underlying engine, the blockchain. As interest in blockchain technology grew in 2015, it evolved, leading to the development of stablecoins and online exchanges. Cross-chain lending provided a way to obtain money from blockchains with less interest than typical banks. He says that as technology continues to evolve, banks will continue to adopt cryptocurrency, thus the importance of preparing students for future careers.

“If I’m right, in a few years we will see all major banks and financial institutions have blockchain offices,” Akcora says. “If we can teach our students how to analyze this data, how to be good analysts, for example, scientists that can run code to identify a few things, I think students will find very good jobs.”

Led by finance professor and fintech program director Christo Pirinsky, the program will conduct research on credit analysis projects that predict personal defaults or characteristics.

Pirinsky says the program is already conducting AI-related research on financial intuitions and credit bureaus such as Experian. Faculty and students are examining the access that AI and open-source technology have to personal data, as well as the potential problems that may arise when AI has access to this data.

“How do you draw the line?” he says. “How far do you go [with] data privacy? How far should [companies be allowed to] go in using personal data that you generate?”

The Experts and Expertise Behind the Program

Before coming to UCF, Pirinsky worked with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., to examine the interplay between technology, IT-related work and finance.

Pirinsky has published research and conducted extensive data-related studies in finance, utilizing data analytics to gain insights into various subjects including behavioral economics, corporate finance and investments.The exploration of new technologies like AI and production processes by firms is recognized as a key factor shaping the accumulation of knowledge, early-stage innovation and economic development. However, Pirinsky says exploration has been an elusive concept because it is difficult to measure.

Christo Pirinsky, professor of finance and director of the FinTech Initiative.

In his recent study, A Language-Based Approach to Measuring Creative Exploration, co-authored with UCF associate professors of finance Vladimir Gatchev and Buvaneshwaran Venugopal, Pirinsky proposed a new method to measure financial firms’ exploratory activities based on textual analysis of their annual reports. The approach is based on the idea that as firms experiment with new courses of action, they need to use new vocabulary to describe their activities.

For example, Pirinsky says that 15-20 years ago the word “cloud” had a different meaning. Firms discussing clouds were primarily in the agricultural sector until innovative software was developed, leading to cloud computing. By simply observing which firms were the first to use the word “cloud” in a new context, one could identify who was behind this major innovation.

Understanding the Blockchain

Before joining UCF in 2023, Akcora began researching fintech in 2017 as he examined Bitcoin price prediction. He shifted to studying blockchains, such as Ripple and Iota, and investigated network anomalies that could be identified as hacking attempts. Through the research, he identified undisclosed ransomware payments on the Bitcoin blockchain.

This multi-year research has now led to Akcora developing a framework that embeds all blockchain addresses, enabling people to search, query and analyze them. Akcora says he hopes to develop a website where a person can view their address and see what has happened on the market regarding cryptocurrency price changes and their implications.

Other studies Akcora has worked on, such as his research paper Bitcoin Risk Modeling with Blockchain Graphs, examined how certain sub-graphs called chainlets showed predictive influence on Bitcoin prices and volatility. The research findings showed there would be activity in the blockchain transaction network that would affect the price days later. Specific transaction activity indicates that people are investing in or selling Bitcoins.

As the fintech field continues to evolve, Pirinsky and Akcora aim to advance research and talent development for the industry, which Akcora notes is an essential effort since UCF is one of few universities that offers degrees in the area.

UCF Student Entrepreneur Headed to Microsoft After Graduation

Mark Schlueb ’93 ’21MA — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:52:39 +0000

As a master’s in fintech student, Nathan Kurelo Wilk ’22 is graduating with plenty of experience to set him up for success as a software engineer with Microsoft, where he’ll focus on artificial intelligence (AI) innovation.

“This role provides an excellent chance to continue working on cutting-edge projects, contribute to advancements in the tech industry, … and develop innovative solutions that can benefit people,” Wilk says.

The experiences that have helped him secure a job after graduation include:

Co-founding a fintech business, Expand Financial LLC, to provide financial literacy support and integration of AI
A fellowship with Meta
Speaking at a Board of Governors meeting on behalf ɫ�� students about the opportunities available at the university and the economic benefit UCF’s talent pipeline provides to the state
Traveling to New York with College of Business Dean Paul Jarley and business students meeting with the college’s corporate partners

During high school, the native of Brazil moved to the U.S. in 2017 — a decision that he found both challenging and exciting.

“I had to dedicate extra time to catch up on standardized exams, classes and the language, all while getting involved with new extracurricular activities and planning for college applications,” Wilk says. “When I started my bachelor’s in computer science at UCF in the fall of 2019, the transition felt much smoother. I knew that success depended on my engagement and making the most of the opportunities that came my way.”

“One of the standout aspects ɫ�� is how accessible the faculty are when it comes to exploring opportunities beyond the classroom.”

Wilk continued to take advantage of as many opportunities as he could when he began his master’s studies in fintech at UCF, which is offered through the colleges of Business, and Engineering and Computer Science. Launched in Fall 2022, the program is the first of its kind in Florida and teaches students how to harness the power of data, technology solutions, and financial services to reduce costs, improve customer experience, and create economies of scale.

“UCF has been incredibly supportive throughout my journey. The variety of resources available in entrepreneurship, professional development and networking helped me grow,” Wilk says. “One of the standout aspects ɫ�� is how accessible the faculty are when it comes to exploring opportunities beyond the classroom.”

At the start of his master’s studies, he completed a fellowship with Meta, where he collaborated with engineers and learned how major companies are driving innovation in fields like generative AI. In the semester following the experience, Wilks says he felt more prepared for his studies.

“Thanks to my experience at Meta, I was already familiar with these concepts, having built and understood similar models during the fellowship,” he says. “This background not only gave me a head start in the course but also inspired new ideas for innovative projects that went beyond the trend of chatbots.”

He also participated in meetings with employers like Google and Microsoft, helping him prepare for internships.

Nathan Kurelo Wilk ’22 (second from right) with other students at his first hackathon.

“I became an official junior varsity competitor for the prestigious UCF Programming Team, a tech lead for the Google Developer Student Club and a competitor and mentor of KnightHacks,” Wilk says.

Wilk has participated in dozens of hackathons — social coding events that bring computer programmers together to improve or build new software programs — often taking 24 hours to 36 hours.

“Hackathons have not only expanded my tech knowledge but also helped me connect with potential employers, leading to job offers, awards and grants,” Wilk says. “They’ve been a highlight of my education.”

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