The Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance welcomes two new faculty members, Gunsu (Matthew) Son and Xinyan Yan, who are the first two faculty hired as part of the school's fintech initiative.
Son is an assistant professor of finance and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in financial technology (fintech), focusing on applying big data analytics and machine learning in finance.
“I was drawn to USF not just because of its academic reputation and excellence but also because of its dedication to the new fintech program,” said Son. “The vibrant and diverse community in Tampa Bay offers a unique ecosystem for fintech growth, making USF an ideal place to be at the forefront of this dynamic field.”
Son is recognized for his exceptional teaching skills, particularly in financial technology. “I intend to develop a curriculum that stays aligned with industry trends,” said Son. “I plan to integrate more practical learning opportunities like internships and partnerships with local fintech firms.”
His research aims to contribute to the growing body of work at the intersection of finance and technology, with a keen interest in understanding the transformative potential of machine learning algorithms on financial markets and decision-making.
Yan is an assistant professor of finance and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in programming for fintech. Yan’s research interest focuses on empirical corporate finance and the interaction of fintech and corporate finance.
Yan is committed to preparing her students for a career in the fast-paced fintech industry. “A student who wants to have a career in fintech needs to understand that technology evolves rapidly,” Yan said. “They must be a life-long learner to keep up with the pace and be innovative in order to be ahead of the game.”
Muma College of Business fintech assistant professor, Xinyan Yan, teaches students in a Programming for Fintech course.
“The leadership at the school, the college, and the university levels have great vision and strategic plans on where we are headed,” Yan said. “The Kate Tiedemann School of Finance at USF has many excellent scholars and great support for academic research.”
She is one of the first to introduce natural language processing and machine learning to corporate finance research.
Son and Yan are the newest additions to the Muma College of Business's rapidly developing Fintech Center at the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance. The Fintech Center, now in its second year, aims to support the advancement of fintech knowledge and to educate students while partnering with the business community.
“Xinyan and Matthew bring a depth of passion and expertise that directly supports the center’s strategic goals related to fintech teaching and research,” said Michael D. Wiemer, director of USF's Fintech Center.
The center strives to prepare students to adapt to the ever-changing world of financial technology. “We are delighted to welcome them,” said Wiemer. “The timing couldn’t be better as we recently launched the Fintech Center, which is on a trajectory to become a hub of excellence for fintech.”