Fordham will establish a new fund for the research of artificial intelligence applied to finance, economics and other fields thanks to a gift from Fordham graduate Dr. Peter Zangali.
The Zangari Family Faculty Research and Innovation Fund supports faculty in AI research projects. The fund is expected to promote more research collaboration with the industry, improve Fordham's profile and help students gain experience that leads to internships and employment opportunities. Zangari also foresees the “multiplier effect” from studies that can affect multiple sectors, from healthcare to education to business.
“It not only benefits not only the faculty but also the students, but also the ultimate [impacted by]He said. Zangari and his wife, Jennifer Zangari, are establishing the fund by donating a total of $1 million to the university over the next few years. The fund is dedicated to interdisciplinary AI research with an emphasis on finance, economics, asset management and data science.
Incubation of important research
Zangari's gift provides important seed funding for the Fordham-designed multidisciplinary research incubator. This brings together experts from various fields to focus on the most important research questions in line with the university's strategic plan.
“Fordham is investing in research and innovation to address the pressing challenges of today. It gives us that kind of encouragement to see graduates take a step forward with such generosity,” she said. “We are honored with Peter's commitment to Fordham and we are grateful for supporting our faculty and for helping our students become the ethical leaders of AI that our world needs.”
Industry partners' “The Source of Talent”
Zangari studied economics at Fordham, graduated in 1989 and earned a doctorate from Rutgers University. He has since played a variety of roles in management, research, investment management, product development and fintech. He is on the Fordham University Presidents' Council. This fall he teaches classes at Fordham, AI and financial markets. He also gave a gift to the Faculty of Economics and created a Graduate Research Fellowship in Economics at Fordham several years ago.
Zangari is a partner at MDOTM, a financial technology company specializing in AI-driven investments. He plans to work with the university to connect it and other companies with Fordham faculty and students, promoting collaboration, internships and networking. He sees funds that help businesses in the field of artificial intelligence to ensure that “fordham is seen as a source of talent.”
Accelerating innovation through AI
According to Zangari, AI can promote innovation by helping faculty from very different fields communicate and collaborate on issues.
“Maybe this is the time when you really need that speed to get to the action. You can get there in two years, five, ten, maybe with the help of AI,” he said.
“The bottom line is that [AI] Otherwise, it's just streamlined so many things. And this [enables]People who think about solutions, or even before they get caught up in solutions, are much faster and more efficient than in the past. ”
Related: President Tetrow spoke about the importance of academic research in his university speech on September 18th.
