The new Artificial Intelligence & Analytics Laboratory in the Naveen Jindal School of Management represents more than just technology; it is a space where innovation can meet opportunity.
So said Angela Faust, MBA’18, BS’10, senior vice president and COO of Credit Union of Texas, whose company provided the $100,000 gift to purchase 10 workstations that have graphics processing units (GPUs) — high-powered circuits originally designed for digital image and parallel processing, now widely used for complex analytics on large datasets in AI applications. The computers will be managed by the Jindal School’s Center for the Management of Financial and Digital Asset Technologies (FD-Tech Center).
“It’s a testament to what’s possible when industry and academia unite with a shared vision for the future,” she said. “We’re proud to play a role in shaping the next generation of AI leaders and look forward to seeing how their work transforms the financial industry and beyond.”
At the AI & Analytics Lab’s Dec. 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, an expert in the AI field since its early days, said the initiative is a planned centerpiece of the School’s commitment to advancing education and research in the AI field.
“We have been making significant investments in curriculum and other resources to financial technology and AI fields,” he said. “This is a welcome donation from CUTX. This particular lab will be incredibly important for all of our students as we are implementing AI concepts throughout all our curricula. Students will heavily use these machines to study these new courses and concepts.”
The AI & Analytics Lab is located inside the Jindal School’s Computer Lab. With space constraints resulting from increased enrollment in recent years, the last two rows of the Computer Lab were set aside for the AI machines. Dr. Vijay Mookerjee, Charles and Nancy Davidson Chair and a professor in the Jindal School’s Information Systems Area, said the gift from CUTX is Phase 1 of a larger plan for the AI & Analytics Lab that will have its own dedicated space when Phase III of the Jindal School complex is completed in 2026.
Mookerjee, director of the FD-Tech Center, said it is primarily a research center, but also has an important educational component, as would be expected in a university.
“Our research is driven by industry, so, as faculty we of course follow our own directions and ideas,” he said. “But we started this center because we wanted it to be driven by what the industry needs from us.”
With AI, the banking industry is facing a fundamental disruption, Mookerjee said. Since most banking institutions are heavily invested in real estate, they have to offer a wide variety of services to be profitable.
“The reason they have done that is that people in the past — and to some extent rural America still likes to go and talk to a banker,” he said. “But a digital economy play is completely different because it doesn’t have that fixed cost. It can scale without having to offer many services. You can have a pure play on just payments, for instance. And because the whole world is your market, you can scale that way. These AI-based digital disruptors will be very, very efficient doing specialized things and they will not have this albatross of having thousands of branches and huge fixed costs. We will see some banks that don’t embrace AI starting to fail in the next three to five years.”
Aware of this trend, Faust said the gift came about while the company was working with Jindal School faculty to explore opportunities to enhance its customer-service experience with artificial intelligence. Dr. Zhiqiang (Eric) Zheng, Ashbel Smitt professor in the Jindal School’s Information Systems Area and associate director of the FD-Tech Center, said the CUTX representatives asked him what the center needed and how they could help.
“One thing we agreed on is that AI is now the key to driving all aspects of the business,” he said. “At JSOM, we didn’t have enough GPU-caliber computing power and we wanted something both for research and for teaching students. Vijay and I mentor PhD students. We are working on projects that require massive computing power. This gift provides us with exactly that.”
As for corporate partnerships that are interested in AI, Zheng mentioned that the Jindal School has plenty of untapped resources.
“I hope these companies can see the opportunities that AI presents, and they come to us to explore them,” he said.
In addition to this gift, CUTX also recently donated $15,000 to the Jindal School to support two Lean Six Sigma Projects and two workstations to the FD-Tech Lab.
“Credit Union of Texas has always sought innovative ways to serve our members,” Faust said. “As AI reshapes industries, it’s essential to leverage this technology to enhance the member experience. Partnering with UT Dallas, a university renowned for its emphasis on research and innovation, was a natural fit. When we learned about the FD-Tech Center’s need for resources and hands-on projects, we saw an opportunity to contribute meaningfully by providing AI-powered computers and collaboration opportunities for students.”
The AI & Analytics Lab benefits CUTX, the financial industry and academia (i.e. UTD faculty and students), Faust said, because it fosters an innovation ecosystem where academic research directly informs industry practices, driving advancements that benefit both sectors.
“It creates a talent pipeline, preparing UTD students with real-world skills while giving CUTX and the financial industry access to well-trained graduates ready to lead in AI-driven finance,” she said. “This partnership also ensures sustainable collaboration, allowing both academia and industry to adapt to technological changes and continuously innovate. By uniting resources and expertise, the lab creates lasting value, advancing financial services while enriching academic research and education.”
Faust, an Executive MBA alumna whose undergraduate degree is in business administration from UT Dallas, said the University instilled in her a love for technology and a mindset of curiosity.
“I’ve always asked, ‘Why do we do it this way?’ and ‘Is there a better way?’” she said. “Those principles have guided my career and align perfectly with CUTX’s commitment to education and innovation. I’m especially proud to see CUTX’s support for UTD, an institution that sparked my passion for innovation.”
She advises students to embrace the experimental nature of AI.
“Success often requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to think outside the box,” she said. “Encourage the academic teams you’re working with to explore unconventional approaches that might not align with traditional business methods — it’s where innovation thrives.”
Liliana Rogers, director of development at the Jindal School, played a pivotal role in facilitating the partnership with CUTX. She emphasized the significance of such collaborations in advancing the School’s mission to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing, technology-driven, global society by delivering high-quality management education.
“We are deeply grateful to Credit Union of Texas for their generous support of the AI & Analytics Lab,” she said. “This partnership will empower our students to become leaders in the field of AI and drive innovation in the financial industry to create meaningful and lasting change.”
