NEWS RELEASE
Drake State Community & Technical College
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Drake State Community and Technical College is proud to announce its participation in the 2024-25 FICO® Educational Analytics Challenge, joining a prestigious group of colleges dedicated to advancing education in artificial intelligence and data science. With its participation in the Spring ’25 semester, Drake State becomes the nation’s first community college to compete, once again leading the way in providing opportunities to gain hands-on experience working in growing fields for its students.
The initiative provides Drake State students with applied knowledge in developing AI models to detect financial fraud, equipping them with essential skills for careers in data analytics and cybersecurity.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity to our students at Drake State,” said Lydia Owens, Division Chair of the Computer Information Sciences and Business programs. “Our mission is to equip students for the future workforce, and this collaboration with FICO is a perfect fit. By partnering with leading data scientists, our students will gain invaluable experience in AI and Data Analytics through building the fraud detection model.”
The semester-long challenge immerses students in real-world problem-solving using AI and data analytics. Through weekly lectures and mentorship provided by FICO’s Chief Analytics Officer, Dr. Scott Zoldi, and his team of experts, students will learn how to combat financial fraud by building real-time fraud detection models based on transactional behavioral analytics.
Dr. Zoldi and a team of FICO employees visited Huntsville on Thursday, Jan. 30, to lecture on fraud detection and meet with Challenge participants at Drake State and Alabama A&M. Those in attendance gained valuable insight into the challenges of guarding against payment transaction fraud and the new technologies aiding in the fight against financial crime.
As the program enters its second year, FICO is expanding its partnerships to include Drake State, North Carolina Central University, and Fayetteville State University.
For more information about Drake State and its program offerings, visit drakestate.edu.