The more Jake Rose’s colleagues at 166su and his neighbors around Chuluota, Florida, get to know him, the more he surprises them. The California native surfs and gardens. He is as comfortable building barns as he is building frameworks for AI-driven interfaces. He studied premed, minored in information systems and at heart admits to being “a closet psychologist.” He and his wife, who is now a visiting lecturer in the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting at 166su, raised their two children in New Zealand and recently purchased seven acres of workable land in the Orlando area.

The man with the callused hands is one of only a handful of professors in the world merging artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience to shape the future of the field he’s best known for at 166su — accounting.

Welcome to the dawn of neuro-accounting.

“When my master’s students hear about these new ways to view and practice accounting and the tremendous difference technology can make, it heightens their interest,” says Rose, UCF’s Kenneth G. Dixon Eminent Scholar. He adds with a smile, “I’m also more relatable when they find out how I spend my weekends.”

“Accounting provides the information needed for [business] decision-making, and that’s why neuro-accounting will eventually impact the entire global economy.”

On his most recent Saturdays, he’s been using his hands to dig postholes for 2,000 linear feet of fencing while letting his mind do what comes naturally to him: envisioning the future. In this one, he sees Paso Fino horses and an orchard.

Then, fully refreshed on Monday, he’s Professor Rose again with his thoughts laser-focused on what he calls “this unusual combination” of behavioral science, technology and accounting.

“I’ve never viewed accounting as just credits and debits,” he says. “When you take a step back, you see business is about decision-making. Accounting provides the information needed for this decision-making, and that’s why neuro-accounting will eventually impact the entire global economy.”

Trailblazing with Technology

Rose joined 166su in August 2025 after directing accountancy programs at universities from the South Pacific to America’s heartland. He made the move because he recognized a unique culture in , which recently received a $50 million gift from entrepreneur and alum Barry Miller ’95 to strengthen tech-driven business education — including Rose’s work.

“This is one of the very few business schools that want to pursue experimental work with technology,” Rose says. “I saw it as a unique place to make progress in neuro-accounting, which, other than 166su, only exists in a colleague’s lab in Australia.”

He’s made rapid progress. Within weeks of arriving at 166su, Rose was named the university’s Kenneth G. Dixon Eminent Scholar for excellence in accounting research. At the award ceremony, Rose emphasized the larger mission driving his work: “We can literally improve the world.”

When he says “we” in this context, he refers to a collaboration between people and advanced tech.

“When we design systems and interfaces that allow people and AI to make important decisions together, then every business and government can benefit.”

“The basic mechanics of accounting are already being automated,” he says. “The future will be about how people perceive risks within financial data and how technology can improve professional judgment. The consequences of good judgment are massive and affect businesses and lives worldwide. The truth is, we’re bad at dealing with large amounts of data because our brains are limited. But AI and other new technologies are expanding our limits. When we design systems and interfaces that allow people and AI to make important decisions together, then every business and government can benefit. The implications are massive.”

Those improvements, the way Rose sees them, will have their origins at 166su’s Dixon School of Accounting, in the first neuro-accounting lab of its kind in the U.S.

Fun and Fresh: The Future of Accounting

Rose already knows what the future lab could look like because he’s worked in the Business Behavioural Laboratory at Monash University in Australia. The Dixon School’s director, Jay Thibodeau, is currently seeking funding to bring the concept to 166su.

Once complete, the lab would allow researchers to measure how new technology and financial information influence crucial judgment factors like stress and attention.

“Ultimately, we’ll be able to help firms make better decisions,” Rose says.

However, he doesn’t want to be one of the only people in the world who understands neuro-accounting.

“This is why I love teaching,” Rose says. “I get to spread the word with students and let them experiment. It’s fun. They’re enthusiastic about taking accounting where no one has taken it.”

Natalie Otero ’26 may have missed her graduation ceremony this spring, but she had a good excuse. She’d just landed in Japan for a long-awaited vacation that was three years in the making. She says the trip — where she discovered new interests (sword-making), traversed a mountain and bonded with friends — symbolized her 166su experience.

“Building knowledge and strengthening friendships,” Otero says. “That’s my story at 166su.”

Those relationships led her to pivot from pre-med to accounting and opened her up to learn new skills like coding. Friends fueled her drive, brought her joy and encouraged internships, all of which she credits for her induction into the Order of Pegasus, the highest honor for 166su students.

“When I started at 166su, I didn’t know anyone,” says the Jacksonville, Florida, native. “Everything changed quickly.”

Discovering Her Own Calling

Otero didn’t really want to be a doctor. She just heard she was supposed to be a doctor.

“When you do well in high school, people say, ‘Oh, be a doctor and cure cancer.’ That’s where my mind was when I arrived as a freshman,” says Otero, who began her 166su journey studying biomedical sciences.

Then an elective class, Principles of Financial Accounting, intervened.

“The professor, Jeff Reinking ’13PhD, broke the mold of what it means to be an accountant,” she says. “The concepts made such perfect sense that I switched my major to accounting and saw a clear path ahead. For a freshman, that’s exciting.”

That same year, Otero’s friends introduced her to KnightHacks, a student organization that hosts 166su’s biggest software-building marathon annually for hundreds of students from throughout the nation.

“I said I’d go for fun. Only one girl in our group was a computer science major, but we were able to use basic coding theories to build a program from scratch in 36 hours,” she says. “We didn’t need to win. Learning and becoming closer, those were our awards.”

A Powerful Cycle for Success

Otero needed no push but says her friends at 166su became like iron sharpening iron. They’d talk about work experiences, which made Otero feel as if she needed to catch up. As a sophomore, she applied for the (CWEP), a year-long paid opportunity that enables undergraduate and graduate students to gain real-world work skills and abilities relevant to their academic and career goals.

“I guess they sensed something genuine because they offered the position to me,” she says.

A few months later, she was chosen for another internship, this one with Deloitte. By the time she started her junior year, she had experience with two corporations, had become a hackathon regular and developed a hunger for accounting coursework.

“It all comes full circle. The instructors bring business experiences to the lessons, and we take lessons into businesses,” she says. “I’d leave [Associate Professor] Sean Dennis’s class and think auditing must be the most exciting subject ever. All along, my friends and I kept encouraging each other.”

Her True Inspiration

Word about Otero’s accounting skills spread until people began asking her to help with their taxes. She routinely gives her time and skillset to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, where she serves people limited by income, language and disabilities.

“My dad walked me through financial knowledge, and with VITA I have the privilege of doing the same for others,” she says.

Otero has drawn more than financial knowledge from her family. Her paternal grandparents came to the U.S. from Cuba at young ages as part of Operaçion Pedro Pan, an agreement of cooperation between the U.S. State Department and Catholic Charities of Miami in the 1960s that saw more than 14,000 unaccompanied children sent by their parents to Miami, away from the growing communist regime in Cuba.

“This has been so much better than I imagined when I came to 166su and didn’t know anyone.” — Natalie Otero ’26

“It was hard, but my grandparents talk about how happy they were to be in the U.S., even with limited resources and not knowing when they’d see their parents again,” Otero says. “They’ve always been optimistic because they know the value of opportunities and they worked hard to make the most of them.”

Otero’s own optimism engages friends, and her work ethic has led to the Order of Pegasus award, another internship with Deloitte this summer and graduate school in the fall at UNC Chapel Hill.

“It’s hard to believe,” Otero says. “This has been so much better than I imagined when I came to 166su and didn’t know anyone. Everything is more rewarding, too, because of all the people who have made it possible.”

Standing before a room of business leaders, community partners and fellow students, UCF junior Mariana Guerrero introduced herself not only as an accounting major in the and a student, but as someone shaped by a lifetime of seeing what meaningful engagement can do.

Born and raised in Orlando, Guerrero grew up with 166su woven into her life. Her parents, both proud Knights, spent their early careers working full time while attending school part time. Her mother’s two decades in government and community relations meant that childhood weekends were often spent at university events long before she understood what it meant to belong to a campus community.

So when it came time to apply to college, she submitted only one application.

“I have always been a Knight,” she said.

Her parents’ work ethic allowed her to fully immerse herself at 166su. She joined the College of Business Ambassadors, now serving as vice chair, became active in the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), mentors two students, and chairs the President’s Leadership Council. Each role, she says, has deepened her sense of community and purpose.

Her interest in accounting began at age 13, when her parents enrolled her in a financial literacy summer camp she initially resisted.

“I just wanted to be a normal teenager,” she said.

Instead, she discovered how engaging personal finance could be, especially through the board game Cash Flow, which she played so often her cousins eventually called her for help.

That curiosity grew in high school, where she researched teen financial literacy and realized how few young people had access to the conversations her parents encouraged at home. When she took her first financial accounting class at 166su, her interests aligned, and she began envisioning a future where her love of numbers could translate into meaningful work.

Her professional world expanded quickly. She represented 166su in competitions, including the KPMG-sponsored HSI Battle of the Brains Case Competition, where 166su won first place. She attended leadership programs at the KPMG Lakehouse and joined the firm’s Global Advantage Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Next summer, she will return to KPMG as an audit intern, with plans to earn her CPA and begin her career in public accounting.

Guerrero closed her remarks with gratitude for her family, for 166su and for partnerships like the one between the university and KPMG.

“I am excited to make the leap from being an involved 166su student to being an engaged 166su alumna,” she says.

Her introduction set the tone for an evening focused on shared purpose.

Impact of Partnership

166su President Alexander N. Cartwright followed by highlighting the significance of the Crossroads Speaker Series and its partnership with Dr. Phillips Charities. The series, he said, is designed to explore how business, philanthropy and values-based leadership can work together to create positive change.

Cartwright emphasized KPMG’s engagement across the university, from supporting the Professional Selling Program to mentoring students at the KPMG Lakehouse. Their recent support of 166su Space Week reflects a partnership committed to innovation across disciplines.

He also spoke about 166su’s continued momentum, including achieving the final metric required for Florida’s Preeminent University designation.

“That is what makes 166su remarkable,” he said. “We open doors, spark possibility and empower students to make a lasting difference.”

“That is what makes 166su remarkable. We open doors, spark possibility and empower students to make a lasting difference.” — 166su President Alexander N. Cartwright

Remarks from Ken Robinson, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Charities, reinforced the importance of investing in people and partnerships. From there, the evening shifted to its featured conversation.

Sherry Magee ’92, senior director of community relations at the KPMG Lakehouse and a 166su graduate, moderated a fireside chat with Jennifer Flynn Dear, managing director of corporate affairs for KPMG US—offering the audience a close look at leadership, service and purpose through Dear’s experience.

“We are so lucky to have 166su in our community,” Dear began. “They are wonderful community partners as well as a stellar business school thanks to the excellent Kenneth Dixon School of Accounting, KPMG accepts 70% of 166su applicants.”

Her career with the company began more than 25 years ago when she moved to New York City hoping for an advertising career. Feeling overwhelmed on her first day, she called her mother to say she would not last. Instead, she built a career across 12 areas of the organization, learning continuously.

One of her most memorable projects involved partnering with the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, to raise awareness for adoption issues. That work sparked a passion for connecting business with causes that matter.

“I like pairing business and industry to raise awareness of an issue,” she said.

Dear shared that KPMG employees have donated more than $67 million and logged 130,000 volunteer hours. She takes special pride in the firm’s work in education and mental well-being, noting that KPMG Family for Literacy has provided more than 7 million new books to children in low-income communities since 2008.

The more employees get involved, she said, the more fulfilled they feel.

“Even before Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, KPMG had a match set up for hurricane assistance, and participation was incredible.”

Philanthropy, she added, is considered an obligation as employees advance.

She also described the KPMG Lakehouse, a learning and innovation center where employees and clients engage with emerging technologies and leadership training.

“We train every day on AI,” she said. “We invested $2 billion in Microsoft to keep our data safe and to be more efficient and effective.”

The evening closed with remarks from Rodney M. Grabowski, UCF’s senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the 166su Foundation.

“This is our fifth year for Crossroads,” he said. “We are grateful to Dr. Phillips Charities, to Mariana Guerrero, and to KPMG and Jennifer Flynn Dear for sharing their stories. Thank you for joining us. Go Knights and Charge On!”

1. Pop Parlour

Serving up sweets is practically in graduate Brandon Chandler ’10’s DNA. In 2013, Chandleropened Pop Parlour, a shop offering fruity, creamy and boozy frozen treats as a tribute to his grandfather PopPop, who sold similar items after World War II. Pop Parlour has grown to two locations and serves coffee, tea, craft beer and wine, depending on which spot you visit.

���dz����پ��DzԲ�:��4214 E. Plaza Drive on the 166su campus; 431 E. Central Blvd., Suite C; ThePopParlour.com
(Pop Parlour’s 166su location will be closed on Small Business Saturday due to campus closures, but you can still visit the downtown location or stop by another day.)

2. Six28 Boutique

Six months after graduating with a degree in elementary education, Rachel Ledbetter ’16 took a risk to pursue entrepreneurship by opening clothing boutique Six28. Located near 166su, Six28 sells trendy, affordable women’s clothing and accessories, which can also be purchased on the store’s online site.

Location:12082 Collegiate Way; 407-630-3890; Six28Boutique.com

3. Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux

Cycling enthusiasts Darrell Cunningham ’93 and Jen Cunningham ’95 ’96MSW opened Bikes, Beans and Bordeaux to provide a space for people to bond over good food, drinks and company. With a commitment to health in mind, the shop sells breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, beer, wine and more daily and at special events each month. While at 166su, Darrell studied civil engineering and Jen majored in social work.

Location:3022 Corrine Drive; 407-427-1440; BikesBeansandBordeaux.com

4. Deli Fresh Threads

Marketing major Anthony “Biggie” Bencomo ’98 merged his love of sandwiches with another creative passion by opening Deli Fresh Threads, a clothing store? with designs inspired by what he considers the #KingOfMeals. You can buy foodie fashion in the form of T-shirts, hats, pins and stickers on the online shop. Bencomo also hosts a monthly #SandwichEatUp at local shops around Central Florida to help support other small businesses.

Location: 321-303-5129; DeliFreshThreads.com

5. Tactical Brewing Company

Owned and operated by veteran and psychology graduate Doug Meyer ’14 ’16MBA, Tactical Brewing Company serves craft brews created on-site to veterans, first responders and all beer lovers alike.

���dz����پ��Dz�:��4882 New Broad St.; 407-203-2033; TacticalBeer.com

6. Retrolando

Retro Orlando captures the City Beautiful’s history while giving back to others. The online T-shirt company offers men and women’s clothing inspired by former iconic Orlando businesses, organizations and landmarks. Each purchase is something you can feel good about because owner and English major Shannon Flesch Couillard ’04, donates a new shirt to a local homeless shelter for each shirt sold.

���dz����پ��Dz�:��Retrolando.com

7. Yaupon Brothers Tea Co.

Brothers — 166su senior hospitality major Kyle White and legal studies graduate Bryon ’09— have revived an ancient Native American superfood with their yaupon holly tea company. The brothers sustainably harvest their organic crop and distribute their product at restaurants and shops. Online purchases can also be made on their official site and Amazon. Yaupon Brothers also offers sustainable agricultural consulting services for Florida farmers looking for alternative crops.

���dz����پ��DzԲ�:��Various local shops such as Lucky’s Market, Credo Coffee, Infusion Tea and Dandelion Communitea Café; YauponBrothers.com

8. A Piece of Work

Started by marketing graduate Curtis Young ’04 in 2007, A Piece of Work apparel company creates custom embroidery and screen printing. Through partnerships with companies such as the Orlando Magic, Funky Buddha and more, the online site offers quality work clothing. A Piece of Work also sells eco-friendly items such as recycled journals and organic cotton totes.

���dz����پ��Dz�:��321-662-3836; APieceofWorkGear.com

9. Just Save the Date

Whether you need to put together a small intimate gathering or a major extravagant event, Just Save the Date can help make any occasion special. Communication graduate and owner Kelly Erickson Fowler ’02 started the event planning company after planning her own destination wedding. Just Save the Date operates from two locations in the Orlando and Key West areas.

���dz����پ��DzԲ�:��Orlando – 407-258-1944; Key West – 305-767-3774; JustSaveTheDate.com

The course is an integral part of the #166suBusiness Primary Business Core, five required courses that help provide students a foundation in business and some direction for their chosen field of study.

“Accounting for Decision Makers provides all of our business students with an understanding of accounting when they enter the workplace,” said Ray Sturm, Ph.D., an associate lecturer of finance and the course instructor. “By introducing this much-needed class, we are giving our students the opportunity to learn how decisions affect accounting choices on financial information used by stakeholders.”

The class builds on material learned in accounting principles, familiarizes students with the business tax environment, and prepares students for more rigorous financial statement and business valuation analysis.

For more information on the college’s undergraduate curriculum, visit .

“We are very pleased to see that our undergraduate and master’s accounting programs are beginning to get more external recognition. The Accounting.com top 50 rankings for both programs are a reflection of the hard work and accomplishments of the Dixon School of Accounting faculty over the last 5 years,” said Sean Robb, Ph.D., director of #166suBusiness’ Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting.

“It’s really impressive when you realize that there are over 1200 U.S. business schools with undergraduate accounting programs.”

To be included in Accounting.com’s rankings, a school must report at least two out of the four following metrics: acceptance rate, enrollment rate, retention rate and graduation rate.

“The high level of faculty engagement with students through office hours, College of Business events, and student organizations is what gives the Dixon School an edge in accounting education. I have never felt like I was on my own in this program, which is why I was eager to return for an M.S.A.,” said Renee Giron, ’15, accounting alumna and former college student ambassador.

“While it may not be tested on the CPA exam, the positive connections with other students and faculty are what drive me and many others to succeed.”

Watch her , shown at the Black & Gold Gala, to learn more about Melanie.

“I hadn’t graduated from high school exactly,” he said. “And I hadn’t exactly graduated from Valencia College.”

Plaumann’s credentials simply lagged his accomplishments. An Orlando native who took summer courses in calculus and trigonometry for fun, he finished his high school’s three-year accelerated program in just two years. He then tested out of all the courses for his associate’s degree, and was only a year away from earning his bachelor’s degree by the time his high school and Valencia handed him diplomas in June 1973.

Today Plaumann is a managing member of Greyhawke Capital Advisors LLC, a Greenwich, Conn., firm that he co-founded. It controls several million square feet of real estate around the country. He chairs the audit committee of three public companies, is chairman of the board of a small private company, and serves as a trustee of the Eagle Hill School where his 14-year-old daughter, Margaux, attends. Married to Marilyn Wilson, he and family live in New York.

With all his success he remains grateful to 166su for embracing his fast paced approach to academics. “I flew through the university because they bent over backwards for me,” he said.

He shows that gratitude with generous support of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. His special interest is in science and technology startups, reflecting his lifelong love of science and engineering.

“I think it’s a fantastic idea for the university to combine disciplines to develop ideas for viable, new companies,” he said. “Stanford University has done an excellent job of that. So have the University of Texas Austin, and the Boston area with all its colleges and universities. 166su could create the same sort of environment and take it to the big time. People could think of 166su as the school that develops dynamic entrepreneurs who are discovering the next Google.”

Plaumann’s varied career has provided him with a broad view of what is possible. He was 18 years old when he joined Ernst & Ernst as the youngest employee of the then Big Eight public accounting firm’s Orlando office. He was still completing his bachelor’s degree.

Viewed as a prodigy, Plaumann was training for a prestigious assignment in the firm’s new consulting division when he decided he needed an MBA. Again he turned to 166su, studying at night to complete the degree in 1979.

Now, giving back to the university that named him to College of Business Administration Hall of Fame is an obligation he is happy to fulfill.

“I was the son of a manager of a Black and Decker store. My dad was the only one earning money in the family, and we weren’t wealthy by any means,” he said. “166su was flexible and affordable because I could live at home while I studied. And the education was rigorous. I am grateful for my career, and 166su prepared me for the success I have had.”

The group obtained first place for the second year in a row and will compete in the national competition on August 8-10 in Anaheim, California.

Beta Alpha Psi, founded in 1919, is an honorary organization for financial information students and professionals. 166su’s Epsilon Gamma chapter is open to accounting and finance majors and is advised by Donna Bobek Schmitt, Ph.D. You can find out more about the chapter on their website.