Lynn's College of Business and Management embraces a new era of technology

Guided by faculty with extensive real-world business experience, Lynn University's College of Business and Management explores essential business concepts that are increasingly leveraging technology in today's dynamic landscape. Joseph Ingles, assistant professor for business administration; and George Antoniou, associate professor in the College of Business and Management speak to the unique opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence (AI) poses across business analytics and cybersecurity for students.

Ingles is passionate about embracing the positive power of AI when teaching business analytics and operation management at Lynn. When asked how he first got his start in business and data, Ingles claims it was, "accidentally yet on purpose." Ingles worked in residential contracting and development in Louisiana for nearly a decade before moving to Florida. After the 2007 recession diminished opportunities in the construction field, Ingles returned to school and earned his MBA in accounting and finance, and M.S. in economics with a focus on econometrics—the application of statistical data to make financial decisions. "While I was completing my degrees, I had the opportunity to work at Lynn as a tutor and realized a career in education was something I really enjoyed," said Ingles.

While tutoring, Ingles was offered an adjunct professor position at Lynn, a role that opened the door for him to grow within the university. Today, Ingles is the program coordinator for Lynn's data analytics program, currently in the process of shifting its focus to leverage AI for smarter business decisions—the program will be called AI and analytics.

"We're using AI to change our data and information. For me, it's all about better decision-making, finding the right strategy and supporting organizations," said Ingles. "I teach my students how to turn data into information to gain knowledge and make wise decisions."

Ingles recognizes the "seismic shift" AI has had on business and in higher education. He has done away with quizzes and multiple choice tests, favoring a collaborative, project-based approach while teaching AI analytics and responsible AI tactics. Oftentimes, this means students uncover results by combining their acquired skills and knowledge with AI-based learning.

"It comes down to teaching students how to analyze data and engage their critical thinking skills," said Ingles. "When they generate an idea, I don't tell them if they got it right. I ask, 'if you were the CEO, would you accept this report from the person you hired?' It's about asking the right questions and getting the right answers."

An area in which AI poses even more unique opportunities and challenges is cybersecurity—a field Dr. George Antoniou knows all too well.

After graduating with a degree in computer science from State University in New York, Antoniou went on to work in telecommunications before accepting a position with Praxair, where he grew interested in security background. Over the years, Antoniou developed an extensive portfolio in cybersecurity, information security and e-commerce, eventually becoming a chief security information officer before completing his master's and doctorate in cybersecurity.

While earning his Ph.D., he arrived at a fork in the road: An opportunity presented itself for a visiting professor to teach at St. Thomas University, and suddenly, Antoniou found himself traveling between New York and Florida to teach graduate studies on weekends.

"It changed the trajectory of my life," said Antoniou. "I loved research and teaching and knew I wanted to contribute back to society in a different way." 

When the position for a full-time associate professor opened at Lynn—just as the cybersecurity management and data analytics undergraduate programs were beginning—Antoniou jumped at the opportunity. He recalls when he and Ingles had five students to teach. Now, after nearly five years, there are approximately 80 to 100 students in Lynn's cybersecurity and data analytics classes.

"I want to leave my mark and expose students to all I've learned," said Antoniou. "I teach my students in a vast majority of cybersecurity areas, from policymaking, standards, regulations, digital forensics, governance risk compliance, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, networking, cloud computing to about the dark web—all the underground things going on, from human trafficking and cryptocurrency to phishing, viruses, and how to understand reality versus deepfake. We want students who are well-rounded. Lynn's unique program gives them those skills."

At a time when cybersecurity is in higher demand than ever before and AI is on the rise, Antoniou recognizes his unique position by bringing in powerful industry leaders to conduct classroom presentations and taking students to cybersecurity conferences and competitions across Florida.

In addition to being the full-time program coordinator for cybersecurity at Lynn, Antoniou is working on a patent that will help identify and access management for higher encryption standards. Furthermore, Antoniou was selected as a Fulbright Scholar for 2024–25 for Albania. The Fulbright Scholar Awards are highly competitive fellowships that allow scholars to teach and research in other countries, helping build international collaborations, research and improve global understanding.

Olga Roussos '25 will graduate in May with a B.S. in data analytics. Originally from Nassau, Bahamas, Roussos began her Lynn journey when she was just 16, driven by her passion for tech and learning. Growing up, she had a passion for information technology and joined tech-related extracurriculars, including robotics and STEM clubs.

Roussos took classes with Ingles and Antoniou and is the vice president of Lynn's AI club.

"Ingles really introduced me to AI. Project management was the first class I took with him—I hardly knew anything before that class," said Roussos. "He taught me how to be more efficient and create things to make life easier."

Roussos eventually took an AI in Action elective, learning APIs (application programming interface) and how to make her own GPT (generative pre-training transformer), before presenting at a research symposium and winning.

"Antoniou has always encouraged me to learn more about cybersecurity. If there's a course on it, I'll take it. He encouraged me to pair data analytics and cyber security," said Roussos. "I even signed up for "Hack the Flag" with him, which is essentially a hack-a-thon to practice cybersecurity."

Roussos hopes to continue her education at Lynn and earn a master's degree in marketing or finance.

"My goal is to become a pioneer in the data analysis field. Everyone at Lynn has made me feel so welcome and I've always felt supported by my professors," said Roussos. "I appreciate that I can have more one-on-one relationships with professors and peers and am grateful for all the resources Lynn provides to its students. The engagement has made such a difference in my college experience."

Find out more information about cybersecurity and our data analytics programs. Or visit lynn.edu/business.