my story
I majored in accounting because I had a knack for it. A professor encouraged me to consider academia, and a PhD in accounting was decided.
To prepare for the PhD, I did a master's in Financial Economics at Utah State University. In my first semester, ChatGPT came out, and I swapped all my theoretical econ and finance electives for AI classes: machine learning, deep learning, data analytics, textual analysis, and mining.
While I was getting my master's, I worked on a research team building FiscalSim, a Python-based policy microsimulation model, and as a team lead at the Analytics Solutions Center.
At ASU my research interest was AI in accounting. I wanted to answer one question: how does the adoption of generative AI among tax enforcement agencies affect the accounting profession and corporate tax behavior? There were no results, so I went to the Arizona Department of Revenue and asked how they were using AI. They said, "We're not."
I took a leave of absence to start AI consulting, to better understand it and help businesses implement it, so I'd be a much better informed researcher. I started Neyland Solutions to formalize this consulting practice. Right now, I am helping businesses use AI to generate revenue and improve their operations.
p.s. the real stuff
Along the way I got married and had four kids. I enjoy woodworking, birding, and cooking. I have won a chili cook-off, and I have hiked rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon.
