Equifax Inc.

06/12/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2025 07:10

Equifax Continues to Partner with Universities to Develop Tomorrow's Innovators

EQUIFAX IS COMMITTED TO FOSTERING INNOVATION AND DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION LEADERS. In the spring of 2025, Equifax partnered with several universities on capstone projects that challenged students to create solutions to real-world business problems. These course-long capstone projects are undertaken by students at the end of their academic programs and give them an opportunity to apply their degree knowledge to create a real-life customer-focused solution.

"The Equifax academic partnership program allows us to continually work with university professors and their students, bringing a fresh perspective to solving business challenges while also exposing the students to unique data and cutting-edge technology that gives them advantages as they move into their professional careers," said Gail Wetzel, Vice President of Data & Analytics at Equifax. "The program has resulted in over 35 completed capstone projects, five patents and invaluable experience for the data and analytic leaders of the future."

Recently completed student-led projects include:

Georgia Tech Denning Technology & Management Program

A team from Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business' Denning Technology & Management Program collaborated with Equifax to develop an explainable AI solution for analyzing consumer credit data. The students created a novel architecture and tested it against existing solutions. Their project won second place for "Best Presentation".

University of Georgia MS Business Analytics (MSBA)

Two teams from the University of Georgia's MSBA program partnered with Equifax. One team focused on how Equifax can use GenAI to create a more dynamic and accessible data exploration experience for non-technical financial services clients. The students reviewed GenAI use cases, engaged with GenAI vendors and UI/UX design firms, and assessed the feasibility of low-code/no-code GenAI tools. Their deliverables included a summary of client needs, a comparative analysis of GenAI providers and design firms, and draft wireframes of potential user experiences.

The other team tackled the challenge of generating synthetic data. Equifax often needs to share data with universities and customers, but sharing sensitive data is a lengthy process. These students developed a process to generate and share synthetic data, including code and user/technical guides. Their solution explored futuristic methods like using Agentic Workflows and AI Agents, LLM prompts, and differential privacy concepts.

Emory University Master of Science in Business Analytics

An Emory University MSBA team developed an explainable machine learning solution to predict consumer accounts likely to become delinquent. The team worked with the Equifax Model Risk Management team to build a robust model using a large dataset of consumer records. Their solution enables proactive targeting of at-risk consumers and improves charge-off prevention.

Georgia Institute of Technology - Quantitative and Computational Finance (QCF) Master's Program

A team from Georgia Tech's QCF program developed an advanced machine learning model to enhance consumer credit behavior prediction. The students created a unified framework capable of performing default risk classification, future behavior forecasting, and missing data imputation using a transformer-based architecture. Their model generates full predictive distributions, offering deeper insights into expected and unexpected losses, and supports dynamic stress testing and portfolio simulation.

Kennesaw State University College of Computing and Software Engineering

Student teams from Kennesaw State University's (KSU) interdisciplinary Applied Analytics Masters course developed a fictional customer risk model for a banking client. The winning "Nerdy Birds" team created a two-factor modeling approach to identify ideal consumers for card offers while minimizing default risk and supporting strategic portfolio growth.

These capstone projects demonstrate the power of collaboration between industry and academia. By partnering with universities, Equifax gains access to cutting-edge research and fresh perspectives, while students gain valuable real-world experience and the opportunity to make a real impact.

As a global data, analytics, and technology company, encouraging exploration and innovation are imperative to the ongoing success of Equifax. It's critical for companies to build strong connections today with the workforce and leaders of tomorrow. A reciprocal relationship - where students can get real-world experience and companies can drive innovation - will lead to a better and healthier industry.

Learn more about those who accelerate innovation at Equifax here.

Equifax Inc. published this content on June 12, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 12, 2025 at 13:11 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io