UCF to Name School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences in Honor of Technology Pioneer, Alumna Yvette Kanouff

Yvette Kanouff wants UCF students to recognize the possibilities within themselves. Now, her name will become part of the place where generations of Knights turn those possibilities into discoveries.

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees approved renaming the UCF School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences to the Dr. Yvette Kanouff School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. The renaming initiative was the in honor of a transformational gift Kanouff - a highly successful leader in mathematics and technology - made to UCF and establishes the school as one of the very few named mathematical schools in the United States.

Kanouff's investment also establishes an endowed fund that will help advance UCF's mission of expanding student success and maximizing excellence. The fund will support outstanding graduate students, expand scholarships that increase access and achievement, and recognize excellence in teaching and research among students, faculty and postdoctoral fellows across the school, which is in the College of Sciences.

Creating Paths to Success

Kanouff says she believes everyone can contribute to UCF student success, whether through mentoring, professional connections, volunteer service or financial support.

"I want our students and future students to know that what I'm investing in is them," Kanouff says. "I want them and their children to have an amazing opportunity at a college that is able to fully develop their capabilities and talents."

Her gift reflects a belief shared by many supporters of UCF's Go For Launch campaign: that investing in students creates opportunities that extend far beyond graduation and strengthens the university's impact for generations to come.

Kanouff knows firsthand how any financial assistance can help make a student's college journey easier, which she says the new endowment and school name will help promote. Kanouff worked to pay for her studies while earning her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics at UCF. At the time, she says she did not understand how scholarships worked or what financial assistance might have been available. From this personal experience she knows there are students who have the ability and determination to succeed but they may not know where to find help.

"If you have the skill and you have the grit, there should be a path for you to have a wonderful career," Kanouff says.

A Foundation for What Comes Next

In addition to access to opportunities funded by philanthropy, Kanouff says that students should seek out their professors and maintain lifelong relationships with them whenever possible.

When Kanouff was in graduate school at the College of Sciences, she chose a challenging topic on wavelets and their application to digital signal processing and centroids for her master's thesis. She selected Ahmed Zayed, the former associate chair for graduate studies in UCF's College of Sciences, as her advisor. Zayed became her "thesis father," a term that reflected the lifelong commitment he made to mentoring her. The two have remained close ever since.

Zayed encouraged Kanouff to pursue a doctorate in mathematics, but her career ultimately took her in another direction. In 2025, UCF recognized her many contributions to mathematics, data science and technology by awarding her an honorary Doctor of Science. Zayed, now at DePaul University, traveled from Chicago to attend the ceremony.

"That relationship was something really, really special," Kanouff says, "And that is something most students don't have."

In addition to lifelong friends and mentors, UCF gave Kanouff a strong foundation in mathematics. She began her career as a mathematician in the defense industry, applying pattern-recognition algorithms she had learned at UCF. She later carried that foundation into technology and other emerging fields, discovering how mathematical principles could be applied across industries and disciplines.

Over the years, Kanouff has often visited the campus to see how her professors were doing and occasionally taught a calculus class as a guest lecturer. When speaking with students, she often shares some of the emerging technologies that require the advanced math skills they are learning.

Kanouff points to artificial intelligence as one example of how mathematics drives emerging technology. AI systems rely on mathematical concepts such as pattern recognition, clustering, and association.

"People look at AI and think computer science," Kanouff says. "I love computer science, but guess what else you have to take? You have to take data science and math and statistics."

Expanding What's Possible

Through Go For Launch: The Campaign for UCF's Next Mission, Knights like Yvette Kanouff are helping UCF expand student success, fuel discovery and build a future the world has only begun to imagine. Join the mission at goforlaunch.ucf.edu.

That sense of possibility that Kanouff foresees reflects the vision behind UCF's Go For Launch campaign and will shape the newly named school, bringing mathematics, statistics and data science together to help students understand complex problems and contribute across disciplines and industries.

"Yvette's relationship with UCF demonstrates what can happen when graduates remain connected and invest in those who follow," says Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for advancement and partnerships at UCF and CEO of the UCF Foundation Inc. "Her generosity advances the vision of Go For Launch by expanding opportunity for students, strengthening academic excellence and inspiring others to help build what comes next."

Kanouff says she believes creating those possibilities is not the university's responsibility alone. Alumni, friends and industry partners can strengthen students' paths in large and small ways by staying connected, sharing their experience, mentoring or contributing to scholarships.

"Mathematics teaches us how to solve complex problems, but supporting students helps create opportunities for them," Kanouff says. "Whether we give money, time, mentorship or opportunity, each of us can help a student see a path forward."

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