Scholar · Educator · Fintech Leader

At the intersection
of people, technology,
and business.

I study how organizations evaluate and adopt emerging technologies — from blockchain to AI — while teaching the next generation of business leaders at USF's Muma College of Business.

Fintech Blockchain AI Ethics Innovation Online Education
Dr. Priya Dozier
20+
Years in fintech leadership
4.5+
Avg. student rating (out of 5)
14
Courses designed & developed

Recent highlights

Award · 2026

Innovation in Online Design and Teaching Award

Awarded to one USF faculty member annually for advancing the quality and impact of online learning.

Speaking · May 2026

Bank On Suncoast Financial Empowerment Summit

Panel: Innovation, Risk & Consumer Protection · United Way Suncoast / City of St. Pete

Joining banking executives, regulators, and community leaders to examine how fintech and AI are reshaping financial access.

Leadership

Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership

Academic Director · 2023–2026

Directing USF's center cultivating ethical leadership in the next generation of business leaders.

About

My career has been in two places: inside financial technology companies, and inside a university. The work connects more than people expect.

I spent 16 years at FIS, a Global Fortune 500 fintech company, starting as a product manager and finishing as a Vice President overseeing a retail payments portfolio that contributed over $300 million in annual revenue. My teams built mobile point-of-sale systems, fraud detection software, and e-commerce payment infrastructure for clients including Apple, Walmart, Kroger, and U.S. Bank. From there I moved to PSCU (now Velera) as VP of Digital Solutions and Innovation, where I led digital strategy, ran a company-wide innovation hackathon, and built fintech partnerships through Mastercard's StartPath accelerator program.

In 2018 I earned a DBA from the University of South Florida. My dissertation studied how organizations evaluate whether to adopt blockchain — a question I had been living inside for years and wanted to examine properly. The research turned into a publication in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, an A-list journal, and it opened a line of inquiry I've been following ever since: how people and organizations interact with emerging technology, where that goes well, and where it doesn't.

Since 2019 I've been an Assistant Professor of Instruction at USF's Muma College of Business, where I've built 14 courses across fintech, management, enterprise information systems, and ethics. I teach in every modality — face-to-face, asynchronous, synchronous, and hybrid — and I take the design of online courses as seriously as the teaching itself. In 2026 USF awarded me the Innovation in Online Design and Teaching Award, given to one faculty member university-wide each year, and named me USF's nominee for the State University System of Florida President's Award.

I also serve as Academic Director of USF's Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership. My current research focuses on AI ethics, cybersecurity human factors, and technology adoption — areas where I have both peer-reviewed publications and direct industry experience to draw from.

Tampa Bay is home. I work with the City of St. Petersburg, the St. Pete Innovation District, and the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida on experiential learning projects, and I've been volunteering with Pinellas County Schools since 2002. The region's relationship with technology, economic access, and workforce development is something I stay close to — through teaching, research, and showing up in rooms where those conversations actually happen.

Education

DBA

Doctor of Business Administration

University of South Florida · 2018

"Banking on Blockchain: A Grounded Theory Study of the Innovation Evaluation Process"

MBA

Master of Business Administration

University of South Florida · 2007

International Business & Marketing · Study abroad, China 2006

B.S.

Management Information Systems

Florida State University · 2000

Right now

Teaching

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Muma College of Business, USF. Fintech, enterprise systems, management ethics, and MBA capstone. Academic Director, Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership.

Researching

AI ethics, cybersecurity human factors, and technology adoption. One paper under review at the International Journal of Information Systems. Targeting A-list journals.

Speaking

Available for nonprofit and community events, fintech industry panels, and civic convenings. Upcoming: Bank On Suncoast Financial Empowerment Summit, May 2026, St. Petersburg.

Writing

Ideas on technology, leadership, ethics, and building a nonlinear career — on Substack at @lifeoflearning.

Find me

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/priyadozier

Email

priya.dozier@gmail.com

Substack

@lifeoflearning

Google Scholar

View publications

Teaching

Teaching that bridges two worlds.

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Muma College of Business, University of South Florida · 2019–present

★

2026 Award · University of South Florida

Innovation in Online Design and Teaching (IODT) Award

Awarded annually to one USF faculty member who demonstrates innovative online teaching supported by intentional, high-quality course design. The IODT recipient also serves as USF's nominee for the State University System of Florida President's Award.

University-wide · 1 recipient per year USF President's Award nominee Muma College of Business

What students say

◈
Real-world expertise
Industry experience transforms abstract concepts into concrete lessons.
◎
Personalized feedback
Tailored, assignment-specific comments that help students genuinely improve.
◇
Genuine care
Students notice the investment in responsive communication and individual success.
◉
Creative engagement
Flipped classrooms, simulations, and scenarios that make 3-hour classes fly by.
4.5+
Avg. student rating (out of 5)
14
Courses designed
4
Teaching modalities

In students' own words

"

Professor Dozier is a top notch professional instructor. Her class is expertly crafted and administered. Her experience provided some extremely valuable professional and academic guidance. Professor Dozier's presentation quality and insight is the gold standard of instruction within the MBA program.

MBA Capstone (Analytics, Compliance & Cybersecurity)

"

Dr. Dozier brings a valuable blend of industry and academic experience — an excellent professor to bridge the completion of the MBA with our upcoming professional opportunities.

MBA Capstone

"

What stood out most was the quality of her feedback — each comment was tailored, insightful, and directly aligned with the specific work submitted.

MBA Capstone

"

Pretty sure I would call her the best educator I have had in my entire education. I was 100% engaged for 100% of the course and that says a lot in our TL;DR world.

Enterprise Information Systems Management

"

She made our long lectures interesting and involving. If you put in the work you are rewarded. USF should be glad they have a caring and determined professor.

Management Ethics

"

Professor Dozier made us feel very comfortable during our class. She ensured that every class was engaging and educational at the same time.

Enterprise Information Systems Management

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Emerging research area

Alongside my discipline research in fintech and AI ethics, I'm building a research agenda in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning — specifically how instructional design choices affect student engagement and outcomes in online and hybrid environments.

Teaching & pedagogy presentations

2026

Integrating Guest Speakers in Asynchronous Learning: How to Embed Diverse Experts Using Community of InquiryPresentation

Sunshine State Teaching and Learning Conference · Orlando, FL

2024

Mid-Semester Check-in: The Ins and Outs of Soliciting Targeted Student FeedbackPresentation

Sunshine State Teaching and Learning Conference · Orlando, FL

2024

Mid-Semester Check-in: The Ins and Outs of Soliciting Targeted Student FeedbackPoster

USF Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning · Celebration of Teaching · Tampa, FL

2023

Michael Scott in the Classroom?Poster

USF Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning · Celebration of Teaching · Tampa, FL

Research direction

Current focus: how instructional design choices — feedback timing, engagement structure, asynchronous interaction design — affect measurable student outcomes. If you're interested in collaborating or know of relevant work in this space, I'd welcome the conversation.

Research

The human side of technology.

My research focuses on how people and organizations interact with emerging technology — where adoption goes well, where it doesn't, and what the ethical stakes are.

AI & Ethics

Ethical decision-making in AI systems

How LLMs navigate ethical dilemmas, what that reveals about the cultures that trained them, and implications for organizations deploying AI.

Cybersecurity

Human factors in cybersecurity

Why insider threats are a people problem — driven by trust, culture, and stress — and why treating them as an engineering problem keeps failing.

Fintech & Innovation

Technology adoption in regulated industries

How organizations in financial services evaluate emerging technologies like blockchain, and why the decision process matters as much as the technology.

Refereed publications

Ethical Decision-Making in the Age of AI: An Analysis of Large Language Models (LLMs)

AI Ethics2026

Dozier, P., Mali, A., & Curtis, A. · IEEE ACDSA · Boracay Island, Philippines · doi: 10.1109/ACDSA67686.2026.11467880

Plain language

AI systems reflect the ethical blind spots of the data and culture that trained them. For any organization using AI in decision-making, that's not a technical problem — it's a governance one.

Examines how leading LLMs approach ethical dilemmas across multiple frameworks, analyzing consistency, reasoning patterns, and implications for organizations relying on AI in decision-making.

Understanding Human Factors of Cybersecurity: Drivers of Insider Threats

Cybersecurity2023

Green, M.L., & Dozier, P. · IEEE International Conference on Cyber Security and Resilience (CSR) · Venice, Italy · doi: 10.1109/CSR57506.2023.10224926

Plain language

The cybersecurity industry treats a people problem like an engineering problem. Most insider threats are driven by predictable human factors — trust erosion, workplace stress, organizational culture — that more technology alone won't fix.

Investigates human and organizational factors driving insider threats, developing a framework for understanding why employees become security risks.

Blockchain Use Cases in Financial Services

Blockchain2021

Dozier, P. · Muma Business Review, Vol. 5 · doi: 10.28945/4823

Plain language

A practical mapping of where blockchain is actually being used in financial services versus where the hype outran the reality. Written for practitioners and accessible to a general business audience.

Practitioner-oriented review of blockchain applications across financial services, identifying viable use cases and the gap between expectations and adoption reality.

Read the paper Google Scholar

The Inter-Organizational Perspective in Blockchain Adoption within an Ecosystem

Blockchain2020

Dozier, P., & Saunders, C. · 28th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) · Online AIS Conference

Plain language

Blockchain adoption isn't just an organizational decision — it requires an entire ecosystem to move together. This explains much of blockchain's slower-than-expected uptake in financial services.

Explores how inter-organizational dynamics within financial services ecosystems shape blockchain adoption, applying an ecosystem lens to coordination challenges.

Read the paper

Banking on Blockchain: An Evaluation of Innovation Decision Making

BlockchainA Journal · ABDC

Dozier, P.D., & Montgomery, T.A. · IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management · doi: 10.1109/TEM.2019.2948142

Plain language

Blockchain adoption is slower than the hype suggested — and the reason is that nobody carefully studied how organizations actually decide whether to adopt it. The decision process turns out to be more complex, more human, and more context-dependent than the technology evangelists assumed.

A grounded theory study of the innovation evaluation process applied to blockchain in financial services. Develops a theoretical model of how banking organizations assess and decide whether to adopt emerging technology.

Under review

A Comprehensive Human Insider Threat (HIT) Framework for Enhanced Organizational Cybersecurity Resilience

Green, M.L., & Dozier, P. · International Journal of Information Systems · Under review

Extends the 2023 conference paper into a full theoretical framework for addressing human-driven cybersecurity risk — with practical implications for organizational policy, culture, and leadership.

Conference presentations

2026

Ethical Decision-Making in the Age of AI: An Analysis of Large Language ModelsPaper

IEEE ACDSA · Boracay Island, Philippines

2024

A Fintech Fumble: The Conscious Uncoupling of FIS and WorldpayCase Workshop

North American Case Research Association (NACRA) · Orlando, FL

2020

Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets: The Future of Programmable Money & PaymentsPanel

Synapse Conference · Tampa, FL

2019

New Frontiers in FintechPanel

Synapse Conference · Tampa, FL

2018

Banking on Blockchain: A Grounded Theory of the Innovation Evaluation ProcessPoster

Journal of Product Innovation Management Research Forum · Chicago, IL

Academic service

Peer review

Ad-hoc reviewer, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (2019–2024). Reviewer, Deviant Behavior Journal (2025). Conference reviewer: InSite 2023, Academia Meets Practice 2023, Engaged Management Scholarship Conference 2017.

Editorial

Editorial Board Member, Digitalization Cases Vol. 2: Mastering Digital Transformation for Global Business (2020).

Doctoral students

Co-Major Professor and Committee Member on 12 completed doctoral dissertations (2020–2023) across cybersecurity, leadership, nonprofit governance, and organizational behavior.

Honors thesis

Chair for two completed honors theses: Abdul Mukeet Khawaja (Summer 2024) and Ronelia Bailey (Spring 2021).

Speaking

Making complex topics accessible — and actionable.

Available for nonprofit and community events, fintech industry panels, and civic convenings. Translates complex technology into conversations that are honest, accessible, and actionable.

Talks

Your Money, Their Algorithm: How Fintech is Reshaping Financial Access

Fintech & Access

Mobile payments, buy-now-pay-later, digital wallets, cryptocurrency — financial technology is moving fast, and it's not moving equally. This talk demystifies how these tools work, explores who benefits and who gets left behind, and asks what community organizations, educators, and advocates can do to close the gap. Drawing on nearly 20 years inside the financial technology industry, this isn't a tech pitch — it's an honest conversation about money, power, and access.

30–60 min Keynote or panel Q&A friendly
Community organizations · Financial literacy programs · Workforce development

AI Is Already in Your Organization — Now What?

AI & Ethics

Whether you've adopted AI tools intentionally or they've crept in through your staff's daily workflows, artificial intelligence is already shaping how your organization operates. This talk cuts through the hype to address what nonprofit and community leaders actually need to know: how AI makes decisions, where bias shows up, what the ethical stakes are, and how to think about it as a leader — not an engineer. Based on published IEEE research on AI and ethical decision-making.

45–60 min Keynote or workshop Interactive
Nonprofit boards & staff · Community leaders · Civic organizations

Navigating Change Without Losing Your Mission: Technology, Ethics, and Leadership

Leadership

Technology is changing faster than most organizations can keep up with — and for mission-driven organizations, the pressure to adopt new tools can feel at odds with the values that define your work. This talk offers a practical ethical framework for leaders making technology decisions under uncertainty. Draws on research in innovation adoption and AI ethics, with real cases from financial services and community organizations.

45–60 min Keynote or retreat session Workshop available
Nonprofit leadership & boards · Community foundations · Leadership programs

Who I speak with

Nonprofit organizations

Staff retreats, board education sessions, leadership convenings, and annual events.

Community foundations

Grantee convenings, community forums, and donor education events.

Civic & government

City and county initiatives, innovation districts, and economic development convenings.

Workforce & youth programs

Career readiness, financial literacy, and STEM pipeline programming.

Appearances & media

May 2026

Panelist — Innovation, Risk & Consumer ProtectionUpcoming

Bank On Suncoast Financial Empowerment Summit · United Way Suncoast / City of St. Petersburg

2026

Integrating Guest Speakers in Asynchronous LearningPresentation

Sunshine State Teaching and Learning Conference · Orlando, FL

2025

Develop Your Leadership IdentityPodcast

Getting Down to Business · Muma College of Business

2025

Future of Fintech — Special Lecture (400 attendees)Lecture

Raymond James Financial Technology Team · Tampa, FL

2020–19

Panelist — Fintech & CryptocurrencyPanel

Synapse Conference · Tampa, FL

2018

Fintech Innovation for Credit UnionsMedia

CU Broadcast · American Banker · Credit Union Times

Invite Priya to speak

Available for nonprofit and community events, fintech industry panels, and civic convenings. Happy to tailor a talk to your audience or develop something new. Complimentary for nonprofits and community organizations.

Format

Keynote, panel, workshop, or retreat session

Availability

Tampa Bay area and beyond, in-person or virtual

Fee

Complimentary for nonprofits and community organizations

Get in touch →

Board Service

The operator who became the researcher.

Most fintech board candidates bring either industry experience or academic perspective. I bring both — two decades inside the payments industry, and an active research agenda studying exactly the technologies boards are making decisions about today.

Board bio

Priya Dozier, DBA is a fintech executive turned scholar with nearly 20 years of senior leadership experience at FIS — a Global Fortune 500 financial technology provider — and PSCU (now Velera), one of the largest credit union service organizations in the United States. At FIS, she oversaw a retail payments portfolio contributing over $300M in annual revenue and managed teams building mobile point-of-sale systems, decoupled debit products, and e-commerce payment gateways for clients including Apple, Walmart, and U.S. Bank. At PSCU, she led digital strategy, innovation partnerships, and a fintech accelerator program through Mastercard's StartPath network.

Since earning her DBA from the University of South Florida, Priya has maintained an active research agenda focused on the human dimensions of technology adoption — including published, peer-reviewed work on blockchain innovation evaluation, AI ethics, and cybersecurity risk. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Instruction at USF's Muma College of Business and serves as Academic Director of the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership. She is the 2026 recipient of USF's Innovation in Online Design and Teaching Award and serves as USF's nominee for the State University System of Florida President's Award.

Priya brings to board service a rare combination: the operational credibility to evaluate technology and product decisions, the research depth to interrogate risk and innovation claims, and the governance instincts developed through years of leading cross-functional teams in highly regulated environments.

What I bring to a board

Technology Strategy

Evaluating innovation claims with operator-level fluency

Having built and shipped fintech products — mobile payments, fraud detection, digital wallets — I can ask the questions that distinguish genuine innovation from hype. I know how these systems are built, where they break, and what the competitive landscape looks like from inside the industry.

AI & Ethics Oversight

Research-grounded perspective on AI risk and governance

As AI becomes embedded in financial services — credit decisioning, fraud detection, customer engagement — boards need directors who can evaluate ethical and regulatory risk, not just ROI. My published research on AI and ethical decision-making translates directly to governance oversight.

Regulatory Fluency

Deep familiarity with financial regulation and compliance

Two decades in payments — navigating PCI, BSA/AML, consumer protection requirements, and federal oversight — means I understand how regulation shapes product decisions. My blockchain research specifically examines innovation evaluation within regulated industries.

Talent & Culture

Leadership development and organizational ethics

As Academic Director of USF's Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership and a faculty member developing the next generation of business leaders, I bring a substantive perspective on talent pipeline, organizational culture, and ethical governance.

Career highlights

2019–present

Asst. Professor & Academic Director, Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership

University of South Florida, Muma College of Business

2016–2019

Vice President, Digital Solutions and Innovation

PSCU (now Velera) · Leading credit union service organization

2012–2016

Vice President, Product Development

FIS · Global Fortune 500 · $300M+ annual revenue portfolio

2007–2012

Senior Director, Business Systems Development

FIS · Fraud and risk management systems

2000–2007

Product Manager I/II

FIS · Risk management software · Clients: Best Buy, TJ Maxx, Office Depot

Committee fit

Technology Risk Audit Compensation / Governance

Board and advisory inquiries

I am actively seeking board and advisory roles at fintech companies, financial institutions, and technology organizations operating in regulated environments. I welcome conversations with nominating committees, founders, and governance advisors.

Get in touch →

Connect

Let's work together.

Whether you're exploring a board opportunity, looking for a speaker, interested in research collaboration, or just want to get in touch — the right starting point depends on what you're looking for.

Board & advisory

Nominating committees & founders

Actively seeking board and advisory roles at fintech companies, financial institutions, and technology organizations in regulated environments.

Email about board roles →

Speaking

Event organizers & program teams

Available for nonprofit and community events, fintech industry panels, and civic convenings. Complimentary for nonprofits and community organizations.

Email about speaking →

Research & media

Collaborators, journalists & educators

Open to research collaborations in fintech, AI ethics, cybersecurity, and SoTL. Available for media interviews, podcasts, and expert commentary.

Email about research or media →

Download the one-pager

A single-page PDF covering board profile, speaking topics, career highlights, and selected research — designed to be forwarded to nominating committees, program directors, and event organizers.

Download PDF →

Find me

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/priyadozier

Email

priya.dozier@gmail.com

Substack

@lifeoflearning

Google Scholar

View publications

What to expect

Response time

I aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours. For time-sensitive speaking requests, email is fastest.

Speaking availability

Available throughout the academic year and summer. Tampa Bay area and national — in-person or virtual.

Board availability

Actively seeking board and advisory roles now. Open to first conversations with nominating committees and founders.

I'm based in St. Petersburg, Florida and deeply invested in the Tampa Bay region — but most of my work extends well beyond it. If you're reaching out from Southeast Asia about teaching opportunities, or from anywhere about fintech, AI ethics, or cybersecurity — please do reach out. Those are exactly the conversations I'm interested in having.