After more than two decades in commercial and municipal finance, David Zapata G’26 found himself at an unexpected crossroads when his employer exited one of the markets he supported. Rather than viewing it as a setback, he saw an opportunity to invest in himself.
“Technology was rapidly transforming financial services, and I wanted to better understand the software, data, and artificial intelligence driving that change,” says Zapata. Pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science let him build a strong technical foundation while complementing the business and finance experience he’d developed over his career – while also balancing working full-time and raising a family. It was a leap outside his comfort zone, he says, but “one of the most rewarding decisions I have made.”
Where Finance Met Machine Learning
Several courses left a lasting mark, particularly those in software engineering, operating systems, machine learning, and object-oriented design, each sharpening his technical skills and his approach to solving complex problems.
The true highlight was developing a software application that applies principles of artificial intelligence to extract and organize information from municipal bond official statements, documents Zapata had spent years analyzing by hand. “I wanted to build a solution that could significantly reduce the time required to analyze them while improving consistency and efficiency,” says Zapata. The project let him combine his professional experience with the software engineering and machine learning concepts he was learning in the classroom, “making it especially meaningful.”
Faculty Investment in Student Success
For a returning student navigating unfamiliar technical terrain, faculty support made a real difference. Zapata points to how invested professors were in making sure students were successful and how they challenged students to think critically while offering constructive feedback.
“As someone returning to school after many years in the workforce, I appreciated that the faculty encouraged curiosity and welcomed different perspectives,” he says. “Their guidance helped build my confidence as I learned entirely new technical concepts and applied them to increasingly challenging projects.” The goal was never simply to complete assignments, “but to truly understand the material and develop skills that would extend well beyond the classroom.”
A Tool That Outgrew the Classroom
Two and a half years into the journey, Zapata says he’s in a genuinely different position. He is able to build the tools he once could only imagine, evaluate them, and think critically about their security and reliability. The research prototype he built during the program has grown into a working tool currently being tested and he intends to keep developing it.
Looking ahead, he sees business and technology as inseparable disciplines. “My goal is to leverage what I learned in software engineering, AI, and machine learning to help organizations solve increasingly complex business problems,” he says. “I believe combining technical expertise with industry experience will allow me to contribute in ways that would not have been possible before entering the program.”
A Family Legacy, Worn with Pride
At commencement, Zapata carried more than a diploma across the stage – he wore the academic robe of his grandfather-in-law, Dr. Paul Brennan. An endowed professor at Syracuse University, Dr. Brennan served as chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and as associate dean for research and development at the College of Engineering and Computer Science. His more than 40 years of service teaching and engineering earned him the Crouse Hinds Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. For Zapata, stepping into that robe was a quiet way of connecting his own second act in engineering to a family legacy already woven into the university’s history.
Advice for the Next Career-Shifter
For working professionals weighing a similar leap, Zapata believes the graduate programs at Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science provide a great value proposition. “The program is set up really well for working professionals considering a career-shifting graduate program,” he says. “The classes are challenging, the faculty were very engaged and proactive. The flexibility of the program made it possible to complete a demanding degree while working full-time and raising a family.”
His advice to anyone standing where he once stood: “If you’re weighing whether to take the risk of a graduate program at a point in your career when it isn’t obvious you should, my experience is that the investment was worth it.”