Veteran academic obtained his Post Graduate Program from the McCombs School of Business, finishing among the top of a global cohort featuring professionals from companies like Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Tesla, and Verizon.
ORANJESTAD, Aruba – May 2026 – Dr. Earney Francis Lasten, a veteran educator and researcher with more than 30 years of international experience across six countries, has successfully completed the Post Graduate Program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine/Deep Learning: Business Applications, presented by the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He completed all modules of the program with distinction.
The intensive ten-month program — fulfilled alongside his full-time teaching responsibilities — covers Python programming, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, generative AI, and model deployment. It is built around a “learning-by-doing” model featuring practical projects using real-world data from global businesses. McCombs is ranked #6 in the US for its MS in Business Analytics (QS World University Rankings 2024).
Dr. Lasten’s cohort was composed of senior professionals from leading global organizations, including Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Tesla, and Verizon. Based on his program results, he finished in the global top 20, with a grade point average of 4.24 out of 4.33 and a distinction in every module (A+).
“Completing this program while teaching full-time was demanding, but I believe our students deserve educators who keep pace with the world we are preparing them for,” Dr. Lasten said. “Artificial intelligence is already transforming every industry on this island. My goal is simple: to ensure that the youth of Aruba (and the world) are not left behind, but are instead among the first to benefit.”
These new skills have direct and practical applications for education in Aruba. Dr. Lasten intends to apply data science and AI to challenges such as the early identification of students at risk of dropping out, developing clear management dashboards regarding enrollment and attendance trends, automating routine administrative work, and integrating AI and data literacy into the first-year curriculum — preparing students with a demonstrable advantage in the Aruban job market (and the world in general).
Dr. Lasten pursued and funded the program independently, without institutional funds (noting that there are outdated institutions whose mindset needs to change regarding progress and investing in more intelligence). He describes the decision as a personal investment in his students and his community. “I chose to invest in this myself because I see how urgent it is,” he said. “The importance of AI literacy for our youth and our economy is too grand to wait.”
About Dr. Earney Francis Lasten
Dr. Lasten holds a Ph.D. in Education (Hospitality Management Track) from the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College, two master’s degrees — in International Management and in Software Design & Development — and is the author of over 25+ peer-reviewed publications. His upcoming book, The Experience Masterplan, is being developed alongside a book publisher. During a career spanning the US, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Curaçao, and Aruba, he has founded and directed academic programs, led grant-funded research, and built institutional partnerships. He is the creator of the accessible tourism learning platform Connect2Teach.us, and the developer of the payroll and HRM platform for the Dutch Caribbean, Payroll.
