杏吧's Davis College of Business & Technology has named Matthew Chang '17 its Executive Alumnus of the Year, honoring his groundbreaking work through his engineering firm, .
Chang鈥檚 company has exploded into a leader in autonomous systems and collaborative robotics with an impressive portfolio whose clients include both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies.
Alongside his growing success, Chang has remained dedicated to supporting the JU community. In 2024, he brought Chang Robotics to campus to launch the Robot Studio, a 4,000-square-foot space in JU鈥檚 Health Sciences Complex that serves as an educational resource for robotics in healthcare. This year, he launched the and was a key partner in the , which included the TEDx SALON: AI Frontiers at JU鈥檚 Terry Concert Hall.
"Matthew's remarkable trajectory reflects the values we instill in our Davis College students: leadership, innovation and a commitment to making a meaningful impact," said Dr. Lisa Sutherland, executive director of the Honors College and interim dean of the Davis College of Business and Technology. "He has built a thriving enterprise, positioned Jacksonville as a hub for robotics innovation and created opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs. His success story inspires our current students to think boldly about what they can achieve."
Reflecting on Chang鈥檚 achievements, President Tim Cost highlighted the qualities that set him apart as a student. "Matt Chang was aspirational, an aggressive thinker and as globally minded as any Davis College student I have ever seen," Cost said. "He was almost fully formed as an innovation machine when I met him, working with Dr. Bob Boylan, and he has been on an arc that is just remarkable. I admire what he's doing and am so pleased he wants to keep such a close connection to the University."
Chang, who earned his Executive MBA from JU in 2017, attributed part of his success to the close student鈥損rofessor relationships cultivated by the program. Dr. Don Capener, former dean of the Davis College of Business and Technology, serves as a strategist for the Chang Robotics Fund.
鈥淚 developed close friendships with multiple professors, and they took a lot of hands-on time with each one of us EMBAs to really tailor the education to our specific business challenges we were going through as executives.鈥�
The honor also gave Chang a moment to reflect on his journey 鈥� and what he humbly believes he has yet to accomplish.
鈥淭o be honest, I feel like I have a lot left to accomplish and contribute as an alum, a businessperson and a community leader. Getting this right now is a big surprise and a huge honor.鈥�
