Turner Business

Turner College economist Wen Shi and TSYS School computer scientist Yi Zhou  recently teamed with Yuan Tian and Ying Zhou of Auburn University and Chuan Wang of Vanderbilt University on a book chapter titled "Enhancing Diabetes Prediction with Advanced Machine Learning Techniques." Their chapter leverages data from the Framingham study to investigation the utilization of machine learning models in the realm of diabetes prediction. The researchers analyze multiple machine learning algorithms, including XGBoost, AdaBoost, Random Forest and LightGB, all of which were selected for their proven capabilities in handling complex datasets and providing accurate predictions in various domains. The results indicate that AdaBoost and LightGB are the most consistent and reliable algorithms, particularly in cases where class distribution is skewed. As they conclude, the effective deployment of these machine learning models in diabetes prediction showcases the harmonious integration of te...

Yesterday's post about clutch play in the NBA Playoffs described how USA Today sports columnist Josh Peter contacted Turner College economist Frank Mixon to discuss the "clutch play" of Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton over the past few months, including his game-winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the first game in this year's NBA Championship series. Since that post was written, Peter's column has appeared in the national publication and includes this excerpt: "Measuring clutch performances strictly by game-winning shots is flawed, according to researcher Franklin Mixon Jr., a professor of economics at Columbus State University in Georgia. 'This approach is subject to confirmation bias as fans will remember these game-winning baskets but tend to forget late-game turnovers and missed shots (free throws) by who they consider to be clutch players,’' Mixon wrote in an email to USA TODAY Sports. Mixon is co-author of a 2013 study...

The professional basketball world has been transfixed by the "clutch run" that Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers has been on during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Most recently, Haliburton hit the game-winning jump shot to lead the Pacers to victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Championship Finals. This "clutch run" prompted Josh Peter, a sports columnist with USA Today , to contact Turner College economist Frank Mixon  late last week to discuss clutch performances in professional basketball, a subject which Mixon has studied in the past. For example, in a 2013 study appearing in Applied Economics Letters , Mixon and his coauthors compare players' performances over the first three quarters of NBA Playoff games to their 4th quarter performances in those same games, finding that on a per-minute basis their early game performances generally exceed their late game or clutch-time productivity. Stay tuned to Turner Business for a report on the co...

The latest issue of the Turner College's academic journal, Servant Leadership Theory & Practice , which is edited by Turner College management professor Kevin Hurt , was recently released. Articles in this issue of the journal include one by David Macauley and Randall Trent Stevenson, both of the University of Texas Tech at Tyler, Helen Mitchell of Biola University, and David Fowler of Louisiana State University at Shreveport, that, as described by Hurt, "examine[s] how servant leadership, particularly the aspects of humility, empathy, and service, can effectively guide organizations through the challenging process of organizational change[, and] argue[s] that servant leadership, especially when aligned with Christian principles, offers a powerful framework for addressing employee resistance, fostering trust, and promoting lasting transformation." The second article, by Tyler Norris and Dalia Diab of Xavier University, is described by Hurt as one that "explo...

Turner College alum Kenneth Gray II has been named Director of Academic Success Coaching at CSU. " Coming back to CSU feels full circle. This is where I found my footing, discovered my purpose, and built relationships that helped shape the person and professional I am today. Now, I get to pour back into the same community that once poured into me," Gray explained. In accepting this new position, Gray returns to CSU from his role as Coordinator of Enrollment at Southern Union State Community College. His educational background includes at BBA in management and an M.S. in organizational leadership, both from the Turner College. Gray is currently pursuing an Ed.D. from CSU. " I’m stepping into this role with a heart for service, a student-first mindset, and a commitment to building a culture where every student feels seen, supported, and set up for success. I’m looking forward to working alongside a passionate team to build student-centered, data-driven strategies that emp...

Although publications and citations to prior academic research mainly impact prospects for merit raises, tenure and promotion at the individual level, the aggregation of research production and impact at the department level has implications for the maintenance of institutional accreditation and other signals of academic reputation.  A number of academic studies, dating  back to at least 1975, have produced rankings of economics departments (faculties) in the U.S. South.  A new study by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and Kamal Upadhyaya of the University of New Haven builds on this prior research by considering economics departments at all (i.e., more than 160) of the U.S. News & World Report -classified national universities and colleges located in the U.S. South, which is a list that has grown considerably in recent years. To rank economics departments, Mixon and Upadhyaya  examine citations to economists’ prior work rather than publication counts, with ...