Turner Business

The University System of Georgia's Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurial Strategies Officer, Costas Spirou, recent contacted officials at each of the USG institutions to notify them of the creation of Startup Studio, a  high-impact, virtual-format program for all students across Georgia’s public colleges and universities who are curious about startups and commercialization. Through the program's 5-hour session, participants learn to test and validate real startup ideas using an evidence-based approach rather than guesswork. Thus, Startup Studio is a fast-track experience in evidence-based entrepreneurship, focused on real-world customer discovery, hypothesis testing, and value creation. Students who are interested in Startup Studio should visit here for application details. The deadline for the next iteration is November 4, at 5:00pm. " This initiative through the USG is a big deal.  The USG has created an entirely new office to spearhead a system-wide emphasis on innova...

It has been a big week for Turner College sophomore Jaydè Colson. On Wednesday, her participation in the new Aflac Co-Op program was featured in a news release from the CSU marketing and communications team. Yesterday, she had the honor to speak to the CSU Foundation Board of Trustees on CSU's RiverPark Campus in uptown Columbus about her journey as a business administration and human resources major in the Turner College. " I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share my story and for all the kind words and encouragement I received afterward. It was truly a memorable experience, and I appreciate everyone who made this opportunity possible," Colson stated after the presentation. Today marks the deadline for interested individuals to apply to be next dean of CSU's Turner College. On Monday the work of combing through the applications in an effort to select three or four finalists begins. That process is expected to culminate in early to mid-November, when the...

There has been much frustration in the Turner College concerning the lack of support from CSU's central administration when it comes to replacing faculty who either retire or depart for another institution. Several current Turner College faculty members have warned that this failure could be disastrous in the very near future, as a number of faculty are expected to retire. Turner Business recently took a look at the demographics of the Turner College's faculty. Here is part of what we learned. Turner College The table above provides information on the percentage of Turner College faculty at each of several individual ages (e.g., 60, 61, etc.) and, at the upper end, at or beyond the age of 64. Starting at the top of the table, fully 13% of Turner College faculty are beyond 64 years of age. Another 10% of Turner College faculty are exactly 64 years old. Thus, a striking 23% (almost 1.2 in 5) of Turner College faculty are 64 years old or older. Backing up just four additional yea...

Columbus State University and Columbus-based Aflac launched an innovative corporate-academic partnership last summer that provides students with an immersive, multiyear professional pathway and supports regional workforce development. The new Aflac Claims Co-op program is helping students build career-ready skills relevant to their degrees by integrating professional industry experience early in their undergraduate studies. The inaugural co-op cohort consists of 20 Columbus State sophomores majoring in business and data analytics, computer science, health sciences and kinesiology. By aligning the Columbus-based Fortune 500 company’s operational needs with Columbus State’s academic programs, this co-op provides students with the opportunity to work for Aflac for three years while finishing their degree—with the potential to extend beyond graduation into their professional careers.  “What attracted me to the co-op is being able to get real work experience in a corporate environment,...

The Turner College Awards & Scholarships Committee has been working with CSU Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Kimberly Gill in an effort reinstate the annual Turner College Faculty Awards before the 2027 awards season begins. Just this week committee chair Mark James delivered a sizable spreadsheet to Gill containing all of the information CSU, and ultimately the University System of Georgia, should need to approve the Turner College's years-long practice of providing faculty award winners with a $500 stipend to go along with a certificate. Gill has since forwarded the spreadsheet to CSU Human Resources Director Tamara Wade, who is expected to create a streamlined process for including the stipend as a salary supplement in the winners' May paychecks. Earlier this month, the  Turner College Awards & Scholarships Committee voted unanimously to suspend its awards process until the stipends are distributed to the 2026 winners and reinstated for all future wi...

New research by TSYS School faculty Jianhua Yang , Linqiang Ge and Christopher Lovelock states that in order to increase the diversity of the U.S. cybersecurity workforce, teaching cybersecurity knowledge and skills to middle school girls is a promising approach. Despite most middle school students lacking basic computer science knowledge, their study, which appears in the current issue of Athens Journal of Technology & Engineering , proposes a broadening of cybersecurity awareness through outreach activities, educational games and storytelling. The curriculum they designed aims at providing interactive learning, exposure, and ongoing support to every student, encouraging engagement through accessible methods. For some background,  CSU has held a summer camp titled,  “Broadening Cybersecurity Awareness for Middle School Students via GenCyber  Outreach, Games, and Storytelling,” four times under the support of the National  Sec...