Turner Business

Research by TSYS School associate professor of computer science, Mohamed Riduan Abid , recently surpassed 1,000 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i10-index is equal to 26, meaning that Abid has published 26 studies that have each garnered at least 10 citations. Google Scholar also reports two additional metrics. One of these is a scholar’s h-index, which is the largest number, h, of a scholar’s publications that have each garnered at least h citations. Abid’s h-index is 15, meaning that his 15 most-cited studies have each generated at least 15 citations. Abid’s top-cited publication is a 2014 study on the Internet's migration from an Internet of people towards an Internet of Things (IoT) that was presented at the IEEE's 9th International Conference on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. This piece was co-authored with Nacer Khalil of Al Akhawayn University, Driss Benhaddou of the University of Houston...

Director of Digital Forensics and Incident Response at Global Payments, Peter Staarfaenger , recently visited the TSYS School and its cybersecurity Nexus students.  He spent the day visiting campus and mentoring cybersecurity students. Staarfaenger was also able to connect with several TSYS School faculty members.       Staarfaenger has been with TSYS/Global Payments since 2011. Prior to that he was Senior Security Analyst at Synovus. He holds an AS in criminal justice and a BASc in computer science from CSU. He also earned an MS in computer and information systems security and information assurance from Capella University. According to Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, "Peter arrived at 7:00 a.m., spoke to several groups of students, and had one-on-one mentoring sessions with students until nearly 7:00 p.m. It's always a treat when [he] visits [us] . . ." Turner Business  joins Director Aiken in thanking Peter for his "generosi...

The CSU Alumni Association  will bestow its top alumni awards  during an awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 19 as part of the university’s annual Homecoming Week  celebration.  The awards dinner  will include the Alumni Association’s marquee awards — the Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumni Award and the Frank D. Brown Achievement & Leadership Excellence Award. Other awards will be presented in the following categories: Alumni Service, Young Alumni, Distinguished Alumnus in Military/Public Service, and Honorary Alumni Status.  The Young Alumni Award honors alumni who have graduated in the last 15 years and recognizes them for their commitment to excellence through their post-collegiate efforts and their significant or ongoing commitment to extraordinary work, research, volunteerism or service to their alma mater. One of the Young Alumni Awards will be awarded to Turner College graduate Evan McGill .  An actor since the age of 6, McGill recently won ...

The TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus program is currently recruiting for its tenth cohort, which is scheduled to start in January 2024. The next information session for prospective students is set for Thursday, October 5th at 5:30 pm. This event will be held in the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity which is located on the first floor of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus. The Nexus program offers students a one-of-a-kind mix of great training, hands-on technical skill development, and frequent visits with cybersecurity professionals who mentor and, in many cases, eventually hire them.

The Turner College's Marketing Club, which is advised by marketing professor Ed O'Donnell , and Financial Management Association, which is advised by finance professor Brett Cotten , are combining to co-host a Halloween movie night on October 12th from 7:30pm to 9:30pm in the Synovus Center Theater on CSU's main campus. Turner College students who are planning to attend are asked to bring their own candy and blankets. The two student organizations co-hosting the event will be providing popcorn.

The Turner College's chapter of the Financial Management Association will be hosting Jody Davis, an Investment Advisor Representative with LPL Financial, on Tuesday, September 26, in Room 305 of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus.  The group, which is advised by Turner College finance professor Brett Cotten , will meet from 12:30pm until 1:50pm, and Davis will be speaking to Turner College finance majors and others about his career in financial management.  Prior to joining LPL in 2007, Davis worked as a Registered Representative with Questar Capital, and before that as Client Relations Consultant with TSYS. He began his professional career after earning a BBA in finance from the Turner College in 1995.

The first Rite of Passage Lectures for 2023-24 academic year are set for Wednesday, September 27 in the Schwob Library on CSU's main campus. These events serve to recognize CSU faculty who have been promoted to the rank of full professor during the 2022-23 academic year. Kicking off this year's lecture series are  Yesem Kurt Peker , a professor of computer science in the Turner College's TSYS School of Computer Science, and Shannon Godlove, a professor of English.  Lunch and fellowship start at 12:00 noon, lectures begin at 12:30 pm.  Please join us in celebrating the achievements of our colleagues.  

A new study by Turner College economist Frank Mixon  analyses the relationship between household savings rates and GDP within the Visegrád Group from 1996 through 2021, a period that includes both the global financial crisis of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. More specifically, the new study examines the speed of savings rate adjustments to the prior year’s deviation from equilibrium, whether household savings rates support GDP in the short run, and whether GDP plays an important role in determining the household savings rate across the four countries of the  Visegrád Group , namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.  Mixon and his co-authors Nikola  Šubová and Ján  Buleca of the  Technical University of Košice, and Ermanno Affuso of the University of South Alabama,  present impulse response functions in the study indicating  that a shock to household savings rates leads to fluctuations in real GDP,  with the Czech Repu...

Columbus State University retains its status as a best college in several categories by U.S. News and World Report in its Best Colleges 2024 magazine. This includes moving up three spots to number 64 among regional colleges and universities in the U.S. South — placing it 30th among regional public colleges and universities for the second year in a row. This year’s rankings are the first time Columbus State appears in U.S. News ’ “Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (South)” category. At number 36, CSU is the highest-ranking public university in Georgia on the list. Columbus State also ranked 28th in the “Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities (South).” The ranking is a four-spot move upward compared to last year’s rankings. Additionally, Columbus State also moved up 16 spots to number 38 on U.S. News’ list of “Top Performers on Social Mobility – Regional Universities (South).” U.S. News’ social mobility index evaluates and ranks how well students...

New University of Wyoming business school dean Scott Beaulier is putting together a reunion of sorts to celebrate graduates of that institution's PhD program in economics, which is 50 years old this year.  Among the 24 2000s graduates of that PhD program is the Turner College's Tesa Leonce , a professor of economics and the newly-appointed associate dean.  Leonce, who  also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in finance and business computer information systems from Midwestern State University, came to CSU in August of 2014 from a position on the economics faculty at Eastern Illinois University.        In recent years she has published a number of scholarly articles appearing in Empirical Economics , Tourism Economics , Healthcare  and the International Journal of Healthcare Management , among others.  Last spring, the UK-China Joint Intelligent Center of Special Equipment and Robotics named Leonc...

Tuesday, September 19, 2023, is a big day for Turner College students. The Fall 2023 Career Fair will be held in the lobbies of multiple floors of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus. Previous iterations of the fair have been well attended, and this fall's fair promises to be no exception. Use the QR code on the accompanying poster to register for next week's fair.  See you there!

Jason Dennis of WTVM News Leader 9 spoke recently with officials at Fort Moore and others about CSU's new office spaces for military-connected students. As Dennis indicates, CSU has landed on a list of top 10 military friendly schools in the United States, and recently it unveiled something new for military-connected students. “Columbus State University helps our soldiers Be Moore,” Fort Moore Commanding General MG Curtis Buzzard said Fort Moore’s Commanding General using the motto of the newly renamed post, “Be Moore,” to describe the partnership with CSU, which Victory Media ranked as the 8th best military friendly school in America. Columbus State just unveiled a new headquarters for its 1,200 military-connected students, about 20% of the student body. Top leaders came out for the ribbon cutting of the new office spaces located in the Schuster Student Success Center on CSU's main campus.  CSU is the first in Georgia to have a designated space like this also for ac...

The 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report 's America's Best Colleges guide is set for release on Monday, September 18, 2023.  CSU and Turner College officials will surely be eager to see where CSU and the Turner College are ranked in the new edition. The 2023 version of the guide ranked CSU 67th overall among regional universities in the U.S. South, and 30th among public institutions in that same category. Additionally, the Turner College ranked 411th among undergraduate business schools in the U.S. CSU's School of Nursing also ranked 413th among nursing schools in the U.S.       U.S. News & World Report is making a number of changes to its ranking methodology for 2024. For example, a  greater emphasis will be placed on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students.  For greater transparency, colleges and universities placing in the top 90%, instead of only the top 75% as in prior editions, will be numerically ranked. The remaini...

EDsmart has ranked Columbus State University's online programs in its top-10 list of Georgia's Best Accredited Online Colleges in rankings released last week. EDSmart notes that CSU's portfolio of online education opportunities includes bachelor’s, master’s and educational specialist degrees — as well as specialized certificates, concentrations and degree tracks. Some can be earned fully online, while others require a level of on-campus study. The Turner College's TSYS School of Computer Science is home to some of the programs referenced by EDsmart. Now that the Turner College's master's program in organizational leadership is fully online, look for that program to contribute to CSU's overall ranking in the near future.

The Turner College announced today that computer science professor Rania Hodhod will be the next Chair of the TSYS School of Computer Science, effective January 1, 2024. As explained by Turner College Dean Deb Kidder , " Dr. Hodhod has made a significant and positive impact on our institution since she joined in 2013. Due to her impressive record, she was granted promotion to professor last year. In addition, she already has administrative experience, having served as the assistant chair from 2016 until she transitioned in 2022 to the Edwin and Florette Rothschild Endowed Chair in Leadership." During her time in the TSYS School, Hodhod has earned a number of accolodes, including the CSU  Service Award (2023), Office of Diversity Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award (2023), CSU Chapel Graduate Award (2022), Turner College Graduate Teaching Award (2021), Faculty Mentoring Award from the Mathematics and Computer Sciences Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (2021), Outs...

Turner College students have to opportunity on September 13, 2023, to have a headshot taken by a professional photographer. The photographer will be available in the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus from 12:00 noon until 3:00 pm.  This is a great opportunity for business majors to spruce up their resume, especially with some of the major interviewing opportunities scheduled for this month. Interested students may register here .

Turner College graduate  Merri Sherman , the Executive Director of the Greater Columbus Georgia Sports and Events Council, has been chosen as just the fifth recipient of the prestigious Melinda Fischer Distinguished Service Award in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s 40-year history. The award recognizes a person who has shown exceptional commitment and dedication to the NFCA and the sport of fastpitch softball. According to the Association's press release, Sherman has worked closely with many fastpitch organizations over her 20 years serving the Columbus community, bringing national tournaments in a wide variety of sports to Georgia. "Merri Sherman has given selflessly of her time and talents to the softball community and to the NFCA. Under her visionary leadership, she has provided a top notch 'home away from home' for our NFCA Leadoff Classic tournaments in Columbus, Ga,” NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman said. “South Commons Complex has been the ho...

The Turner College's Fall 2023 Career Fair Prep Week begins tomorrow. Throughout the week CSU's  Career Services Center will be hosting workshops to make sure Turner College students are prepared for the upcoming Fall 2023 Career Fair. On Tuesday, September 12, the Career Services Center will be hosting workshops related to resume preparation, LinkedIn account development, and career preparation. Each of these workshops will be held in the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus.

Director of the Turner College's TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, Patrick Aiken , is referring to yesterday's visit by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, and USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue as "an amazing opportunity to show off our incredible cybersecurity Nexus program." New CSU president Stuart Rayfield and Turner College Dean Deb Kidder were also on hand at yesterday's presentation, as were Mike Kane, Senior VP at Global Payments Inc., and Fernando Cabello , a Nexus program graduate and now Global Payments Digital Forensics Analyst.  As Aiken explained, " CSU has supported us in creating a unique educational program that transforms people with no technology knowledge into cybersecurity professionals within 12 months. This program is changing students' lives, quickly getting employees into the workforce, helping our partner companies hire ready-to-work entry-level employees, and thwarting bad guys. I'm proud to be a part of this...

The Turner College's new marketing intern Lizzy Grant , a senior marketing major from Newnan who previously attended Gordon State College, where she played varsity soccer, and is scheduled to graduate from the Turner College in May of 2024, has hit the ground running in her new position. She recently played a large role in the creation of a video tour of the Synovus Center, the main campus home of the Turner College. The video helps to guide new students on where to go in the building and who they can talk to if they help. The video showcases the Student Services Center, the main lobby, and more. The video is played as part of a loop on video screens placed throughout the Synovus Center. Lizzy's list of activities at CSU is impressive. She is the Treasurer of the Turner College's Marketing Club, the President of Marketing for the Turner College's chapter of the Financial Management Association, and an Ambassador for the Turner College. She is also the Treasurer of her s...

When Turner College faculty, staff and students drove onto CSU's main campus this morning, they were greeted with a lengthy row of reserved parking spaces. Those spaces were reserved for some special visitors to the Synovus Center. Visiting campus today were Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, and Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue. These dignitaries were in Columbus to tour the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity and to hear about the educational programs related to cybersecurity that are offered in the Turner College.       Speaking to the group were Turner College Dean Deb Kidder , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity Patrick Aiken , and new CSU President Stuart Rayfield.  Attendees also heard from Global Payments Inc. leaders, including Fernando Cabello, a cybersecurity defense forensics analyst, about its  university-industry partnership, as well as students’ and alumni’s academic and...

Last month the USG released an economic impact report acknowledging that Columbus State University is currently adding $290 million to the Georgia and U.S. economies each year, representing 1.8% of the $16 billion Columbus area economy in FY 2022. These figures were generated by approximately $251 million of initial spending by CSU, including $135 million spent by CSU on personnel and operations, and $116 million spent by students.  The $39 million difference between the two numbers -- $251 million and $290 million -- represents the multiplier effect on CSU's direct spending.       WTVM News Leader 9 recently spoke with Fady Mansour, an associate professor of economics in the Turner College, about the report, which  shows that 22% of the CSU spending supported industries and businesses outside the Columbus area due to outsourcing. This is compared to 1% for the USG collective spending, a gap that Mansour pointed out shows significant opportunities for entre...

Three Turner College alumni joined the Leadership Columbus Class of 2024. The goal of Leadership Columbus, which is a program of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, is to identify leaders and volunteers to help guide the community through the next decade and beyond. Among the 31 members of the Class of 2024 is  Keocha Evans , Controller at Valley Healthcare System Inc. Evans is a certified public accountant who earned a BBA in accounting from the Turner College in 2011.  She went on to earn an MBA from Troy University in 2014. Prior to joining Valley Healthcare System Inc., Keocha worked as a Senior Accountant at both W.C. Bradley Co. and St. Francis Hospital. Prior to holding these positions she was an internal auditor with Clayton County Public Schools.  Joining Evans in the 2024 class is  Marci Norris , Chief of Staff to the Columbus City Manager. Norris earned a BBA in marketing from the Turner College in 2022. Prior to her current position, Norris was an a...

In the latest issue of Columbus and the Valley , the magazine's editors remarked that their annual selection of Columbus' 5 Under 40 provides them with a bird’s eye view of the hard work that goes into making our region the best that it can be. They also noted that this year’s 5 Under 40 selectees are tackling the big issues in classrooms, courtrooms and boardrooms, all in addition to working tirelessly to inspire change and to inspire those who follow to take up the charge. Turner Business is proud relay the news that two members of this year's 5 Under 40 , which is co-sponsored by the Greater Columbus GA Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals, have Turner College Connections.  These individuals are Melissa Ingle Hammer and Troy Jackson , and both are pictured in the center of the magazine's cover.       Hammer graduated from the Turner College in 2005, after earning a BBA in finance. She later went on to earn an MBA from Auburn University, a Specialist Ce...

The Columbus chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) invites all those who are interested to join them for Columbus' first cybersecurity conference , Threat Level Midnight , on October 21, 2023. Attendees will hear from professionals, such as Chris Bullock, whose scheduled presentation is titled "Using Criminology to Enhance Cyber Security." The is a great opportunity for TSYS School cybersecurity Nexus degree students to engage in topics closely related to their area of study. Please see the link above for more information about the conference, including details on how to purchase tickets.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, more than 230 Columbus State University volunteers — a group comprised mostly of students but including faculty and staff — took to the community for the university’s 16th annual Day of Service. Busloads of volunteers pitched in at 15 west Georgia and east Alabama community sites in ways ranging from cleaning and organizing, to landscaping and painting.  Dr. Melissa Dempsey, director of Student Life & Development , explained that the annual activity helps both students native to or familiar with Columbus, and those new to the area, to gain better insights into how their service benefits our community.  “As one of our first university-wide student events each fall, our annual Day of Service strikes such an appropriate tone for both new and returning students,” she said. “In addition to instilling the value of service at such an early stage of the academic year, it — like so many of our other welcome back events — serves as a springboard for getting inv...