Turner Business

Turner College student Lauren Katzfey was recently honored at the 2024 CSU Scholastic Honors Convocation. Lauren received the 2024 Student of Excellence in Marketing & Management Award. " I am thrilled . . . that I've been honored with the Student of Excellence in Marketing and Management Award at the Columbus State University  Scholastic Honors Convocation.  I love being a part of the Turner College," she stated. In recent weeks Lauren travelled  to the University of North Georgia with her classmates to participate in the Georgia Collegiate Honors Conference. There she presented her Honors Contract titled, "Compelling Cases: An Analysis of Georgia Workers' Compensation," and was also part of the Leadership Panel. Lauren was also part of a student panel that recently visited with USG Regent Jose Perez  to learn about USG operations and provide students' opinions about how to improve CSU in the next few years. 

Congratulations to Turner College graduating seniors April McGarity , Nikikki Whitaker , Christopher Simpson and Delysia Mcallister for scoring in the top 5% of all business students nationally in the business simulation competition that is part of the Turner College's Capstone course in strategic management. Turner Business joins Turner College administration and faculty in stating that we are very proud of their accomplishments. Thanks are also due to Turner College management professor Robin Snipes for prepping senior business students to perform so well in the national competition. 

TSYS School professor of computer science Yesem Kurt-Peker  was a big winner at the 2024 CSU Faculty Awards Ceremony. She received the 2024 CSU Chappell Graduate Faculty Award, which recognizes those full-time members of the Columbus State University Graduate Faculty who, in the tradition established by William Chappell, have demonstrated excellence in teaching CSU's graduate students and have contributed outstanding professional service to the Graduate School, the University and the community.  Since 2018 Kurt-Peker has taught sections of CPSC 6126 - Introduction to Cybersecurity and CPSC 6555 - Selected Topics in Computer Science. Over the past five years, her teaching evaluations scores for these two courses have averaged a remarkable 4.78 and 4.91 (both out of 5), respectively. In addition, Kurt-Peker supervised a graduate thesis in 2017 by Latoya Jackson . Their co-authored work emerging from that endeavor was published in a 2019 issue of the International Journal of Ne...

Turner College associate professor of finance Joshua Brooks received the 2024 Turner College Excellence in Teaching Award at the organization's 2024 faculty and staff retreat on April 30. He  previously won the 2022 Turner College Online Teaching Award and was nominated for the 2023 CSU Teaching Innovation Award. Brooks' performance in the classroom has always been exemplary, as evidenced by student evaluations of teaching. Being in the CSU environment has only added motivation to continue classroom excellence. " Columbus State University’s attitude towards effective pedagogy struck me from my very first day on campus. The wide array of professional development and the dedication to instruction were evident from instructors, to department chairs, to administration," Brooks explained. When c oronavirus caught the world by surprise it dramatically accelerated many of the slowly moving forces of education innovation. When lockdown went into effect, Brooks taught himself...

Turner College students Jose Perez-Garcia and Lizzy Grant were big winners at the 2024 CSU Scholastic Honors Convocation. Jose won the 2024 Accounting Award, while Lizzy won the 2024 Marketing Award. After the ceremony Jose explained, " It’s an honor to have been named the recipient for the Accounting Award at the Columbus State University 2024 Scholastic Honors Convocation. The Turner College has prepared me for my upcoming endeavors in the accounting field, and I am forever grateful for the experience and education I have gained and the recognition they have given me."       Lizzy shared a similar sentiment, stating, " Absolutely thrilled . . . that I've been honored with the Marketing Award at the Scholastic Honors Convocation! Huge thanks to everyone who supported me along the way!" Turner Business joins others in the Turner College community in congratulating Jose and Lizzy on this outstanding academic achievement. Stay connected for additional stories h...

A number of blog posts here at Turner Business indicate that Turner College alumni are finding success in various administrative positions in higher education. Although Turner College alum Michell DeFrance also had a successful stint in higher education, she has since moved into public sector healthcare. Currently a Human Services Coordinator with the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond, Michell conducts annual performance reviews and audits related to claims for federal reimbursements and evaluates changes in rules and regulations associated with legislative proposals that impact service delivery. Prior to this posting, Michell was an Enrollment Specialist at CSU from May of 2016 through July of 2017, an Admissions Counselor at Miller-Motte College from August of 2017 through July of 2018, Admissions Coordinator at Hodges University from September of 2018 through May of 2019, Student Financial Management Counselor at Georgia State University from July of 2019 through April of ...

Congratulations are due to Kenyon Lockhart and his wife, Talisha Lockart , on their upcoming graduation from the Turner College.  Kenyon will be receiving an M.S. in organizational leadership (human resources track), while Talisha will be receiving an M.S. in cybersecurity management. Talisha, also a member of Sigma Alpha Pi chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, is currently employed as the Student Success Manager in the Turner College. Making their forthcoming graduation even more impressive is the fact that each of them has previously earned a master's degree, making these their second.  In preparing for an eventful month ahead, the Lockharts offered words of encouragement to other members of the Turner College Class of 2024, stating,  "As we both receive our second master’s degrees, we are filled with immense pride in our shared accomplishments and the journey we have embarked upon together. From late-night study sessions to navigating the complex...

Several Turner College students took home awards at the 2024 Student Leadership & Organization Awards Ceremony. More than 65 student organizations and their leaders were honored for their dedication and service to the CSU and local community at the recent event hosted by CSU's Office of Student Life & Development. Three CSU students were honored in the Individual Achievement. Among them was Tyler Brown , who took home the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award .  Brown is a senior from Atlanta, Georgia, majoring in cybersecurity. In addition to dedicating time to his graduate studies, he serves Greek Life, Collegiate 100  and the Student Government Association  as a member and through key leadership roles. Next, winning one of the individual awards in the Registered Student Organizations category was Bryan Lucas , who won the  Student Activities Council Committee Member of the Year Award . Bryan was recognized  for his dedication and commitment to the progr...

One wonders whether Cape Town, South Africa, native  Steven Paine  had any inkling as to where his path would lead as he journeyed to America to play collegiate golf. During his four seasons on the CSU men's golf team, the Cougars would reach the NCAA tournament twice, finishing third on the first occasion. Steven would earn Honorable Mention All-American and Freshman All-American status in his first year on campus and would go on to finish among the top 10 golfers in several multi-team matches over his four years. He also  earned a BBA in finance from the Turner College in 2012. From there he became a graduate assistant for the team, earning an MBA from the Turner College in the process. After his assistantship ended, Steven accepted a position as Divisional Analyst with Aflac. However, as with most golfing enthusiasts, the pull of the sport remained strong. When Point University offered Steven the head coaching position, he accepted and served in that role for the next ...

In yet another step toward making graduate school more accessible to the nation’s military, graduates of the U.S. Army Adjutant General School at Fort Jackson in South Carolina now qualify for nine hours of master’s-level course credit at CSU.  A new agreement between the CSU and the U.S. Army underscores CSU's commitment to supporting military education and providing our nation’s service members with pathways for career advancement. Through this partnership, personnel who successfully complete the Fort Jackson-based Adjutant General Captains Career Course (AGCCC) would need only seven courses to earn an M.S. in organizational leadership with a focus in human resources from the Turner College .  "We are honored to collaborate with the U.S. Army Adjutant General School to provide even more educational opportunities for our active-duty military personnel," said retired Maj. Gen. Pat Donahoe, CSU's special assistant to the president for military liaison. "This agree...

The TSYS School of Computer Science announced today that Rahmatullah Roche  will be joining its faculty as an assistant professor in August of 2024. Roche is currently enrolled in the doctoral program in computer science at Virginia Polytechnic Institue and State University, where he is scheduled to earn a PhD next month. A recipient of the 2023 Pratt Fellowship Award, Roche's research portfolio already includes a number of journal publications. In 2020 he coauthored a study appearing in PLoS ONE  on distance-based protein folding. He followed that in 2021 with publications in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences , Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics , and PLoS Computational Biology . In 2022 he added another publication in Pr oteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics , which he bolstered in 2023 with additional publications in Homology Modeling: Methods and Protocols , Bioinformatics Advances , and  PLoS Computational Biology .  Two of these journ...

For almost 10 years Turner College alum Christi Stephens has been leveraging her Turner College accounting education to benefit less fortunate citizens in the Columbus area. Since January of 2015, Christi has served as a  volunteer tax preparer at Vita in the Valley at South Rivers. "It is important to me to give back to the community and lend a hand wherever possible. I'm so grateful to be a part of an organization that allows me to meet and help people who are in need of return assistance," she stated. Christi completed a BBA in accounting in the Turner College in May of 2016. During her undergraduate studies she served as the communications director for the Turner College Accounting Club. She was also a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. After graduation she worked at Callier, Witt, CPAs LLP, where she compiled financials, sales reports, monthly and quarterly closings, completed business and individual tax returns, and requested audit support docum...

Turner College alum Agostina Bigotti journeyed to CSU from St. Maarten, Argentina, to get an education and participate in CSU nationally renowned women's tennis program. Not only has she since played a significant part in the women's tennis program, next month she will walk across the stage to be hooded in recognition of her academic achievement -- a master's degree in organizational leadership from CSU's Turner College. Turner Business joins others in the Turner College and CSU family in congratulating Agostina and in stating that we can't wait to see what she will accomplish in the future.

Congratulations to Turner College students who were recently inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. This group includes Michael Pressly , Jennifer Stone , Elizabeth Chess , Latoria Akins-Jackson and Cory Williams . Pressly is scheduled to receive a BBA in business administration in May. Two of these, Stone and Chess, are staff members in the Turner College and graduate students at CSU. Stone is scheduled to receive a master's degree in cybersecurity management from the TSYS School next month. Chess, a member of the Chi Chi Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, is pursuing a master's degree in clinical mental health. Atkins-Jackson, who holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Iowa where she was Treasurer for the Black Student Union, is a student in the Turner College's MSOL program.      The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study, a...

Officials in the Turner College's Butler Center for Research and Economic Development recently put the finishing touches on an extensive report on trends in educational programs and occupations in the Columbus area. The report also includes data on business and technology trends.  According to Fady Mansour , Director of the Butler Center, there are several key takeaways from the report regarding 10 occupational gaps that currently exist in the Columbus area. First,  software development occupation exhibits the biggest labor shortage, with the report adding that the TSYS School has a bachelor's degree program in information technology along with a new AI track for the bachelor's degree in computer science, both of which can qualify students for this occupation. Other educational programs are in demand, such as computer programming and cloud computing. Second, there is a gap of 30 employees per year in general and operations management. This gap could be addressed by the Turn...

Early in their educational journey at CSU, new students learn about CSU's Tower Traditions program.   As “Tradition Keepers,” CSU students can track their campus involvement as they participate in various campus traditions. Upon completing 45 of the 58 available traditions — which range from taking photos with their orientation leader, Cody the Cougar and the university president, to attending specific activities and events — students receive the Tower Traditions Medal which they can wear with their cap and gown at commencement. Recently, Turner College students Lauryn Roberson and  Lizzy Grant  both had to honor of accepting the Tower Traditions Medal, which has previously been awarded to only 100 CSU students. Roberson and Grant are both scheduled to graduate from the Turner College next month. Roberson will earn a bachelor's degree in business administration while Grant will receive a bachelor's degree in marketing.  Developm ent of the Tower Traditions progr...

According to the program of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Columbus' Candun Club, several Columbus men met in 1947 and organized a  discussion society they called The Candun Club. The club was meant to provide a sociable environment for intellectual discussion, to create the opportunity to explore contemporary subjects, issues, and problems of common interest, and to contribute to mutual moral and philosophical edification. Membership was originally limited to 12 members, but by 1997 membership had increased to 18. The organizational meeting was held on April 21, 1947, at the Ralston Hotel, where it was decided to meet once a month and that "each member would serve as host in alphabetical order and would present a paper on such subject as he might choose, limited in length to twenty minutes, following which discussion would take place." Occasionally men of prominence were invited to speak, such as Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and Congressman Walter Judd.     ...

Turner College graduate Rebecca Roth Nicks knows a thing or two about fundraising and external relations in higher education. She has worked in these areas at two institutions since late 2000, beginning shortly after earning a B.S. degree from Lambuth College in 1998. Nicks' career in higher education administration began in November of 2000, when she joined Vanderbilt University as its  Director of Alumni Education and Clubs. Rebecca held this position until May of 2006, when she j oined LaGrange College as its Senior Director of Development. While working in this position (in 2011) she earned an  MBA from the Turner College and became a CFRE International certified fundraising executive (in 2014), putting her in position to l ater, in June of 2016, rise to Vice President for External Relations at LaGrange College, a position she continues to hold. Stay connected to  Turner Business  for more on Nicks' career, and for news on the careers of other Turner college alu...

After joining Interface in October of 2022 as a Talent Acquisition Assistant, and then rising to Human Resources Coordinator with the LaGrange-based company in December of 2022, Turner College alum Natalie Smith has again been promoted this month, and she now holds the position of Human Resources Generalist with Interface. Natalie earned a BBA in human resources management from the Turner College in December of 2022. Leading up to graduation, she was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success and was Treasurer of the Turner College chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. Next month Natalie will again graduate from CSU, this time with a master's degree in organizational leadership from the Turner College. Turner Business congratulates Natalie on the upcoming graduation and early career success with Interface. 

Cody Bass is a staff accountant at Goldens' Foundry & Machine Company who is currently on the path to earning a master's degree in accounting and completing the CPA exam. A 2020 graduate of the Turner College who holds a BBA in finance, Cody manages Goldens'  accounts payable department while maintaining its inventory processes.  "Within a foundry, a lot of moving pieces fall into play such as the vast amount invoices [that] need to be managed in order to make sure the foundry does not stop producing due to lack of raw materials, and certain pieces of machinery . . . I am currently overseeing monthly book inventories, quarterly physical inventories as well as year-end processing . . . Since I have started [with Goldens'], I have cut down our inventory closing process time by half by updating outdated spreadsheets, eliminating certain processes that were nonviable, and keeping the communication between the department leaders that are involved with the inventory...

Know a middle school-aged girl interested in learning more about cybersecurity? If so, then you need to know that Columbus State University will be hosting a free 8-day camp aimed at broadening cybersecurity awareness for middle school-aged girls through outreach, games, and storytelling. The camp dates include May 29 through May 31, June 3 through June 7, and July 6. The camp, which includes field trips include visits to TSYS, Aflac and Kia, is open to all girls grades 6-8. Registration is wrapping up soon, so be sure to use the QR code in the poster above to register quickly.

The TSYS School's recent mock interview event was a huge success. Participants on the business side included John Royer from Omega Financial, Brandy Messer, Jovan Johnson and Brandon Blackburn from Aflac, and Shea Spencer from Global Payments Inc. Assisting these individuals were Yi Zhou and Bruce Montgomery , faculty in the TSYS School of Computer Science, and Laurie Aiken from Student Services in the Turner College.  During these mock interviews, students had the opportunity to participate in formal interviews where they received valuable feedback and tips on both their performance and resumes.  The speed dating style enabled each student to undergo interviews with three different interviewers, offering a remarkable opportunity to obtain diverse perspectives and insights into the interview process.  It was a fantastic learning experience for all involved.      "I'm thrilled to announce the success of our first mock on-campus interviews for students pur...

In an exciting update for fans of entrepreneurship and reality TV, Turner College alum Jenny Heins ,  a celebrated entrepreneur, and television personality, is set to bring her expertise to the upcoming season 14 of The Blox .  This groundbreaking show, pioneered by Wes Bergmann  of The Challenge fame, has carved a niche for itself on Amazon Prime Video by offering a unique platform for businesses to showcase their potential and compete for the title of "The Best Startup On The Blox."  “The Blox” is renowned for its innovative approach to reality competition, blending the intensity of startup development with the thrill of real-time competition. Throughout a week-long intensive bootcamp, entrepreneurs are put through their paces, with their progress meticulously tracked via a dynamic ranking system. Highlighting the top performers with distinctive red jerseys, the show culminates in a high-stakes finale where one startup is crowned the victor.  Heins, known for...

Awards season at CSU has arrived, with next week being referred to as the Week of Excellence. On Monday, April 22, the Student Leadership Awards ceremony will be held in the Multipurpose Room in the Student Rec Center from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm. Phi Kappa Phi inductions will take place on Tuesday, April 23, from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm in the Lumpkin Center President's Club.  On Wednesday, April 24, the Rapid-Fire Research Race Encore, the subject of a prior entry on Turner Business , will take place in the Schwob Memorial Library from noon to 1:15 pm. Friday, April 26, is a big day for CSU. The Scholastic Honors Convocation will be held from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the Cunningham Center. That day is also Tower Day on the CSU campus. CSU students will present their research from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Cunningham Center.   

President Stuart Rayfield has approved the promotion and/or tenure of 16 members of the Columbus State University faculty—granted in recognition of their commitment to teaching, scholarship and service. Their new appointments will begin with the 2024-25 academic year. GRANTED TENURE Patricia Anafi , Department of Kinesiology & Health Professions, College of Education & Health Professions David Kieran , Department of History, Geography & Philosophy, College of Letters & Sciences Cameron Williams , Department of Society, Culture & Languages, College of Letters & Sciences PROMOTED TO SENIOR LECTURER Erick Richman , Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, College of Education & Health Professions PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Reba Wissner , Joyce & Henry Schwob School of Music, College of the Arts PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WITH TENURE Anne-Marie Cherry , Joyce & Henry Schwob School of Music, College of the Arts Tugce Gul , Department of ...

Research by Turner College professor of economics and holder of the Turner College’s Violet and Thomas Buck Chair, Frank Mixon , recently surpassed 5,000 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i10-index is equal to 135, meaning that Mixon has published 135 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. Mixon’s h-index is 33, meaning that his 33 most-cited studies have each generated at least 33 citations. Another Google Scholar metric is a scholar’s g-index, which is the largest number, g, of a scholar’s publications that have collectively garnered at least  g 2  citations. Mixon’s g-index is 55, meaning that his 55 most-cited studies have collectively produced at least 3,025 citations.      Mixon’s top-cited publicat...

The current cohort of cybersecurity Nexus students enjoyed a recent visit by  Nexus alum Sharon Carney , who is  now a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at Global Payments Inc. Sharon shared her story and her role on the team at Global Payments Inc. with students in the cohort. Sharon earned a Nexus practitioner certificate in cybersecurity of fintech from the TSYS School in August of 2022. Later, in May of 2023, she earned a B.S. in information technology from the TSYS School. During her undergraduate studies in the Turner College, Sharon completed an information technology internship with Synovus. She was also a member of ISSA, the Black Box Society, and Women in Technology. Regarding Sharon's recent visit, Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, pointed out that ". . .  the cool thing is the students in the cohort invited her and I didn't even know about it. That's the type of community environment we have developed in the cybersecurity Nexus ...

A huge congratulations to the Cyber Wyverns, a team of cybersecurity students who recently won the inaugural TSYS School Cyber Range Competition, which included a $1,000 cash prize. " Big kudos to Ehab Bedir , cyber r ange administrator for the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, [for] host[ing] . . . [the] competition . . .  The event was a great success with pizza, cupcakes, drinks, and, most importantly, incredible opportunities to learn," stated Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity.       In addition to some productive competition, the students also had a chance to interact with executive visitor, [Turner College alum] Peter Staarfaenger ,  the Director of Digital Forensics Incident Response at Global Payments Inc. " We're looking forward to more of these events in the future," Aiken added. As mentioned in prior blog posts, Staarfaenger holds a B.A.S. in computer science from the TSYS School and an M.S. in computer and information sy...

The TSYS Center for Cybersecurity recently announced that the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus program has been selected to join the CyberSkills2Work coalition, which is a group of forward-thinking and creative education institutions working to solve our country's critical shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals by providing rapid workforce development opportunities for individuals seeking to pivot into the cybersecurity industry. " The CyberSkills2Work  coalition is led by the impressive and award-winning Eman El-Sheikh  and her amazing power team at the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity.  The coalition gives us access to a network of employers, a new audience of potential students to train, bountiful creative ideas from coalition partners, and additional federal funds to pay for some of the student expenses of our 12-month rapid workforce development program," explained Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity in the T...

The Internet of Things (IoT) employs sensors and the Internet for information exchange, enabling intelligent identification, monitoring, and management. It has deeply impacted various sectors of the economy, including energy, medical care, and security, transforming social activities and lifestyles. Regrettably, IoT systems suffer from two main challenges, namely sustainability and security. Hence, pondering how to enhance sustainable and energy-efficient practices for IoT systems to mitigate risks becomes a worthwhile endeavor.  A new study by TSYS School computer scientist Yi Zhou and his colleagues Peixiong He and Xiao Qin, both of Auburn University,  addresses these issues by conducting a survey of energy-aware security mechanisms in the Internet of Things.  Specifically, their study, which appears in the current issue of Future Internet , examines the challenges that IoT is facing in terms of energy efficiency and security and inspects current energy-saving and priv...