Turner Business

The practice of ranking academic economists has a long-standing tradition, dating back at least 35 years. One might conclude from this long-standing tradition that there would be multiple studies focusing on the research productivity and impact of women economists in academia. That is surprisingly not the case. Instead, much of the research on women in the economics profession has focused on underrepresentation in the economics major and, subsequently, on faculties across the academy.  A new study by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and Kamal Upadhyaya of the University of New Haven addresses the paucity of rankings of women in the economics profession by presenting citations-based rankings of women economists in the U.S. South. The study ranks women economists across three separate metrics: total citations garnered by a scholar's research, each scholar's h -index, and each scholar's g -index.  A scholar’s h -index is the largest number, h , of a scholar’s publications...

Congratulations to TSYS School computer scientists Riduan Abid and Yesem Kurt-Peker on their recent receipt of a grant from US Ignite.  US Ignite works closely with communities, military bases, startups, and researchers to solve their toughest economic development and technology innovation challenges. Operating like a high-tech startup, the organization delivers customized results through stakeholder engagement, technical expertise, and targeted tools.  In collaboration with its partners, US Ignite delivers project outcomes that include breakthrough technologies while creating innovative new jobs, startups, and services. Abid and Kurt-Peker were awarded a $49,331 grant from US Ignite for their proposal titled, " Task Order 6: Building Fault Detection."

Turner College alum Brittney Jones recently earned a master's degree in business and technology from the University of Georgia, providing her with expertise in project management and IT systems. Brittney currently works as a fraud analyst for Incomm Payments, a position she has held since October of 2023. In this role she  specializes in documenting cases, conducting database audits, and analyzing fraud trends. Brittney previously worked as a coding fundamentals educator for Stride, Inc., a marketing teacher and work-based learning coordinator at Spencer High School, and an assistant branch manager for Enterprise.  Prior to this latest educational achievement, Brittney earned a BBA in finance from the Turner College in 2017, and an M.A. in education and workforce management from the University of Georgia in 2022.

Cohort 2 recently completed the Cougar Pursuit program, with each participant  acquiring new knowledge and a new certificate to add to their professional development toolbox.  Cougar Pursuit is a comprehensive grant writing workshop series sponsored by CSU's Office of Sponsored Programs and the Graduate School. The program consists of five workshops that are designed to prepare participants for their grant writing and proposal development journey.  There were 10 graduates for the 2024 Cougar Pursuit cohort. Among this group is Yesem Kurt-Peker , a professor of computer science in the TSYS School.

Turner College alum Angel Gray recently accepted an offer to join the Lewis Asset Wealth Management Group in the Atlanta area.  Lewis Asset Wealth Management Group is an advisory firm whose primary focus is helping its clients (businesses and individuals) reach their financial goals through financial planning and advising that will allow them to leave a greater legacy and a joyous retirement.  Angel earned a BBA in general business from the Turner College in 2020. During her time as a Turner College student, she was a member of the CSU women's soccer team and was voted Homecoming Queen. Angel was also inducted into the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society, and Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society. Lastly, Angel was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Collegiate Women, and she served as an Ambassador for the Center for Global Engagement. Turner Business congratulates Angel on this achievement and wishes her the best...

Expansion of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity on the first floor of the Synovus Center has entered Phase 2.  The end result will be two new classrooms, several faculty offices, a conference room, and a faculty break room. Once completed, all of the faculty in the cybersecurity Nexus program will be located  on the same floor as the classrooms used by students in the program. Phase 2 entails removal of many of the walls that divided the workspaces used previously by individuals in the UITS, which vacated the Synovus Center several weeks ago.

Rent control was an extremely widespread policy in Europe throughout the 20th century. First introduced during World War I as an emergency measure, over time  the older, stricter systems of rent control – known as “first-generation” rent control, consisting of nominal rent freezes – were replaced in Europe by softer, “second-generation” systems. Turner College economist Frank Mixon and his colleagues Aurora Iannello of  Fondazione Vera Nocentini  and Steven Caudill of Florida Atlantic University recently conducted  micro-data research on the impact of 20th century first-generation rent controls in Europe using data on apartment rents in Florence, Italy, from 1950 to 1963. These researchers  hand collected micro-data on the Florentine rental market for the decades of the 1950s and 1960s from the historical archives of the Edificatrice S.p.A. , which owned and rented low-income housing units in Florence from 1848 to 1976.  The yearly handwritten registers fr...

The TSYS School is welcoming its newest cohort, Cohort 11, to its cybersecurity Nexus program. "Columbus State University  is leading the way in cybersecurity training in the region and producing amazing talent. Very excited to see this cohort's progress and to follow their careers in the future as they will definitely make a difference.  Here's to another year of hard work, determination, and incredible achievements. Let's make it a great one," remarked Armando Fernandez , a computer scientist in the TSYS School who works closely with cybersecurity Nexus students. Turner Business welcomes this newest cohort to the TSYS School. We will follow its progress over the next several months and report on its accomplishments and successes.

The month of December has become an important month in Todd Dupas Jr. 's educational journey. In December of 2022 he  earned a BBA in management information systems from the Turner College. Later, in December of 2023, Todd received a Nexus degree in cybersecurity for fintech from the TSYS School. Next year, in December of 2025, he is scheduled to receive an MBA from Western Governors University in December. Throughout his journey, Todd has always been grateful for the opportunities to prepare for his future. At graduation in 2023, Todd remarked, " Exactly one year ago, I proudly graduated with a degree in Management Information Systems, unsure of my career path. A month later, I embarked on the Nexus program, obtaining four cybersecurity certifications and my Nexus degree. Today, I reflect on an incredible journey, filled with meaningful connections and valuable experiences. Grateful for everyone who supported me such as Patrick [ Aiken ],   Armando [ Rodriguez ], Elke [ Br...

Turner College alum Jill Carroll recently earned the Certified Fundraising Executive credential from CFRE International. This certification ensures that fundraising executives uphold the highest standards in ethics and professionalism in fundraising. As indicated by CFRE International, when a CFRE is part of a team, the organization and its donors are served with a higher level of knowledge and accountability—factors that are vital for superior fundraising results. CFRE is the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals and is recognized as the global standard for fundraising professionalism. "I'm so grateful to achieve this goal and share my verified achievement from CFRE International. The CFRE is the only globally recognized, accredited credential for fundraising professionals," Jill stated.      In order to earn the CFRE credential, one must complete a minimum of 80 of continuing education over a five-year period, work a minimum of 36 months in a paid...

The TSYS School announced yesterday that Md Amjad Hossain will be joining its faculty as an assistant professor of computer science in August of 2024. Amjad is currently an assistant professor of computer science at Emporia State University. He earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology in 2008, and a PhD in computer science from Kent State University in 2018. After graduation, Amjad worked as an assistant professor of computer science at Shepherd University for one year before departing for Emporia State University, where he has been for the past three academic years.       His research interests include m ultimedia computing and networking, software-defined networking, and data analytics. While at Kent State University Amjad worked on three major research projects. In one, he and his colleagues  visualized the most popular hashtags worldwide from Twitter using Python with Twitter API; HTML, D3 Libra...

It has been an eventful several months for Turner College alum Heidi Flanagan . While finishing her studies in the Turner College's MSOL program, in which Heidi is completed the human resources track, she had the opportunity to be among the few students to speak with representatives of AACSB during that organization's March 2024 visit to the Turner College for meetings related to re-accreditation. This month, while completing an internship with the Jefferson County Personnel Board in Birmingham, Alabama, Heidi worked with a team of interns to assess candidates for administrative supervisor and probation officer for Jefferson County. According to Heidi, " Graduate and doctoral students in industrial/organizational psychology were brought in from Houston to Connecticut and points between to get the job done."        These activities weren't enough to keep Heidi, shown second from left of front row in the photo below with other Turner College students who met with AA...

A rational stock market utilizes all available information to forecast real economic activity. If it does so well, expectations for future economic conditions get incorporated into current stock prices, and investors may see stock market performance as a predictor of real economic activity. Stock markets also react to changes in future economic prospects. These reactions can lead to market fluctuations and even crashes. Thus, understanding the interactions between the economy and stock markets is crucial—economic fundamentals directly impact stock performance, and stock indices can signal upcoming economic shifts. For example, rising output increases investment returns, which, in turn, stimulates capital spending. An efficient market anticipates this and rallies ahead of real economic changes. Conversely, a bleak economic outlook may lead to downward revisions of future profits. Firms might then pause investing while awaiting clarity. This can reduce capital spending and output. Here, ...

CSU President Stuart Rayfield announced last week that  Marti Venn will assume the role of interim provost following Pat McHenry’s scheduled retirement in July. In joining the CSU administration,  Venn is  taking a break from her retirement as USG’s vice chancellor for academic affairs. Her higher education career over nearly three decades includes her vice chancellor role and appointments as a faculty member at Valdosta State University, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Middle Georgia State University. She received tenure and promotion at three institutions throughout her career. In terms of the ongoing search for a permanent provost, Rayfield added, " The search for the next provost will continue during the summer as our search firm recruits new candidates. The search committee will remain intact, with the addition of a representative from the Staff Council. I have asked Dr. Venn to serve as a consultant to the committee throughout the process. The re...

Turner College grad Michael Porter was recently promoted to Director of Facilities Support at Aflac. Porter began his 18-year tenure with Aflac in June of 2006 as an operations manager. Since then, he has been promoted within the organization at either two- or three-year intervals. In 2008, Michael was promoted to Program Coordinator in Human Resources. Three years later, in 2011, he rose to Project Coordinator in Corporate Services, and two years after that he ascended to Project Coordinator in the Office of the General Counsel.  Over the next several years, Michael earned various other promotions at Aflac, bringing him to his new position in the company, where he will o versee and manage facilities, corporate office space design and planning, and corporate real estate. In the midst of his rise within the company, Michael earned a BBA in marketing from the Turner College. The educational training he received not only contributed to his continued professional success, the servant ...

A number of Turner College and TSYS School faculty have either retired or departed for other institutions in the past few years. During the same period, the Turner College and TSYS School have each hired new faculty. It has been some time since Turner Business provided an update on the professoriate comprising the Turner College and TSYS School. The lists below provide the names of faculty, by academic discipline, in the Turner College and TSYS School. Included alongside each name is the institutional source of each individual's doctorate degree. Turner College/TSYS School Faculty ACCOUNTING:   Jasmine Bordere , University of Alabama  |  Charles Boster , University of South Carolina  |   Fonda Carter , Mississippi State  University   |  Uma Sridharan , University of Iowa COMPUTER SCIENCE:   Riduan Abid , Auburn University  | Hyrum Carroll , Brigham Young University  |   Linqiang Ge ,  Auburn  University   | ...

The 2023-2024 academic year was an eventful one for the Turner College. Among the major highlights, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business visited the Turner College in March of 2024 for a five-year review, Turner College faculty dominated the CSU Faculty Awards ceremony in May of 2024, Fady Mansour was named Director of the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development, Tesa Leonce was named Associate Dean of the Turner College in July of 2023, and both the TSYS School and the Turner College hired new faculty. These and other items are summarized in this four-part series.        March 2024 —   The Turner College's Butler Center for Research and Economic Development co-hosted a panel discussion on the impact of Korean-U.S. economic relations on Georgia. The event, which was described as an evening of expert insights and forward-looking dialogue.  Turner College management faculty Phil Bryant and Mark James  teamed up to prod...

Columbus State University has launched a new online portal  to keep families better informed and engaged during the college application process. The site provides valuable information, deadlines, news and events for soon-to-be college students.  After creating an online profile, family members can learn more about financial aid, scholarship resources, campus life and CSU’s many student success and support programs. In addition to accessing information on demand, families can personalize online content and subscribe to e-newsletters based on their interests.  “Navigating the college decision-making process can be challenging for families—from those with first-time students to families who have been down the college path before,” said Chip Reese, vice president for enrollment management. “Our families need a one-stop source for the critical information that goes into choosing a college and helping their students on their road to success.”  With the help of the website,...

The 2023-2024 academic year was an eventful one for the Turner College. Among the major highlights, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business visited the Turner College in March of 2024 for a five-year review, Turner College faculty dominated the CSU Faculty Awards ceremony in May of 2024, Fady Mansour was named Director of the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development, Tesa Leonce was named Associate Dean of the Turner College in July of 2023, and both the TSYS School and the Turner College hired new faculty. These and other items are summarized in this four-part series.      December 2023 —   Information security experts and TSYS School alumni  Joseph Frantz  and  Benjamin Knox  visited the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus to speak to the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus students. Frantz is the Director of Information Security and Cyber Threat Defense at Synovus, and Knox is IAM Engineer at Synovus.  ISSA-Col...