Turner Business

TSYS School Chair and Rothschild Distinguished Professor Rania Hodhod is hosting a seminar aimed at elevating student engagement and fostering meaningful connections in the online learning space. The event is scheduled for September 10 from 12:30 pm until 1:15 pm, and will be held in room 407 of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus. According to Hodhod, " I believe th[is] topic will be of great interest to CSU faculty. Please note that th[is] topic [is] also . . . relevant to faculty who do not teach fully online classes.  In addition, we will have a special seminar where participants can share unconventional activities and innovative teaching methods they've implemented in their classes. This will be a great opportunity to learn from each other's experiences and gain new insights."

CSU's annual First-Year Convocation offered the university’s newest students first-hand accounts of the ins and outs of college life. During the recent event, a panel of juniors and seniors shared their insights on everything from academic success to building their network.  The four-student panel represented college majors from physical and health sciences to business and communication.  Jiane Rabara , a Turner College major and member of the Butler Center staff, said that, as an international student from the Philippines, being a member of several student organizations and attending campus activities helped her adjust culturally and academically.  “Finding your place is as simple as choosing your right circle,” she added. “Here in college, you’re going to meet many people—maybe from a group project, an organization, or maybe from the cafeteria or anywhere. But it’s important to choose the right people who will inspire you to be the best version of yourself.”

Turner Business took the opportunity recently to tour the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, which is undergoing a major renovation and expansion. Although some minor construction is still ongoing, technology is being installed in classroom spaces, which are already being used by the current cybersecurity Nexus program student cohort. The Center is set to host an information session for prospective cybersecurity Nexus students in a little more than three weeks. By then, much more progress will have been made. In the meantime, enjoy the accompanying images of the progress to date.

The next cybersecurity Nexus program information session is scheduled for  Tuesday, September 24th, from  5:30–6:30 p.m. EST. The session will be held in Room 125 of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, which is located on the first floor of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus. For prospective students who are unable to attend in person, a virtual option is planned. The Zoom link for the virtual option is  https://lnkd.in/e-6RHK_B . The meeting ID for this option is  ** 269 583 6035, while the passcode is GoCougars. W e hope to see you there!

An "incredibly supportive partner,"  Jonathan White , Information Security Manager at  Global Payments,  recently visited students in the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus program . "Jonathan volunteers to visit the first week of every semester and shares his honesty and insights with students about the cybersecurity  industry. This semester, Jonathan brought current and former interns Gabrielle Holmes-Hodge , Jonathan King , Peyton Lockhart , Joel Nienaber, and Jett Robinson  with him. Thanks to these incredible people for pouring into the healthy cybersecurity community in the Columbus, GA area," stated Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity. White, Holmes-Hodge, King, Lockhart and Robinson are either current or former TSYS School students, while Nienaber is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

CSU's central administration officially welcomed 19 new CSU faculty today. Five new faculty members, including two Columbus State University alumni, join the Turner College this fall. They are among the 19 new full-time faculty joining the university for the 2024-25 academic year.  “These educators bring their expertise to some of the college’s fastest-growing majors and our region’s highest-demand career fields,” said Deborah Kidder ,  Dean & Bill Heard Endowed Chair of Business Administration. “Each demonstrates how business and technology intersect both in the classroom and in professional practice.”      Janice Canedo joins the TSYS School this fall as a lecturer. As a practitioner, she focused on business analytics, data science, computer security and site reliability engineering. Through her past teaching and research assistant roles, she worked within multiple frameworks, languages and protocols from Python development to Docker and Kubernetes orches...

A new study by TSYS School computer scientists Jianhua Yang and Lixin Wang explores the use of network traffic distribution to detect stepping-stone intrusion. Appearing in the latest issue of Electronics , the study acknowledges that over  the past three decades, stepping-stone intrusion has become a professional and primary way used by intruders to launch their attacks given that it offers protection via a long transmission control protocol connection chain. According to Yang, " Many different algorithms have been proposed to detect stepping-stone intrusion since 1995. But most algorithms cannot resist intruders’ session manipulation. In this paper, we propose a novel approach using the distribution of round-trip time (RTT) of network traffic to detect stepping-stone intrusion."  Among the advantages of the approach developed by Yang and Wang are (1) its ability to bring down false-positive detection errors since it belongs to a network-based detection method, (2) its abi...

Recent posts here at Turner Business have spotlighted the important work being done by the Butler Center for Research & Economic Development. In the event our readers are not familiar with the staff of the Center, this post provides some information in that regard. The Director of the Butler Center, and holder of the Sarah T. Butler Chair in Economics , is economics professor Fady Mansour . Joining Mansour is Oliver Odde , who serves as Research Assistant for the Center. Lastly, as mentioned in a recent post here at Turner Business , Jiane Louella Rabara currently serves the Center as its Public Relations Representative.

The 2024 edition of the Turner College's Fall Semester Welcome Back Event was a big success. In fact, this year's event  had the highest attendance across the past three years, with well over 300 attendees. " I appreciate [the Turner College faculty for] spreading the word to our students, showing up and participating, and welcoming the students back to campus," stated Laurie Aiken , Student Recruitment and Engagement Specialist in the Turner College. Aiken also thanked student  club faculty advisors for helping organize and motivate their club officers to be available for the booths. "We had representation of all eight of our student clubs with close to 200 new members added. This event is our best recruiting effort for club growth which equals more student involvement," Aiken added. Thanks are also due  to Turner College faculty Charles Boster , Laurence Marsh , Mark James , and Josh Brooks for serving the pizzas, and Nexus instructor  Armando Fernandez ...

The Turner College's Butler Center for Research & Economic Development recently published a book titled Columbus Economic Outlook , which provides an analysis of the current economic trends in Columbus, Georgia. According to Jiane Louella Rabara , Public Relations and Sales Representative for the Center, "We believe this publication may be valuable [to researchers and practitioners] . . . , [so] please feel free to reach out to us, and we will be happy to provide [a copy]. Rabara also reminded us  about the Center's ongoing research project in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Troy University, and the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley that seeks to identify housing needs in Georgia and Alabama. Turner Business reported on that project earlier this summer.

CSU's  increasing economic impact in the Chattahoochee Valley continues a multi-year trend, according to a new study by the University System of Georgia.  The study analyzed regional fiscal year 2023 spending and jobs created by the state’s 26 public colleges and universities system. CSU's  $297.5 million total FY23 economic impact—up from $290.2 million in Fiscal Year 2022—includes $237.2 million in initial spending by CSU students and by the university on personnel and operating expenses. The additional $60.3 million is the multiplier impact of those funds on the local community. CSU  President Stuart Rayfield lauded the report’s timing, which followed the university's launch last week of its new five-year Better Together: 2030 strategic plan.  “Since opening our doors to our first students in 1958, Columbus State University has been intertwined with this region’s success and vitality. Both our new strategic plan and this study underscore the importance of th...

Turner Business occasionally examines the Google Scholar citations of the Turner College business faculty. At latest check, the research conducted by the 14 individuals comprising the corps of instruction of the Department of Management and Marketing, which also includes management information systems faculty, has to date garnered 11,389 Google Scholar citations, for an average of 813.5 Google Scholar citations per faculty member. The research conducted by the 10 individuals comprising the corps of instruction of the Department of Accounting and Finance, which also includes economics faculty, has to date garnered 6,832 Google Scholar citations, for an average of 683.2 Google Scholar citations per faculty member. Given these figures, the research of all 24 business faculty comprising the Turner College's corps of instruction has to date garnered 18,221 Google Scholar citations, for an average of 759.2 Google Scholar citations per faculty member. Lastly, when all 28 Turner College b...

TSYS School alum Benjamin Price spoke to CSU cybersecurity students at this month's meeting of the Columbus Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA). Held in the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity on the first floor of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus, the meeting focused on threat hunting. "Club  members heard an insightful presentation about threat hunting," stated Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity. This is but one of many examples of the type of experiences that the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus (and other) students can expect on a regular basis.

The public universities comprising the University System of Georgia (USG) contributed a total of $21.9 billion to Georgia’s economy between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, a $1.8 billion or 9% increase over the previous year, a new study shows.  Conducted on behalf of USG by Jeffrey M. Humphreys, Director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, the study also showed USG over the same period generated 163,332 full- and part-time jobs across Georgia.  Concurrently, Humphreys in a companion study found that USG bachelor’s graduates from the Class of 2023 will earn $1.4 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without their college degree.  “USG continues to be a million-dollar deal for our graduates, and we have the data to prove USG degrees will help them increase their prosperity and success,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “At the same time, we are a billion-dollar deal for Georgia. Our 26 publi...

Tuesday, August 20, is set to be a big day in the Turner College as it will be hosting a Fall 2024 Welcome Back Event. New and returning Turner College and TSYS School students are invited to enjoy a pizza luncheon in the second floor lobby of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus. Please come by between noon and 2:00 pm for food and information on the Turner College's student organizations. See you there!

Three-time Turner College graduate Arianna Burden-Force has accepted a new role as an Enterprise Risk Management Analyst at Aflac. " I’m filled with excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead. I am eager to bring my energy, passion, and commitment to this new role, and I’m ready to embrace the challenges.  I’m looking forward to contributing even more to our mission and collaborating with the amazing team that makes Aflac such a special place to work," she stated. Arianna earned a BBA in management from the Turner College in 2021. Later, in 2023, she earned an MBA from the Turner College. Just last month, she earned a practitioner certificate in cybersecurity from the TSYS School. Prior to joining Aflac on a full-time basis, Arianna completed two internships - the first with CyberAI Innovations, and the second with Aflac. Turner Business congratulates Arianna on this achievement and wishes her the best going forward. 

Austin Collins has been described as a visionary entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of 5Strands, a company dedicated to revolutionizing personal and pet health through accessible wellness insights.  A former student athlete at CSU, Austin leveraged his understanding of energy medicine, health and performance to create 5Strands. The company offers functional health assessments for both people and pets, blending Austin’s expertise in social media marketing, e-commerce and customer engagement, much of which was initially developed during his undergraduate studies in marketing in the Turner College, to foster a holistic approach to wellness. His leadership extends to educating individuals and businesses on optimizing health, emphasizing a proactive and inclusive approach to wellness for all family members, including pets. This commitment underscores Austin’s belief in the transformative power of personalized health insights and his influence as a dynamic force in the wellness ind...

The Butler Center for Research and Economic Development is teaming with the Georgia Tech Economic Development Administration and the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley to study housing needs in the Columbus area. The basis of the study is an online survey concerning local residents' opinions of the local housing marketing, particularly with regard affordability, options, crime, homelessness and other issues. The  survey  is anonymous and takes only a few minutes to complete.  For answers to any questions regarding the survey, contact Fady Mansour , Director of the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development.

More than 50 students entered the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus program yesterday, beginning what promises to be ". . . the ride of their lives." The students, who comprise Cohort 12 of the program, have come to CSU at just the right time as the TSYS School is on the verge of unveiling its newly expanded and renovated TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, which occupies all of the first floor of the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus.  "This is what happens when you sincerely care about preparing students for their upcoming careers and create an environment and culture of execution and achievement," stated Patrick Aiken , Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity. Turner Business joins all of the Turner College's faculty, staff and returning students in welcoming Cohort 12 to campus.

The  renovation project in the TSYS  Center for Cybersecurity at C SU is very near completion now. Virtually all of the first floor of the Synovus  Center is now highly functional classroom, student, and faculty space. Classes started today in the newly renovated facility with the two new classrooms.  Here are some updated photos. More to come soon.

Turner College professor of management Johnny Ho recently surpassed 2,000 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i 10 -index is equal to 32, meaning that Ho has published 32 studies that have each garnered at least 10 citations. Google Scholar also reports an additional metric. This 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. Ho’s h -index is 22, meaning that his 22 most-cited studies have each generated at least 22 citations. Lastly, another Google Scholar metric is a scholar's g -index, which is the largest number, g , of a scholar's publications that have produced at least  g 2  citations. Ho's g -index is 44, meaning that his 44 most-cited studies have collectively generated at least 1,936 citations.  Ho's top-cited publication is a 1991 study on flow-shop scheduling that appears in the European Journal of Operational Research . His secon...

Among the new faculty joining the Turner College this fall is John Kuforiji , who comes to CSU from Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia. John will serve as an adjunct professor of economics in the Department of Accounting and Finance, and he will teach principles of economics.       His research on Greece's financial crisis appears in a 2016 issue of the Journal of Applied Financial Research , and his work on the transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic appears in a 2022 issue of Training, Education, and Learning Sciences . Turner Business  joins the business faculty, staff and students in welcoming John to the Turner College.

CSU's Military Connected Student Services office recently announced that LTC Michael Ernst is its new Military-Affiliated Student Advisory Committee (MASAC) Chair. A 2014 graduate of the Turner College's MSOL program, LTC Ernst has served over a decade of active duty in the Army as an Infantry Officer, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently serves in the Army Reserves at Fort Moore and continues to support CSU  and the Columbus community.  MASAC was found by William "Bill" Huff in 2019. Mr. Huff is a Vietnam veteran and former Marine captain who volunteers his time to serve our military-connected students and student success programs.  MASAC provides scholarships and resources for Active-Duty, veterans, and military family members enrolled at CSU.

CSU faculty and staff are invited to a special presentation by Georgia Chamber President & CEO Chris Clark titled "The Future of Talent in Georgia." The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Cunningham Center on CSU's main campus. A complimentary salad lunch buffet will be provided. Prospective attendees are asked to RSVP by September 3, as seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Confirmation of attendance will be sent via e-mail.

The Turner College's administrative team is growing by two positions with the addition of accreditation related posts. One of these is a new CAE Coordinator, who is responsible for managing the TSYS School's cybersecurity accreditation efforts. Filling this position is Jianhua Yang , professor of computer science, who will be working through the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program, which is managed by National Security Agency's National Cryptologic School. Federal partners include the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)/National Initiative on Cybersecurity Education (NICE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense Office of the Chief Information Officer (DoD-CIO), and U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). The NCAE-C program aims to create and manage a collaborative cybersecurity educational program...

CSU President Stuart Rayfield announced to CSU faculty and staff that the institution's enrollment has climbed for two consecutive academic years, putting CSU in good position vis-a-vis state support. The Turner College is proud to have led that effort, as the student enrollment data below indicate.                                                                                             Fall 2022        Fall 2023      Fall 2024 College of the Arts                                                            941                   ...

The December 2024 scouting trip to Dubai, which was  previously reported  on by Turner Business , was a big success as t he Turner College is set to offer a new study abroad program in Dubai during spring semester 2025. The program, which will run from March 17, 2025, through March 24, 2025, dates that align with Spring Break, will be managed by Turner College accounting professor Uma Sridharan and TSYS School computer science professor Rania Hodhod . They will be visiting Turner College and TSYS School classes this semester in order to advertise the new program.  

Turner College Dean Deb Kidder announced this afternoon that Neal Rogers has retired from the TSYS School computer science faculty. While on the faculty, Rogers taught courses  in COBOL, CICS, Database, software engineering, and robotics. His research interests included installing and testing different software simulation systems for robotics testing as budget limitations preclude purchasing much in the way of robotics hardware. Joining the TSYS School computer science faculty as an instructor for the 2024-25 academic year is Janice Canedo , a TSYS School alum who previously worked in software development at TSYS. Canedo's academic interests include game development, cybersecurity, cloud computing and software development.

The Turner College recently joined forces with the U.S. Army's Cyber Center of Excellence in order to expand military educational opportunities by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that easily transfers U.S. Army training courses into course credits in the Turner College's MSOL program.  Partnerships with educational institutes like Columbus State University are immensely beneficial to service members interested in pursuing ongoing education as t urning completed Army training courses into college credits accelerates degree timelines, cuts costs, and creates online career advancement opportunities for service members they would otherwise be able to access. Thanks are due  Susan Lovell, Director of Military Enrollment, and Deborah Kidder , Dean of the Turner College, for making the trip to Fort Eisenhower to sign the MOU in person.  A special thanks to Major General Patrick Donahoe (Retired) for being an advocate for military educational opportunities for soldier...

CSU President Stuart Rayfield recently announced changes to CSU's vision and mission statements, along with changes in upper-level personnel. The amended vision and mission statements appear below. Vision Columbus State University aspires to be a leader in student success, academic excellence, economic development and community engagement through transformative education and strong partnerships. Mission Columbus State University empowers its community, drives innovation and creates opportunities. On the personnel front, Rick Sears, Vice President of Business & Finance, is retiring. Maj. Gen (ret.) Pat Donahoe will take over the business and finance division and serve as the CSU's Chief Operating Officer. Chief Information Officer Ted Laskaris and University Information & Technology Services will also now report to Donahoe. Additionally,  John Lester will serve as Chief Engagement Officer. Rocky Kettering, Vice President of University Advancement, will work closer with L...