Turner Business

TSYS School computer scientist Linqiang Ge was a big winner at Tuesday's 2025 CSU Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony, taking home the 2025 CSU Excellence in Online Teaching Award. This award recognizes a faculty member's strong commitment to quality online teaching and learning. The criteria for selection include demonstration of teaching, service and scholarly activities designed to advance the quality of online teaching and learning; the use of effective and innovative online teaching practices that result in student engagement, student satisfaction, and effectiveness in achieving desired learning outcomes; and an extraordinary commitment to fostering the academic success of online students through the development of rapport with individual learners in and beyond the virtual classroom. For online courses, Ge records all the lectures and posts the videos on CougarView. He arranges evening time as office hours since many online graduate students have daily jobs. Within the clas...

Turner College professor of finance Brett Cotten  was a big winner at Tuesday's  2025 CSU Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony,  taking home the 2025 CSU Chappell Graduate Teaching Award. This award recognizes those full-time members of the Columbus State University Graduate Faculty who, in the tradition established by William "Bill" Chappell, have demonstrated excellence in teaching Columbus State University's graduate students and have contributed outstanding professional service to the Graduate School, the University and the community. This past year Cotten  worked with and provided input toward the development of the finance portion of a new MBA class, Foundations for Business, and he rejoined the graduate faculty in the Turner College in teaching the MBA course in managerial finance. His MBA course includes a capital budgeting project in which students analyze a project under consideration by a firm. Students are required to build proforma financial statements...

Turner Business is proud to announce that TSYS School computer scientist Rodrigo Obando is the winner of the 2025 Turner College Excellence in Service Award. Obando currently serves on the CSU Faculty Affairs and GenEd Committees, along with the TSYS School's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. He also serves as an Anchor Judge in the selection of Honor College students who are pursuing scholarships at CSU, particularly the Presidential Scholarship. Professor Obando has been an Assistant Marshall at every CSU graduation for the past 20 years, and recently he has taken on the role of photographer for events such as faculty recognition ceremonies, Discovery Days, college fairs and CIMFest. Lastly, among other activities he has served as the academic advisor for the CSU chapter of the Georgia Game Developers Association and a new student organization named ColorStack.

Turner College associate professor of accounting Jasmine Bordere  was a big winner at the 2025 CSU Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony, taking home the 2025 CSU Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award. This award recognizes a faculty member's engagement in the systematic examination of issues about student learning and instructional conditions which promote the learning, building on previous scholarship. The criteria for selection include documented use of strategies for investigating and evaluating the impact of teaching practice on student learning, anchored in the research literature; engagement in scholarship that is public, peer reviewed and critiqued; the production of scholarly work which contributes new questions and knowledge about teaching and learning; the development of a well-articulated teaching philosophy that drives research questions; and documented dissemination of their scholarship results. Bordere's winning award portfolio includes a 2024 study in Educati...

TSYS School alum Lisa Outlaw was recently named Cyber Range Administrator in the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity in the Turner College. Lisa comes to the CSU Center for Cybersecurity from Google, where she worked as Associate Threat Research Analyst for the past four years. Prior to that she was the Security Operations Center Analyst at Global Payments. Lisa earned a B.S. in computer science from the TSYS School in 2018. During her studies she was a member of the Black Box Society and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. Upon graduation Lisa began her professional career as a web application developer for OmegaFi.  

A new study by Turner College economist Wen Shi and her colleagues Wei Sun and Yi Zhou, both of Grand Valley State University,  empirically assesses whether Laos is a suitable candidate for a potential Renminbi zone under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). More specifically, the authors combine optimum currency area theory with a  two-country structural model to identify structural shocks and analyze the impacts of China’s supply and demand shocks on Laos’ gross domestic product and price level.  The paper, set to appear in a future issue of the Journal of Chinese Economic and Foreign Trade Studies , finds that the BRI has played a positive role in promoting Laos−China economic integration. Over time, the effects of China’s macroeconomic shocks not only increased but also became the dominant force driving Laos’ economy during the BRI period of 1999–2023. Ultimately, t he findings suggest that joining a Renminbi zone may be feasible for Laos as the BRI continues to stren...

New CSU Provost Shannon Campbell spoke to Turner College business faculty yesterday about her vision for the future and the new budget model being implemented by the University System of Georgia (USG). She explained that she was a first-generation college student and that experience drew her to CSU, where, since coming onboard in January, she has "hit the ground listening and learning." Campbell also noted that her view of CSU is as a "communiversity" that engages with the local community on a college-by-college basis, depending upon each college's interests. This approach is also described as "transdisciplinary" in that it involves nonacademic stakeholders in the process of knowledge creation. Campbell also informed business faculty that the USG will begin using student credit hour production (SCH) at the institution level to determine institutions' budgets during the 2026-27 academic year. This would be a challenge for CSU faculty, which she note...

Turner College professor of management Phil Bryant recently surpassed 3,000 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i 10-index is equal to 14, meaning that Bryant has published 14 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. Bryant’s h -index is 13, meaning that his 13 most-cited studies have each generated at least 13 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 -squared citations. Bryant’s g -index is 41, meaning that his 41 most-cited studies have collectively produced at least 1,681 citations. Bryant's top-cited publication is a 2010 study on retaining talent that appears in Academy of Management Perspectives . ...

Turner Business recently spoke with Turner College management professor Kevin Hurt about his latest research. Hurt stated that he is currently working on a project  investigating the influence of traumatic stressors on the relationship between servant leadership and group identity development. According to Hurt, "We combine aspects of servant leadership theory, social identity theory, and military leadership doctrine to put forth a conceptual model and evidence-based propositions, positioning servant leadership and healing as vital mechanisms for building resilience, promoting long-term well-being, and group identity development in the face of traumatic experiences." Hurt's research suggests that a three-way interaction between servant leadership, healing, and traumatic stressors positively influences group identity development by reducing the negative impact of trauma.

The Turner College's Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Honor Society Induction Ceremony is taking place on Friday, April 25 from 1:00pm to 2:30 pm in the Synovus Center Theater on CSU's main campus. You are all cordially invited to celebrate Turner College students along with their families.  There will be a reception following the ceremony in the lobby area. T hanks to the members of the Turner College faculty who participated in the BGS Tapping (in full regalia): Dean Deb Kidder , Joshua Brooks , Brett Cotten , Gisung Moon , Tom Ngo , Ed O'Donnell , Wen Shi , and Neal Thomson . Thanks also fo out to the professors who allowed time to interrupt their classes: Charles Boster , Phil Bryant , Fonda Carter , Phil Cook , Cotten, Johnny Ho , Moon, Robin Snipes , and Michelle Zeller .  Beta Gamma Sigma is The International Business Honor Society.  Since 1913 it has recognized and honored top performing students from around the world in business schools accredited by The Association to ...

Turner Business  recently spoke with Turner College management professor Phil Bryant about Compensation & Benefits Review , the academic journal that Bryant edits. Bryant stated that the journal will be doing some exciting things in the months ahead. To recap, in 2024 the journal published  two special issues on Pay Transparency & Communication. Keynote articles included partial titles such as "Artificial Intelligence & Pay Information Disclosure," "Variable Pay Transparency," and "Implications of Pay Transparency & Communication for Employers & Public Policy." Bryant added that this year  the journal will publish a special issue on skills-based pay. Partial article titles will include: "Skills-Based Pay for the 2020s, Lessons from the UK," "Pay for Results, the Person, or the Job?" Another special issue set for this year is one  related to Responsible Rewards. Possible partial titles might include: "ESG in Cor...

CSU Libraries and the Graduate School invite you to attend the Rapid-Fire Research Race where five faculty members, one of whom is our own Lydia Ray , a computer scientist in the TSYS School, will present their research in four minutes using four slides each. A panel discussion will follow the presentations. Additionally, faculty research will be displayed on the first floor. The event is set for April 23 from 12:00 noon to 1:15 pm.  Lunch will be provided. CSU Libraries and the Graduate School look forward to celebrating faculty research and creative endeavors with everyone. 

The CSU chapter of  Women in Tech recently hosted Marie Taylor, Executive Director of Enterprise Risk Management at NCR Atleos, who shared incredible insights about her journey in the tech world. During her recent presentation, Taylor  discussed the importance of both community and effective communication, resonating with our mission to support and uplift each other. It was truly inspiring to hear her experiences and advice. Taylor earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Auburn University. Prior to joining NCR Atleos,  a leader in expanding self-service financial access, with industry-leading ATM expertise and experience,  she worked at Global Payments, TSYS and Synovus.  Thank you to everyone who joined us, and a special shoutout to Marie Taylor for making this event a great success.

Students in the TSYS School's Nexus cybersecurity program recently  had the pleasure of hosting Brett Jenson, Red Team Lead at Wellstar Health System.  Brett brought an incredible and unique perspective on ethical hacking and penetration testing, sparking insightful conversations during a dynamic Q&A session with our curious and eager students and staff.  It was a fantastic opportunity to explore the world of cybersecurity through the lens of a seasoned red teamer. Huge thanks to Brett for sharing his expertise and inspiring the next generation of ethical hackers.

Every few months Turner Business posts about the Google Scholar citations to the research of Turner College business faculty. According to the most recent data, research by the 11 corps of instruction faculty in the Department of Accounting and Finance, which includes economics, has so far garnered 7,275 Google Scholar citations, for an average of 661.4 Google Scholar citations per faculty. Additionally, research by the 15 corps of instruction faculty in the Department of Management and Marketing, which includes management information systems, has to date garnered 12,169 Google Scholar citations, for an average of 811.3 Google Scholar citations per faculty. Thus, research by all 26 corps of instruction business faculty has earned 19,444 Google Scholar citations, for an average of 747.8 Google Scholar citations per faculty.      Because Turner Business likes to provide all sorts of new information, this post takes the analysis a bit further. Developed by American economi...

Last night the Clingstones, Columbus' new minor league baseball team, won their first-ever game in Synovus Park, defeating the Wahoos by a score of 3 to 0. The story of how Columbus landed the Clingstones is an interesting one involving Turner College economist Fady Mansour and the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development. For a look back at the story , please visit the links in this sentence. 

Students in Turner College accounting professor Charles Boster 's cost accounting class recently visited DNA Technical Fabrics in Columbus.  The students were able to discuss the day-to-day activities of cost accounting with professionals and see a local manufacturer's operations. The group was  hosted by Controller Cynthia Crawford and President Monte Galbraith.  DNA Technical Fabrics provides a range of high-performance solutions, including flame-resistant denim, industrial fabrics, and protective apparel that serve a variety of markets.

JC Penney is holding a Suit-Up Sale tomorrow from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Turner College students will be able to purchase career wear, shoes and accessories for up to 45% off. The list of eligible items includes suits, pants, dresses, sport coats, dress shirts, ties, shoes, handbags, wallets, watches, jewelry, belts, luggage, briefcases, undergarments and shapewear. The Columbus JC Penney is located in the Peachtree Mall on Manchester Expressway.  

The Turner College's business faculty are nearing the halfway point between the last AACSB accreditation visit and the next. The table below provides an advanced look at the group's research portfolio. As you can see, there are currently 54 journal publications being claimed across 42 separate academic journals. Of the 54, there are 15 claims to A-level publications. These include publications in American Behavioral Scientist , American Business Review , Applied Economics , Empirical Economics , Evaluation Review , Information Systems Frontiers , International Journal of Production Economics , Journal of Institutional Economics , Journal of International Marketing , Public Choice and Scientometrics . Contributors to this list include  Kevin Hurt (management), Yoon Lee (MIS),  Frank Mixon (economics) and  Edward O'Donnell (marketing). As also indicated in the table above, the Turner College business faculty have produced 18 B-level and 7 C-level publications thus far ...

The first of the finalists for the 2025 Turner College Research Award is Turner College management professor Kevin Hurt . In 2024, Hurt published servant leadership studies in both American Business Review and Conflict Resolution Quarterly . The first of these is rated as an A-level journal by the Australian Business Deans Council, while the second has a B-level designation. In 2023 Hurt added a publication in the Journal of Values-Based Leadership , a feat he accomplished in 2022 as well. That same year, 2022, he also added a publication in the International Journal of Servant-Leadership . A 2020 publication in Evidence-Based HRM , another B-level journal, gave him six quality research pieces over the last few years. Lastly, Hurt's research has to date garnered 335 Google Scholar citations. That same source credits him with an h-index of 7 and an i10-index of 5. The first of these indicates that Hurt's seven most-cited studies have each garnered at least seven Google Scholar ...

A common finding in academic studies is that higher budget deficits, expressed as a percentage of GDP, tend to elevate intermediate and longer-term interest rates. A new study by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and his coauthors Richard Cebula of the University of Tennessee and Jiayi Xu of Siena College empirically investigates the impact of higher budget deficits on real yields on 10-year Canadian Treasury bonds, particularly during a time frame that includes the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so these researchers applied quarterly data from 2013 through 2022 to a loanable funds framework that accounts for government debt, the M2 money supply, net international capital inflows, the unemployment rate,  real interest rate yield on 10-year Canadian Treasury bonds  and the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from their study, which is set to appear in a future issue of Applied Economics Quarterly , suggest that the real yield on 10-year Canadian Treasury bonds rises with increases in...

The first of two nominees for the 2025 Turner College Teaching Award is TSYS School computer scientist Janice Canedo . Canedo has w orked with CPSC 2108 - Data Structures to modify the methods used to deliver the material to help increase student engagement and success in the course. This involved  having the students use GitHub, a popular version control software, that allows the students to build a portfolio of code throughout the course and teaches them how to use version control software needed when they get into industry. For CYBR 4416 - Cybersecurity Practicum, Canedo brought large, real-world projects to the students that allowed them to concentrate on the area in cybersecurity related to the field they wanted to enter when they graduate. These projects fostered creativity and learning and are able to be used in a portfolio after graduation. For CYBR 3106 - Cybersecurity Risk Management, Canedo's students worked in groups throughout the semester to create a risk as...

The annual CSU Awards & Recognition Program is set for Tuesday, April 29, in the Lumpkin Center. The ceremony includes a light breakfast, to be served beginning at 8:30 am. The main program kicks off at 9:00 am. The annual ceremony includes presenting annual employee awards, recognizing milestone years of service, and celebrating this year's newest retirees. Several TSYS School and Turner College faculty have been nominated for this year's awards. Accounting's Jasmine Bordere is nominated for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, computer science's Hyrum Carroll is up for the Teaching Excellence Award, finance's Brett Cotten is a finalist for the Chappell Graduate Award, computer science's Linqiang Ge is a finalist for the Online Teaching Award, computer science's Rodrigo Obando is up for the Teaching Innovation Award, computer science's Lixin Wang is competing for the Research Excellence Award, and computer science's Jianhua Yang...

The recent series here at Turner Business  examining TSYS School and Turner College faculty who have published in A-level journals since 2021 has been a popular one. Some readers have inquired about career publications, rather than the more recent counts examined in that series. The table below provides career details. As indicated above, the 12 faculty in the TSYS School have combined to produce 41 A-level journal publications over their careers. These figures produce an average of 3.42 A-level journal publications per faculty member. As indicated in the final column of the table, 10 of the 12 TSYS School faculty, or 83.3% of the TSYS School faculty, contributed to these figures. Next, the 25 Turner Business faculty  have combined to produce 180 A-level journal publications over their careers. These figures produce an average of 7.20 A-level journal publications per faculty member.  As indicated in the final column of the table, 20 of the 25 Turner Business fa...

Turner College associate professor of accounting Charles Boster is one of three nominees for the 2025 Turner College Graduate Teaching Award. Boster teaches accounting in the MBA program, which moved to hybrid teaching schedules in Fall 2024. To accommodate this move, Boster revamped his course, including in- and out of-class activities along with scheduled topics. As part of that process, he added practice  exercises to develop application skills for fundamental concepts and altered  material sequencing to better align classroom activities and group project  deliverables. Learning assessments in Boster's accounting course include  vocabulary exercises, calculation exercises, and problem solving. In each case, he takes a formative approach to emphasize learning over grade performance. Joining Boster as a nominee is Kirk Heriot , the Crowley Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship. Heriot teaches in both the Georgia web MBA program and the Turner College's graduate-l...

TSYS School associate professor of computer science Rodrigo Obando and Turner College professor of finance Brett Cotten are the nominees for the 2025 Turner College Excellence in Service Award. Obando currently serves on the CSU Faculty Affairs and GenEd Committees, along with the TSYS School's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. He also serves as an Anchor Judge in the selection of Honor College students who are pursuing scholarships at CSU, particularly the Presidential Scholarship. Professor Obando has been an Assistant Marshall at every CSU graduation for the past 20 years, and recently he has taken on the role of photographer for events such as faculty recognition ceremonies, Discovery Days, college fairs and CIMFest. Lastly, among other activities he has served as the academic advisor for the CSU chapter of the Georgia Game Developers Association and a new student organization named ColorStack.      Cotten currently serves on the CSU Sustainabi...

Columbus State University recently honored a dozen students, employees, alumni and community leaders with its annual Legacy Awards. Recipients of these awards included was  Lionel Haynes Jr. , who   received the Alumni Award . This award is presented to a CSU graduate who has demonstrated service in the community and/or to the university. A two-time Turner College graduate, Haynes was selected for his steadfast commitment to strengthening alumni engagement and university initiatives, and for his active engagement in the community.  Laury Petit , a current MSOL student in the Turner College, received the Kiongozi Award for Outstanding International Leadership .  Modeling “kiongozi,” or “leadership” in Swahili, this award is bestowed by the Center for Global Engagement on a graduating international student who has demonstrated campus involvement and academic leadership. Petit, a native of Vaureal, Frances, is studying organizational leadership with a focus in servant l...