Turner Business

A couple of key departures from CSU faculty have combined with steady progression of CSU business and computer science faculty to place Turner College and TSYS School faculty in a position of prominence with regard to Google Scholar citations. Last year's departure of former CSU biologist Kevin Burgess for Mercer University and the recent departure of former CSU robotics engineer Mahmut Reyhanoglu for Wentworth Institute of Technology meant the loss of two of CSU's top five scholars. Now, the ranking of CSU faculty by Google Scholar citations is even more dominated by Turner College business faculty and TSYS School computer science faculty. According to the most recent career Google Scholar citations data, the top five CSU faculty are Frank Mixon (economics), Deb Kidder (management), Phil Bryant (management), Johnny Ho (management) and Kate Early (exercise science). The top 10 is rounded out by Riduan Abid (computer science), Robin Snipes (management), Patricia Patrick (t...

New research by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and his coauthors Luis Gomez-Mejia of Arizona State University, Len Trevino and Steve Caudill of Florida Atlantic University, Claudio Detotto of the University of Corsica and Josh Keen of Major League Baseball develops a new theory on when and why the greater risk aversion often observed in female managers enhances or hinders organizational performance. Their conceptual framework centers on the alignment between cognitive propensities and the duration of the decision-making task cycle and argues that female managers’ risk aversion enhances performance in contexts with ample time for deliberation but dampens performance in contexts requiring rapid decisions. Consistent with this theory, analysis of archival data from three seasons of results over 135 NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams reveals that female head coaches outperform their male counterparts on long-cycle decision tasks (e.g., recruiting), where time for decision-maki...

Today the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus students were visited by Phillip McGraw from NextGen Healthcare, who provided his insights on going a different professional route than most people. McGraw, a former Turner College student,  really helped our students see a different side of technology than what they are used to. Thank you to Phillip for taking the time to come and talk to our students and share insights on a different approach to technology.

Turner College Dean Deb Kidder recently announced that a  bold new era of entrepreneurship is launching in Columbus with the debut of LaunchCon, a one-day entrepreneurship conference and pitch competition powered by StartUPColumbus and the Turner College. This even will take place on Thursday, October 23, at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. The  big-stage pitch competition offers competitors a chance to win $40,000. The conference will also offer k eynote speakers who will discuss marketing, scaling, profit models and more. It will also provide a h ands-on panels and opportunities for networking.

Research by Turner College professor of economics  Frank Mixon  recently surpassed 5,500 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i10-index is equal to 143, meaning that Mixon has published 143 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 35, meaning that his 35 most-cited studies have each generated at least 35 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. Mixon’s g-index is 58, meaning that his 58 most-cited studies have collectively produced at least 3,364 citations.  Mixon’s top-cited publication is a 2004 study on macroeconomic and institutional determinants of foreign di...

Students in the TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus program recently participated in summer mock interviews in the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity inside the Synovus Center on CSU's main campus. Thanks to all of our industry partners and professionals who volunteered their time and expertise to help make this event happen. Thank you to all of the students who participated in this event and we hope that you learned a lot.

In a surprise move yesterday, CSU President Stuart Rayfield announced that CSU Provost Shannon Campbell had resigned her post and would no longer be affiliated with the institution. As Rayfield stated, ". . . as many of you know, Dr. Shannon Campbell recently took leave to care for her mother during a difficult time. Sadly, she will not be returning to Columbus State University. On behalf of our entire community, I have extended to her my heartfelt sympathy and appreciation for her service as our provost and chief academic officer. I wish her and her family strength and peace in the months ahead." Campbell was hired about one year ago and took office in February. Rayfield's announced also indicated that, beginning on July 14,  Dustin Anderson will become CSU’s new Provost and Chief Academic Officer. Anderson currently serves as Associate Provost for Student Success and Academic Programs at Georgia Southern University and was one of the two finalists in last year’s provost...

Turner Business congratulates  Johnny Keith , a TSYS School cybersecurity Nexus student who holds an internship with the  Maneuver Center of Excellence,  who recently developed an automated scheduling capability that will allow the Maneuver Center of Excellence to sunset a longstanding contract. This capability will result in substantial cost savings and increased operational efficiency. Please join us in congratulating Johnny on this amazing accomplishment.

The Turner College is currently hosting the Annual CHIPS Advanced Manufacturing summer camp for the third year in a row, as part of the CHIPS4CHIPS initiative here in the Columbus area. Middle School and High School students from surrounding counties in both Georgia and Alabama were nominated to participate in this exciting program that includes participation from Columbus State, Georgia Tech, Tuskegee, Columbus Tech, Troy, and CVCC.

Turner College economist Wen Shi and TSYS School computer scientist Yi Zhou  recently teamed with Yuan Tian and Ying Zhou of Auburn University and Chuan Wang of Vanderbilt University on a book chapter titled "Enhancing Diabetes Prediction with Advanced Machine Learning Techniques." Their chapter leverages data from the Framingham study to investigation the utilization of machine learning models in the realm of diabetes prediction. The researchers analyze multiple machine learning algorithms, including XGBoost, AdaBoost, Random Forest and LightGB, all of which were selected for their proven capabilities in handling complex datasets and providing accurate predictions in various domains. The results indicate that AdaBoost and LightGB are the most consistent and reliable algorithms, particularly in cases where class distribution is skewed. As they conclude, the effective deployment of these machine learning models in diabetes prediction showcases the harmonious integration of te...

Yesterday's post about clutch play in the NBA Playoffs described how USA Today sports columnist Josh Peter contacted Turner College economist Frank Mixon to discuss the "clutch play" of Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton over the past few months, including his game-winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the first game in this year's NBA Championship series. Since that post was written, Peter's column has appeared in the national publication and includes this excerpt: "Measuring clutch performances strictly by game-winning shots is flawed, according to researcher Franklin Mixon Jr., a professor of economics at Columbus State University in Georgia. 'This approach is subject to confirmation bias as fans will remember these game-winning baskets but tend to forget late-game turnovers and missed shots (free throws) by who they consider to be clutch players,’' Mixon wrote in an email to USA TODAY Sports. Mixon is co-author of a 2013 study...

The professional basketball world has been transfixed by the "clutch run" that Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers has been on during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Most recently, Haliburton hit the game-winning jump shot to lead the Pacers to victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Championship Finals. This "clutch run" prompted Josh Peter, a sports columnist with USA Today , to contact Turner College economist Frank Mixon  late last week to discuss clutch performances in professional basketball, a subject which Mixon has studied in the past. For example, in a 2013 study appearing in Applied Economics Letters , Mixon and his coauthors compare players' performances over the first three quarters of NBA Playoff games to their 4th quarter performances in those same games, finding that on a per-minute basis their early game performances generally exceed their late game or clutch-time productivity. Stay tuned to Turner Business for a report on the co...

The latest issue of the Turner College's academic journal, Servant Leadership Theory & Practice , which is edited by Turner College management professor Kevin Hurt , was recently released. Articles in this issue of the journal include one by David Macauley and Randall Trent Stevenson, both of the University of Texas Tech at Tyler, Helen Mitchell of Biola University, and David Fowler of Louisiana State University at Shreveport, that, as described by Hurt, "examine[s] how servant leadership, particularly the aspects of humility, empathy, and service, can effectively guide organizations through the challenging process of organizational change[, and] argue[s] that servant leadership, especially when aligned with Christian principles, offers a powerful framework for addressing employee resistance, fostering trust, and promoting lasting transformation." The second article, by Tyler Norris and Dalia Diab of Xavier University, is described by Hurt as one that "explo...

Turner College alum Kenneth Gray II has been named Director of Academic Success Coaching at CSU. " Coming back to CSU feels full circle. This is where I found my footing, discovered my purpose, and built relationships that helped shape the person and professional I am today. Now, I get to pour back into the same community that once poured into me," Gray explained. In accepting this new position, Gray returns to CSU from his role as Coordinator of Enrollment at Southern Union State Community College. His educational background includes at BBA in management and an M.S. in organizational leadership, both from the Turner College. Gray is currently pursuing an Ed.D. from CSU. " I’m stepping into this role with a heart for service, a student-first mindset, and a commitment to building a culture where every student feels seen, supported, and set up for success. I’m looking forward to working alongside a passionate team to build student-centered, data-driven strategies that emp...

Although publications and citations to prior academic research mainly impact prospects for merit raises, tenure and promotion at the individual level, the aggregation of research production and impact at the department level has implications for the maintenance of institutional accreditation and other signals of academic reputation.  A number of academic studies, dating  back to at least 1975, have produced rankings of economics departments (faculties) in the U.S. South.  A new study by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and Kamal Upadhyaya of the University of New Haven builds on this prior research by considering economics departments at all (i.e., more than 160) of the U.S. News & World Report -classified national universities and colleges located in the U.S. South, which is a list that has grown considerably in recent years. To rank economics departments, Mixon and Upadhyaya  examine citations to economists’ prior work rather than publication counts, with ...

Turner College Dean Deborah Kidder has informed the CSU community that  Sean Glieberman has accepted CSU's offer to be the new Director of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity. Glieberman  comes to the TSYS School from Ohio, where he held the position of Executive Director of the Center for Cyber Defense at Tiffin University. While there he secured $1 million in research grants and alternative revenue generation throughout the Ohio region, built a state-of-the-art cyber center with a 24/7 interactive cyberwall threat map, mobile cyber range, Boston Dynamics SPOT, and Tesla Cybertruck, and developed public and private partnerships, including with the White House ONCD, Department of Defense, CISCO, and US Bank. According to Kidder, " He has several years experience in the cybersecurity industry, both with established and start-up firms, as well as serving as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, MD." Glieberman holds a BS in Information ...

Turner College graduate Anastasia Olkhovaya ,  an Accounts Specialist with the Georgia Department of Transportation, possesses expertise in federal wage and hour labor laws, industrial occupations, wage scales, employment practices, and salary and wage administration practices. She harnesses this expertise to  conduct financial and performance audits of GDOT programs, contracts, and expenditures to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, and to perform compliance reviews to ensure adherence to relevant laws and policies. Anastasia earned a BBA in finance from the Turner College in 2011, and the following year she added a Turner College MBA. Turner Business salutes Anastasia on her professional accomplishments.