Turner Business

Aflac will be in the Center for Career Design on CSU's main campus on Thursday, February 5, from 12:15 pm to 2:00 pm in order to recruit freshmen and early sophomores in the health, business, and technology fields for their new co-ops starting this summer. They are planning to hire 20 CSU students. Please encourage students in these career pathways to attend the Open House. Students who need help with their resumes and professional attire may visit the Career Center before the Open House. The Career Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Schuster Student Center .

The long-awaited journal review being conducted by the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) has been released and there are a number of news items that relate to faculty in the Turner College. One of these is the ABDC's decision to now include  Compensation and Benefits Review in its journal rankings. This is big news for the Turner College as its editor, Phil Bryant , is a professor of management in the Turner College. The ABDC is proposing that the journal enter its system for the first time as a C-rated journal. Acting Turner College Dean Tesa Leonce sits on the journal's editorial board, while Turner College management professor Mark James has guest-edited an issue of the journal. Published by SAGE,  Compensation & Benefits Review is the leading journal for senior executives and professionals who design, implement, evaluate and communicate compensation and benefits policies and programs. The journal supports compensation and benefits specialists and academic ex...

Research by Turner College management professor Deborah Kidder recently surpassed 5,000 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that her i10-index is equal to 22, meaning that Kidder has published 22 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. Kidder’s h-index is 20, meaning that her 20 most-cited studies have each generated at least 20 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. Kidder’s g-index is 37, meaning that her 37 most-cited studies have collectively produced at least 1,369 citations. Kidder’s top-cited publication is a 1998 study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior that reviews previous work ...

A Turner Business post from late November of last year describes the Fall 2025 search for a new dean of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology at Georgia College & State University, including a list of the four finalists who made their way to Milledgeville for a presentation before the faculty and other supporters of the institution. To close out that story we can now report that finalist Amit Ghosh was chosen this week to fill the vacancy at the top of the Bunting College. According to the institution's press release , Ghosh brings extensive academic leadership experience, a strong record of scholarship and a deep commitment to student‑centered business education to his new role. Coming to Georgia College from Texas A&M International University, Ghosh currently serves as a professor of economics and chair of the Division of International Banking and Finance Studies in the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business. In this capacity, he oversees a ...

The number of students applying to CSU is down, while the number of students admitted is up. This is the state of the Fall 2026 enrollment situation reported to the CSU Faculty Senate by CSU President Stuart Rayfield during the group's January 2026 meeting. Rayfield also presented a number of other statistics, including the fact that Fall 2025 enrollment was down 3.31% while student credit hour production was down 2.5%. For Spring 2026, enrollment is up 2% and student credit hour production is up 2.25%. Despite these improvements, enrollment and SCH for the 2025-26 academic year is down, and even more so than comparison of the % statistics above would indicate since spring enrollments/SCH are typically smaller than fall enrollments/SCH. On a positive note, the number of new undergraduate students is up 43%, or by 151 students, since Fall of 2024. Also, dual enrollment is up, graduate student enrollment is up 4.6% and graduate SCH is up 5.21%. Still, the returning undergraduate stud...

CSU's Interim Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Janice Yarber-Allen, has been named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Albany State University. Yarber-Allen will assume the new position on March 2, 2026, or just over one month from now.  As Chief Academic Officer, Yarber-Allen will lead academic innovation, faculty excellence, and student success initiatives across the university. Her appointment marks the first in a series of strategic leadership hires as President Robert Scott builds a cabinet aligned with Albany State University’s future. As stated by Yarber-Allen, " I am thrilled to share that I will be joining Albany State University as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs on March 2, 2026. My campus visit confirmed what my heart already knew—ASU is exactly where I am meant to be in this moment of my life and ASU's history. I'm energized by the opportunity to serve this incredible HBCU and the Southwest Georgia region. I look forwar...

Research by TSYS School computer scientist Linqiang Ge recently surpassed 1,500 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i10-index is equal to 27, meaning that Ge has published 27 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. Ge’s h-index is 20, meaning that his 20 most-cited studies have each generated at least 20 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. Ge’s g-index is 38, meaning that his 38 most-cited studies have collectively produced at least 1,444 citations. Ge’s top-cited publication is a 2023 study in Sensors that applies the Internet of Things,  which interconnects various smart devices an...

A recent essay by award-winning family finance coach Andy Hill published at Marriage, Kids and Money  describes the financial journey taken by Turner College graduate and former CSU baseball star Blake Edwards  and his wife Chelsea, one of the greatest soccer players in CSU history, to reach $871,000 in net worth by age 31. Hill explains that Blake's curiosity about money and building net worth began in high school, a time with Blake collected coins and baseball cards. “One of my teachers showed us a compound interest graph of a Roth IRA when I was maybe 16. I didn’t fully understand it, but it stuck with me. I thought, I should probably do that when I start making money," Blake stated. Fast forward a few short years when Blake enrolled in CSU and met his future wife, then Chelsea Person. At that time, Blake was already focused on finance and entrepreneurship and his motivation developed from how he and his future wife viewed money. “For us, finances are r...

[The View from 30,000 Feet is an occasional entry that offers a big-picture view of some of the topics covered on this blog.] Average college grades have risen substantially over the past several years. Although such a trend might reflect real improvements in student learning, the fact that standardized test scores have not increased at the same rate suggests that the rise in average grades likely reflects a shift toward lower grading standards. Understanding how grading standards impact students– both in their academic performance and in their subsequent educational and professional outcomes – constitutes the central question addressed in new research by a team of scholars from the University of Texas, the RAND Corporation, the University of Maryland and the University of Georgia. This team studied the effects of grade inflation on high school students by constructing two teacher-specific measures of grade inflation. The first is “mean grade inflation,” which they explain measures how...

Research by TSYS School computer scientist Yi Zhou recently surpassed 500 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i10-index is equal to 18, meaning that Zhou has published 18 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. Zhou’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. Zhou’s g-index is 18, meaning that his 18 most-cited studies have collectively produced at least 324 citations. Zhou’s top-cited publication is a 2024 study that  provides a comprehensive overview of past developments and recent progress  in the ...

The  2026 State of the City, presented by Page Scrantom, set for February 17 will be held in the Cunningham Center on CSU's main campus.  Mayor Skip Henderson will participate in a moderated conversation, providing an update on the Columbus community’s progress, priorities, and vision for the future.  This lunch event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Another accolade for Turner College economist Frank Mixon  appeared with the publication of a new study by Wayne Geerling and Dirk Mateer of the University of Texas and Jadrian Wooten of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in an upcoming issue of The American Economist . In the study the authors  analyze recent citation data to identify leading contributors and rising scholars in the field of economics education. The second of three ranking techniques developed by the authors  ranks researchers according to an adjusted i10-index, which reflects the number of qualifying economics education articles that received at least 10 citations between 2020 and 2024. According to the authors, this metric reflects both productivity and consistent peer recognition across multiple publications, rather than relying on a single high-impact publication. It is in this particular ranking that Mixon appears, being ranked in a tie for 33rd among economics education scholars w...

Due to the threat of icy road conditions, CSU is delaying the start of in-person operations and instruction on Monday, Jan. 26, until 11 a.m. to ensure the safety of students and employees. This decision is based on information from local emergency management and regional National Weather Service experts. To students, safety and well-being are top priorities, so please prepare appropriately and communicate any concerns affecting your attendance to your instructor or supervisor.  Class meetings scheduled before 11:00 a.m. should be held virtually, and instructors will notify students directly with the details for virtual instruction. They should also provide flexibility for students who may experience power outages, connectivity issues or other storm-related challenges—and as they transition from virtual to in-person instruction.  Employees should work remotely until the campus reopens at 11 a.m. Employees unable to report for in-person work because of power outages or other st...

CSU faculty were delivered a winter weather advisory today stating that, g iven the possibility of icy weather conditions, they should take their computers and/or necessary files home this weekend in case there is a need to adjust university operations and/or switch to virtual operations and teaching on Monday, January 26. Supervisors were requested to remind their teams about the expectations for remote work and instruction, should that become necessary.  If university operations change for Monday, CSU officials will email the entire campus community by 5 p.m. Sunday and post additional guidance at columbusstate.edu/emergency.  As usual, essential employees may be called upon to ensure the campus is safe and that on-campus student residents are cared for.  CSU will continue monitoring the weather and provide further guidance before Sunday if needed. 

The TSYS School's cybersecurity Nexus students were treated yesterday to a visit by TSYS School alum  Nigel Miller , Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Maximus. Miller  spoke with our students about his career journey and the experiences that shaped his professional path. He shared valuable insights and practical advice, offering meaningful feedback to help students better understand potential career pathways and how to prepare for them. " What a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn directly from leaders in the field. Experiences like this—where they can hear real career journeys and build meaningful connections with our industry partners, are truly the difference maker in the Cybersecurity Nexus Program," stated Armando Fernandez , a lecturer in the program. Miller earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from the TSYS School in 2006. Later, in 2012, he earned an M.S. in computer science, also from the TSYS School. Prior ...

Turner College economist Ben Blair recently announced plans to retire after Summer 2026. Blair joined the Turner College in August of 2011 as the Sarah T. Butler Professor of Economics and Director of the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development. Many members of the local community are familiar with Blair through his role as moderation of the presentations at the annual financial forecast breakfasts that were co-sponsored by the Butler Center during the 2010s. Blair's research accomplishments include publications in several top journals, including the RAND Journal of Economics , Journal of Environmental Economics and Management ,  Economics Letters , Energy Economics  and Information Economics & Policy . Based on data collected by Turner Business , Blair's four A+ rated journal publications rank him third among Turner College faculty in terms of that accomplishment. Lastly, Blair's research has produced 632 Google Scholar citations to go along with an i10-i...

Turner College alum Bethany Yandell 's career in higher education has taken her to some great places and allowed her to meet some interesting people. Currently the Director of Communications and Marketing for the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee, Yandel recently described the past year in this position in her own words:  "One year ago I took a leap and landed at UT with the opportunity to work for the college that launched my career 18 years ago. No matter how many times you’ve done it, starting a new job is hard, but it also brings new opportunities, new friends, and confidence. I am filled with so much gratitude for all the growth this past year brought (and grateful to be on the other side of it!) and can’t wait to see what year two brings. I have a feeling it will be one for the books!" A 2012 graduate of the Turner College's MSOL program, Yandell served as the Turner College's Recruitment Coordinator from 2010 to 2013. F...

Turner College economist Frank Mixon earned high praise in a new study by Utah Valley University researcher Don Capener that is set for publication in a future issue of the American Journal of Economics and Sociology . As stated by Capener,  "Given [the] long history and specific intellectual mission [of the American Journal of Economics and Sociology ], a quantitative analysis of its publications provides a valuable method for understanding the journal's intellectual development. Bibliometric analysis, which tracks publication and citation data, can reveal the key scholars, influential research streams, and intellectual communities that define a journal." Capener's analysis reveals that Mixon is the fourth-most cited researcher to have published in the journal from 2000 through 2025, following behind scholars from West Virginia University, University of Tennessee and Auburn University, and just ahead of a scholar from Ohio University. According to Capener's study...

According to Jill Nolin's recent report for Georgia Recorder ,  state economist Robert Buschman told Georgia lawmakers Tuesday that he expects that slow growth and higher inflation to continue. As Nolin reports,  Buschman’s presentation to legislative budget writers put charts and graphs to the unease lawmakers are hearing from their constituents back home as affordability concerns take center stage under the Gold Dome.  “Reluctance by businesses to hire suggests fewer opportunities to change jobs for better pay, and that those between jobs or entering the workforce will remain unemployed for longer, dragging on consumer confidence,” Buschman said.  “Consumers also still feel squeezed by inflation. Incomes have not really kept up for the average worker. So consumer sentiment is weak,” he said. Nolin adds that  Buschman highlighted some bright spots for Georgia’s economy, like its low unemployment rate. But he said there are also worry-inducing factors at play, l...

The Office of the Provost invites CSU graduate and undergraduate students  to submit abstracts for the 2026 Tower Day, set for April 24, by the February 24th deadline.  Tower Day highlights students' academic and creative achievements across all disciplines, including business and computer science. It annually provides a space for scholars from all majors to come together to present, discuss and network about their innovative research and artistic creations. Planetary scientist and 2013 Columbus State alumnus Matthew Perry will be the Tower Day keynote speaker.  Perry, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Earth and Space Sciences from Columbus State in 2013, is currently a research scientist with the Planetary Science Institute in Colorado and a former NASA professional. His research involves interpreting subsurface radar-sounding data, specifically regarding the presence of near-surface water ice deposits on Mars—in addition to numerous NASA-funded projects. He will share h...

Two-time CSU graduate Jordan Allen was recently named Investment Operations Analyst for the New Mexico State Investment Council, a Santa Fe-based state agency that  manages numerous permanent, endowment and reserve funds for the state, totaling well over $50 billion. It is the second largest sovereign wealth fund organization in the country and distributions from the fund currently pay for more than one quarter of all K-12 education in the state and more than half of all early childhood programs. In announcing Allen's appointment, the NMSIC remarked that " Jordan brings a blend of financial analysis, accounting expertise, and technical writing to his new role. Jordan's previous experience includes financial modeling, planning and analysis, reporting, and tech implementations. He earned his dual degree in finance and technical writing from Columbus State University." Prior to joining this organization Allen worked for Albuquerque-based Critical Energy Infrastructure S...

According to Ross Williams' report for Georgia Recorder , Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is pushing for an  expansion of the University of Georgia Foundation’s DREAMS Scholarship program that would include  a one-time investment of $325 million in state funding for the program.  “In this era of high prices and new challenges for those graduating from high school, we also recognize the advantage need-based financial assistance can give to those who would not otherwise be able to access higher education,” Kemp stated in his recent presentation to Georgia legislators.  “Like their peers who have the means to attend college, these students have great dreams for rewarding careers and impactful lives, but they do not always have hope that those dreams can become reality,” he added. Based on Ross' report, t he new scholarship could provide up to $3,000 to students who meet qualifications, including that they work or volunteer at least part time. Recipients also need to be Geor...

Greetings to Turner College graduates who are now living and working far away from campus. Turner Business thought you might want a pic of campus with all of the newly fallen snow. Here's a shot of the iconic clock tower. Happy MLK Day. We hope to see you back on campus soon.

The Turner College's February 17th Career Fair (11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the CSU Student Recreation Center) is quickly approaching and it's important for business and computer science students to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with employers, explore internships and full-time roles, and build professional relationships by showing up prepared. For each student this means getting your résumé reviewed, practicing interview and networking skills, learning how to introduce yourself to employers, building confidence for career fair conversations, exploring the Career Closet for Professional Attire to make a great first impression, updating your Handshake and LinkedIn photos by using the Center for Career Coaching's free/on-demand photobooth, and registering for the Career Fair on Handshake in advance in order to view attending employers and plan your strategy. According to Turner College Career Success Coach Kate Vogel , "The Center for Career Coaching is read...

The 2026 Georgia Economic Outlook Series arrives in Columbus on January 27. Presented by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, this event has provided more than 40 years of reliable, research-driven data from the renowned Selig Center for Economic Growth. Jeff Humphreys, an award-winning economist, conducts the in-depth research, and Santanu Chatterjee, Interim Dean of the Terry College of Business, will present the findings, offering expert analysis of national, state, and local trends. Turner College Acting Dean Tesa Leonce , Turner College management professor Michael Rothlisberger , and Choose Columbus' Missy Kendrick and Andy Hilmes will present the local forecast. This is an invaluable opportunity to network with peers, enjoy lunch, and prepare for the year ahead with the tools to make informed decisions. Don’t miss out on the insights that will help you navigate the economic landscape of 2026 and the opportunity to support our leadership. The event is set fo...

Turner College faculty, staff and students are invited to visit the Schwob Library on CSU's main campus tomorrow in order to attend the Spring 2026 Legacy Talks, formerly known as the Rites of Passage presentations. The event, which is scheduled for 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm, is a recurring one at CSU that honors those CSU faculty who have recently earned promotion to full professor. Of the 14 recently promoted CSU faculty, four represent the Turner College. These are  management professor Phillip Bryant , business administration professor John Finley ,  management professor Kevin Hurt , and finance professor Gisung Moon . Please join Turner Business in celebrating their achievement.  

CSU's Vice President for Student Affairs, Gina Sheeks, is set to retire after a 32-year career at the institution. To honor her service and career, a retirement reception has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 21 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the Lumpkin Center's President's Club on the CSU main campus. All faculty and staff are invited to congratulate Gina on her outstanding tenure at CSU.

This being the first week of spring semester, the TSYS School is happy to welcome back its cybersecurity Nexus students, including new Cohort 16. These students are pictured at left, with cybersecurity Nexus instructor Armando Fernandez . Yesterday, the program welcomed back several alumni who spoke to the group of students. These included Patrick Aiken , Manager of Global Cybersecurity Awareness and Culture at Aflac, Jett Robinson , Security Systems Administrator at Aflac, Natasha Harris , Global Security Systems Administrator at Aflac, and Gabrielle Holmes-Hodge , Information Security Officer at CSU.     

At its December 2025 meeting, the CSU Faculty Senate discussed the proposal process for a salary study. As part of that discussion, it was reported that the USG Chancellor received a great deal of feedback regarding the recent merit raise. Based on the meeting minutes, although the Fall 2025 merit raise iteration was "not a seamless process," CSU is considering making merit raises an annual incentive. Based on reporting by Turner Business , if that happens faculty evaluations in the Turner College will need to be standardized across the three departments in order to avoid the pitfalls associated with the Fall 2025 merit raises. That would likely mean that an Ad Team meeting, during which each Turner College faculty member's annual evaluation will have to be compared with those of other faculty members, will be needed. Stay connected to Turner Business for more on this issue. An advertisement for a new Turner College dean is not currently among the few new employment noti...