Turner Business

Turner Business has kept up with the professional accomplishments of former Turner College student Tamara Todorova , now an associate professor of economics at American University in Bulgaria (AUB), Todorova earned an MBA from the Turner College in 1996 and then went on to earn a doctorate in international economics from the University of Economics - Varna in 2001. She has been on the faculty at AUB since August of 2000. Our post of 18 January 2024 reported that Todorova published a study in the International Journal of Business Performance Management investigating how corporate culture helps to economize on the transaction costs of internal organization. Ten months later, on 22 October 2024, we reported that she earned promotion to full professor at AUB. Lastly, back in February of this year we posted that Todorova published a study in Economies that provides a mathematical approach to understand the effect of demand shifters such as consumer income and the level of advertising ...

Turner College economist Frank Mixon and Steven Caudill of Auburn University recently inked a deal with Nova Science Publishers out of Hauppauge, New York, to produce a new scholarly book titled Mixture Models: Statistical Foundations, Estimation Strategies, and Applications . Mixture models, and their latent class model representatives, are powerful statistical techniques used to uncover hidden, unobserved subgroups (classes) within a broader population. Both models assume that the overall population is a mixture of multiple distinct subpopulations. Because class membership is unobserved, the models estimate the probability that an individual belongs to each class, effectively making them probabilistic, model-based clustering methods. Mixon has published several books over his career, with the most recent being a 2025 book with Turner College accounting professor Jasmine Bordere titled The Beauty Premium in Academe: An Economic Approach . In 2020, Mixon and Laura Ahlstrom of the Uni...

The rapid growth of unstructured data has driven the widespread adoption of LSM-tree-based key-value stores (KV stores).  The write amplification resulting from compaction in LSM-trees causes a performance bottleneck. Existing solutions attempt  to address this issue through key-value separation strategies. However, these studies fail to optimize the memory components  of LSM-trees or provide efficient garbage collection (GC) strategies that achieve high performance while minimizing CPU  overhead. These limitations motivated TSYS School computer scientist Yi Zhou  and researchers from Anhui University,  Zhongguancun Laboratory and Auburn University  to propose a GPGPU-empowered gradient data hierarchy and key-value separation  for optimizing KV stores, named GDH+. In a study set to appear in a forthcoming issue of ACM Transactions on Architecture and Code Optimization , Zhou et al. utilize GPGPU acceleration for sorting and lushing operations, op...

Turner College professor of management Phil Bryant recently surpassed 3,500 career Google Scholar citations. Additionally, Google Scholar reports that his i10-index is equal to 15, meaning that Bryant has published 15 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. Bryant’s h-index is 14, meaning that his 14 most-cited studies have each generated at least 14 citations. Bryant's top-cited publication is a 2010 study on retaining talent that appears in Academy of Management Perspectives . Another piece on the same subject – this one appearing in a 2013 issue of Compensation and Benefits Review – has garnered the second-most citations over Bryant’s career. Each of these studies was co-authored with David Allen of the University of Memphis, while the first of the two was also written with James V...

A new study by Turner College finance professor Gisung Moon and  Hongbok Lee of Western Illinois University  examines the capital budgeting techniques presented in financial management textbooks published by major U.S. publishers, focusing on the types of cash flows and discount rates, and then  proposes improvements to traditional capital budgeting techniques .  The study finds that textbooks typically evaluate a project's net cash flows using the firm's weighted average cost of capital (WACC). This method is valid only when the project's net cash flows have the same systematic risk as the firm's net cash flows. However, this assumption often does not hold. To address this, Moon and Lee propose using dual discount rates for the project's operating cash flows and expected future investment outlays. Specifically, the project's operating cash flows should be discounted at the firm's WACC or at a rate that reflects the systematic risk associated with those cas...

Turner College alum Julissa Santoyo recently joined the Young Leaders Council with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. The Young Leaders Council  is a board of young professionals dedicated to supporting and empowering Atlanta’s youth through mentorship and community impact. "I am honored to be part of an inspiring group and excited for what’s ahead," Santoyo stated. Julissa is a commercial banker at Synovus.

Graduating CSU seniors, including some from the Turner College and TSYS School, recently gathered around the clock tower on CSU's main campus for the annual graduation toast. The Turner College's commencement ceremony is set for Friday at 9:00 am.

Our recent post on the structural divide in higher education drew a lot of reader interest. We decided to pull the same information that was provided for CSU for Georgia's other public and private universities. The large table below contains that information. Recall  that Substack essayist and higher education enthusiast Kyle Saunders used eight indicators drawn from federal data — IPEDS, College Scorecard, O*NET, WICHE projections, the Anthropic Economic Index — to position every four-year institution in the country along two dimensions: how resilient the institution itself is, and how well-positioned its graduates are in the labor market. In reading the table, institutions above the median on both axes are " High Capacity " while those below both are " High Stress ." The other two quadrants — " Market Misaligned " and " Structurally Exposed " — capture institutions with mixed structural positions.

Capitol Beat reporter Ty Tygami's recent story on Georgia's new DREAM Scholarship lays out very nicely how the new program will support Georgia's college students. Turner Business has been following the bill, now law, authorizing the funds for the program for months, so we wanted to complete the story with this entry. Georgia moves beyond HOPE, with need-based aid for college students by  Ty Tagami  |  May 11, 2026  |  Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA — Next fall, Georgia students attending one of the state’s public colleges and universities will have a chance at financial aid if they come from a low-income family. Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday signed legislation that establishes a need-based financial aid program. The amended budget for fiscal year 2026 already included $325 million for the DREAMS Scholarship. Senate Bill 556 establishes the rules for spending it, placing the program under the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which oversees the HOPE scholarsh...

The Turner College's spring 2026 commencement ceremony is set for Friday, May 15, at 9:00 am in the Lumpkin Center on CSU's main campus.  The commencement ceremony will feature Georgia State Senator Ed Harbison as the keynote speaker. First elected in 1992 and currently the longest-serving member of the state senate, Harbison will deliver his insights on civic leadership and service. Across both the Turner College and TSYS School, 225 students will be receiving degrees and certificates. In term of CSU as a whole, 978 graduates will cross the stage. Turner Business salutes all of this semester's graduates.

University of Wyoming business school dean Scott Beaulier recently discussed the closure of Hampshire College and the fact that Central Michigan University's enrollment has fallen to levels not seen by the institution since the 1970s. This occurred at the same time that this blog, Turner Business , reported that CSU's enrollment fell by 2.4%, representing the only headcount drop across the USG for spring semester 2026. It is in response to data like these that Substack essayist ( Sacred Cow BBQ ) and higher education enthusiast Kyle Saunders used  eight indicators drawn from federal data — IPEDS, College Scorecard, O*NET, WICHE projections, the Anthropic Economic Index — to position every four-year institution in the country along two dimensions: how resilient the institution itself is, and how well-positioned its graduates are in the labor market. In reading the map, i nstitutions above the median on both axes are "High Capacity" while those below both are "High...

The CSU Ethical Hacking Team, established just this year  as an initiative of the TSYS Center for Cybersecurity, recently placed 60th in the nation, and 26th in the region, at the 2026 National Cyber League National Championship.  The NCL National Championship competition is the gold standard in cyber competitions and provides students with experience in solving real-world cybersecurity challenges, such as identifying hackers, penetration testing, digital forensics and ransomware recovery. Every year over 10,000 students from more than 500 colleges and universities across the U.S. participate. This year's CSU team roster included  Elijah Starkey ,  Ari Betan-Snook ,  Kasey McGrath ,  Jude Pontes ,  Jake Rogers ,  Nicholas Cieplensky and  Benjamin Altizer . Winning this year's competition was Colorado State University  –  Pueblo, while the top five also included Cedarville University, University of Hawai'i  –  West Oahu, ...

Possibly for the first time ever, two winners were announced to receive one of the Turner College's faculty awards as both Turner College associate professor of accounting Charles Boster and TSYS School cybersecurity lecturer Elke Brumbaugh took home the 2026 Turner College Excellence in Teaching Award. Since joining the Turner College just a few years ago, accounting professor Boster has steadily built an impressive record in accounting education. He uses classroom examples and cases to encourage discussion of topics. This approach develops student confidence and encourages problem solving based upon creative thinking. The assessments utilized by Boster primarily focus on a group project culminating in a written report and project presentation. Students are encouraged to integrate technology such as artificial intelligence, spreadsheets, word processors, and presentation software for efficiency in research and communication. In line with continuous improvement approaches, s...

Possibly for the first time ever, two winners were announced to receive one of the Turner College's faculty awards as both  Turner College associate professor of accounting   Jasmine Bordere and TSYS School computer science professor  Yi Zhou took home the 2026 Turner College Excellence in Research Award.  Like most researchers, Bordere's scholarship includes peer-reviewed journal articles, interdisciplinary research collaborations, and applied research that informs both academic literature and professional practice. Her eclectic research program addresses financial reporting standards, auditing practices, teaching effectiveness and student learning in higher education. Bordere's first publication, a study of audit risk, appears in the 2015 volume of Current Issues in Auditing . In the above and other areas, Bordere has experienced several research successes in recent years. Her 2020 article in Internal Auditing examines the financial reporting impacts of the coro...

Turner College finance professor Joshua Brooks received the 2026 Turner College Excellence in Service Award at the organization's Strategic Planning Retreat earlier this week.  MBA Program Director, Chair of the Assurance of Learning Committee, and Faculty Senator are just some of the service roles that Brooks fills each academic year. These accompany a long list of other service activities, including development and delivery of a new RIVER course, QEP grading, QM peer review, and membership on about six Honors College thesis committees, making him a strong contender for the 2026 Turner College Service Award. Brooks' service work is not contained within the boundaries of CSU, as he serves as a reviewer for multiple academic journals, a scientific advisor for two fintech startups, a member of various advisory boards, and a director of a non-profit board. Lastly, Brooks' community service extends to his children's educational pursuits given that he is the PTA Treasurer, ...

Turner College management professor Kevin Hurt  was a big winner at the Turner College's recent Strategic Planning Retreat, taking home the 2026 Turner College Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. As indicated here previously,  Hurt offers his students a unique research-based approach to graduate education. In addition to assigning academic readings and a research requirement in his MSOL classes, his students are also assigned movies and/or TED Talks to watch, after which they are tasked with diagnosing whether a particular leader demonstrates servant leadership. In completing this assignment, Hurt's students must go beyond a simple "yes" or "no" answer and instead link their perspective back to the academic literature to justify their positions. Students are then graded on how well they defend their positions with the academic literature, not on the correctness of their conclusion. These diagnosis papers yield the additional benefit of stimulating interes...

The TSYS School's Linqiang Ge took home the 2026 Turner College Excellence in Online Teaching Award at this year's Turner College Strategic Planning Retreat.  Throughout his brief time in the TSYS School, Ge has worked to achieve and maintain excellence in online teaching, to ensure student success in the online learning environment, and to retain students in the TSYS School's academic programs. "I've embarked on a journey into online teaching, navigating through virtual classrooms and digital landscapes to deliver quality education to my students," Ge explained to Turner Business .  One of the primary challenges Ge initially encountered in terms of online education was maintaining student engagement in a virtual setting. To address this, he redesigned course materials to be more interactive and visually stimulating. Incorporating multimedia elements, interactive simulations, and gamified learning activities helped sustain student interest and participation t...

Turner College management major  Chase Baker was recently inducted into the Talented Tenth Chapter of the Collegiate 100 at Columbus State University. In the same ceremony, he was also sworn in as Co-Chair of the Health and Wellness Department for the 2026–2027 academic year.  I am truly grateful to my fellow members for their trust in allowing me to serve in this leadership role. Their support means a great deal, and I am committed to contributing with dedication, purpose, and integrity.  Together, we will continue striving for excellence and making a meaningful impact every day.

Turner College economist Wen Shi was presented with the 2026 CSU Teaching Innovation Award at yesterday's CSU Faculty and Staff Awards Banquet.  This award recognizes and rewards the efforts of faculty members who develop and practice innovative methodologies in pedagogy. This award showcases the creative innovations of the faculty members that facilitate enhanced learning. This award specifically focuses on the uniqueness of the “program actions” that increase student interest and drive achievement.  The University’s academic community recognizes that not all strategies will result in positive gains in student learning but without the effort there can be no gain. “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.” — T.S. Eliot. This award recognizes the effort and documentation of outcomes by the faculty member attempting to create a new learning strategy or methodology and celebrate the faculty’s willingness to expand boundaries of t...

TSYS School computer science professor Yesem Kurt Peker took home CSU's top teaching award, the 2026 CSU Teaching Excellence Award, at the recent CSU Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony.  This  award recognizes a faculty member’s strong commitment to teaching and learning. The criteria for selection include demonstrated use of classroom activities designed to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and/or global and multicultural understanding; use of effective teaching strategies to enhance student learning, such as innovative uses of technology, active learning, learning communities, student portfolios, and assessment; and a strong commitment to fostering academic success through interaction with students outside of the classroom (e.g., advising, mentoring, recruiting, etc.). The winner of this award serves as CSU’s nominee for the USG Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award and receives a medallion and a stipend sponsored by the Faculty Center for the Enhancement of...

Turner College accounting professor Charles Boster was a big winner at the 2026 CSU Faculty & Staff Awards Ceremony, taking home the Chappell Graduate Faculty Award. This award  recognizes those full-time members of the CSU Graduate Faculty who, in the tradition established by Dr. William “Bill” Chappell, have demonstrated excellence in teaching CSU’s graduate students and have contributed outstanding professional service to the CSU Graduate School, CSU and the Columbus community.  Boster's approach to graduate business education relies heavily on classroom examples and cases to encourage student discussion of topics. The goal of this process is to create an active classroom environment where students share insights and assist their peers, as the discussions frequently focus on questions about alternate solution paths. Assessments of learning primarily focus on a group project culminating in a written report and project presentation. Students are encouraged to integrate t...

Research by the University of South Alabama's Ermanno Affuso,  Ján Buleca and Maryna Tatar of the Technical University of Košice,  and Turner College economist Frank Mixon on the impact of armed conflicts on the price of energy in the European Union has recently been included in reports by BBC News on U.S. conflicts with Venezuela and, more recently, Iran. These researchers utilize a  worldwide annual count of armed conflicts to capture the global conflict environment that can affect European household energy prices through commodity markets, sanctions, shipping disruptions, insurance premiums and geopolitical uncertainty.  The central story of the research is that higher global conflict exposure since the late 1990s is associated with an adverse shift in energy supply and losses in consumer welfare that have grown to 30 billion Euros. Affuso, one of the study's co-authors, has also discussed the work with the Mobile, Alabama, FOX affiliate on multiple occasions as t...

Turner College MSOL graduate Veronika Roberts has been named the Director of Women's Basketball Operations at Coastal Carolina University. Roberts rises to the position from her current roles as Social Media Manager for Men's Basketball and Graduate Assistant for Women's Basketball here at CSU, positions she has held since August of 2024. Expressing excitement for this new opportunity,  Roberts stated, "I’m grateful for the opportunity and thankful for everyone who has supported me along the way—this next chapter is something I’ve worked hard for, and I can’t wait to get started. Chants up!" Veronika graduated with a B.S. in public health education from Bradley University in May of 2023. She went on to earn a master's degree in healthcare administration from the University of West Florida in July of 2025. This was followed by her MSOL from the Turner College, which she earned in December of 2025. Turner Business congratulates Veronika on this latest mileston...

Georgia State Senator Ed Harbison will deliver his insights on civic leadership and service to spring graduates of the Turner College and TSYS School at 9:00 am on Friday, May 15. Currently the longest-serving member of the state senate, Harbison will address all three of Columbus State’s spring graduation ceremonies, which are part of CSU's 131st commencement exercises.  Since 1992, Harbison has represented Columbus and parts of the Chattahoochee Valley that encompass Georgia’s 15th Senate district. His prominence and reputation in the Senate have led to leadership roles, such as chair of the State Institutions and Property Committee and ranking member of the Banking and Financial Institutions, Insurance and Labor, Interstate Cooperation, Reapportionment and Redistricting, and Ethics committees. He is also vice chair of the Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee and holds ex officio membership on the Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. As a veteran, former U....

As a follow up to yesterday's post about the newly released FT Top 50 business journals, we decided to provide a list of the current Top 20 business journals according to Google Scholar.  This list is provided below. Congrats to Turner College faculty who have published from this list in the past, such as Ben Blair (economics), Joshua Brooks (finance), Johnny Ho (management),  Mark James (management), Deborah Kidder (management), Yoon Lee (management information systems),  Frank Mixon (economics) and Robin Snipes (management). American Economic Review Business Strategy and the Environment Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management Energy Economics Finance Research Letters Industrial Marketing Management International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management International Journal of Hospitality Management International Journal of Production Economics Journal of Business Ethics Journal of Business Research Journal of Financial Economics Journ...