This year has been a time of extraordinary progress for the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology. As Interim Dean, it has been an honor to serve this college and community. The dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and industry partners continues to shape us daily as we increase our impact. Together, we’ve celebrated meaningful milestones that demonstrate our commitment to innovation and excellence
One of our proudest accomplishments was launching the Business Executive in Residence program, which brings senior leaders to campus for immersive visits. This year, we welcomed Barry Wolfe in the fall and Kevin Neary in the spring. We look forward to hosting Kristina Turner in October and Sam Rauschenberg in April.
We also relaunched the Executive Forum, a speaker and dinner series that connects our students and faculty with local business leaders Kevin Neary and Mike Ciabattoni were featured in Spring 2025, and we are excited to welcome Kristina Turner and Lou Childs this fall. These initiatives strengthen the bridge between academic learning and real-world application, expanding our students’ networks and perspectives.
Inside the classroom, we continue to enhance the student experience with high-impact learning opportunities This year, we proudly opened the Bobcat Boardroom and Bobcat Trading Room, two state-of-the-art spaces that are already being put to great use by students in finance, information systems, and other areas Outside the classroom, we’ve made time to connect and celebrate. We hosted a CoBT Night at the Bobcat baseball game in April, and we’re planning tailgates for volleyball and soccer this fall. We hope to see many of our alumni at these events as we build a stronger, more connected community.
Our momentum is also reflected in our numbers In Fall 2024, the CoBT enrolled 2,189 students, up from 1,830 in Fall 2022. Georgia College’s total enrollment rose from 6,315 to 7,097 in that same period. With this growth we are welcoming new faculty this August. They will be introduced in the next issue of From the Desk of the Dean.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the continued engagement of our alumni, partners, and supporters Whether you mentored students, judged Elevator Pitch competitions, hosted interns, spoke in a class, or gave generously of your time and resources—thank you. Your investment has lasting impact.
Looking ahead, I am excited about what’s next. With your continued support and the momentum we’ve built, I’m confident the CoBT will continue to thrive and lead.
ement Information Systems
The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology aspires to be the preeminent business school among public liberal arts colleges and universities by delivering innovative programs of excellence.
Vision Mission
The mission of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology is to develop agile business professionals and socially responsible citizen leaders who embrace intellectual inquiry through critical and analytical thinking, quantitative reasoning, technical competence, and effective communication, while building upon the attributes of a public liberal arts education.
LIGHTINGAPATHFOROURFUTURE
STRATEGIC PLAN
Key Initiatives:
Develop and implement a BS in Finance
Expand and enrich high impact practices
Ensure technology currency across academic disciplines
Grow and sustain graduate enrollments
Key Initiatives:
Develop partnerships with large employers
Design and implement a Center for Innovation
Academic innovation reflects both responsiveness to demand in the market and relevance to broader societal needs. A business education, as fully integrated with the public liberal arts, sets the environment for transformative listening, learning, and leveraging
We foster collaborative engagement and meaningful stakeholder connections. Our goal is positive and measurable societal impact for our various constituents including students, faculty, staff, local organizations, entrepreneurs, and regional employers
2,100+ Students
Undergraduate Computer Science Program Among Regional South Universities according to U S News & World Report 2024
2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5
ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS LAW
Accounting Research Journal | Atlanta Journal
Constitution | Barrons | Cheeseman Business Law |
EDPACS | Forbes | Fox News | Global Business Review | International Journal of Behavioural Accounting & Finance | International Journal of Disclosure and Governance | International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT 20 | International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting | Journal of Business Finance & Accounting | Newsweek | New York Times | Oregon Law Review | Southern Journal of Business & Ethics | Strategic Change | The Accounting Educators’ Journal | The Hill | USA Today | US News & World Report | Wallstreet Journal | World Politics Review
ECONOMICS & FINANCE
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review | Economics Bulletin | Associated Press | EconEd News | Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management International | Journal of Financial Education | Journal of Financial Research | Journal of Information, Communication & Ethics in Society | Journal of Sports Economics | Management Science | Review of Economics of the Household | The American Economist | The Annals of Regional Science, Germany | WABE
COMPUTER SCIENCE & INFORMATION
SYSTEMS
Application Scholarship, Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance | Behaviour & Information Technology | Business & Professional Communication Quarterly | IEEE | Information Technology for Development | International Journal of Business Communication | Issues in Information Systems | Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges | Privacy in the Digital Age: Challenges and Solutions | Science, Technology & Society | The Agile Network | The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges
MANAGEMENT, MARKETING
& LOGISTICS
American Journal of Gastroenterology | American Journal of Management | Cardiology Research | First Monday | Group & Organization Management | Industrial Marketing Management | International Journal of Production Economics | International Journal of Technology Marketing | Journal of Cardiac Failure Journal of Organizational Behavior | Journal of Product & Brand Management | Journal of Public Policy & Marketing | Journal of Service Research, International | Logistics Management, USA | Management Decision International | Marketing Education Review | NPR | Psychology & Marketing | Public Relations Review | Tokyo Broadcasting Company | Transportation Research
2024 Annual Meeting of the Financial Management Association
2024 Atlantic Marketing Association (AtMA) Conference
2025 Annual Global Finance Conference
2025 Leadership in Accounting Education
4ATL: Creativity & Belonging in Atlanta Conference
AACSB Deans’ Conference
Academy of Economics & Finance
Academy of International Business
Academy of Management
Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference
AMA Winter Academic Conference
Administrative Professionals Day Conference
American Association of Advertising Agencies Conference
American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)
American Economic Association Meetings
American Institute of CPAs
Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management
ASUG Campus Connect
Beta Alpha Psi National Meeting
CCSC South Central
CCSC Northwest
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
Conference
Decision Science Institute (DSI)
Eastern Finance Association
European Decision Sciences Institute Conference Frontiers in Service Conference
Georgia Association of Accounting Educators Annual Conference
Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference
Global Finance Conference
Grace Hopper Celebration
High Impact Practices Summer Institute
IEEE Southeast Con 2025
Information Systems Security Association Gala
International AAA Conference
International Association for Computing Information Systems
International Collegiate Sales Competition
International Information Management Association
RNMKRS
Salesforce AI Summit
Social Dilemmas Working Group
Society for Marketing Advances
Society of Economic Educators
Southern Economic Association
Southern Finance Association
Southwestern Finance Association
SRC Annual Conference
Tapia Conference
2024 USG AI Conference
World Finance Conference
Company Collaborations
Internships
Projects
Guest Speakers
94th Logs Readiness
Airforce Audit Agency
Alex Gregory, Former CEO of YKK
AmericasMart
Amici’s Milledgeville
Aon Rewards Asset Management
Aprio
Baldwin County Crime Center Bank of America
Barclays
Barracuda Network
Bennett Thrasher
Betty Gene’s
Bodyplex Milledgeville
Burton Bond
Carr Riggs & Ingram Capala Celonis
Central Garden & Pet
Chick-Fil-A
Clifton Larson Allen
ClubCar
CW Holdings LLC
Delta
Deloitte
Dickey Broadcast Company 680
Draffin Tucker
Eisner Amper
Enterprise
Ernest & Young Global Limited (EY) Exchange Bank
Fan Creations
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Focus Brands
Forvis Mazars
Fouts Bros Inc.
Frazier & Deeter
Fulton & Kozak
Competition Judges
Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts
Georgia Department of Banking & Finance
Georgia Ports Authority
Good Agriculture
Grant Thornton
Guided by Good Gulfstream
Hall Boys Inc
Hancock Askew
Home Depot
Howard Moore McDuffie
IBM WatsonX
Interface
IRS Criminal Investigations Division
Jackson and Coker
Jimmy John’s
Kubota
Lake Country Gymnastics
Litner Deganian Law Firm
Lockheed Martin
Macon Bacon
Mansfield Energy
Marketing Georgia
Mauldin & Jenkins
McNair, McLemore Middlebrooks, & Co
Med South
Milwaukee Tool/TTI
Morgan Stanley
Morning Grind Coffee MS Tiller
National Tree Company
Nichols Cauley
Northwestern Mutual Northrup Grumman
Orcawise
Peach State Pride Pennington
Pettigrew & Pettigrew
Qrypt
Remote Security Solutions
Robins Air Force
Rodel & Partner
SAP Sageworx Slalom
SlumberPods
Smith Agency
Smith+Howard Soliant
Syfan Logistics
Symphona
The Agile Network
The Masquerade
The Meat Locker
The Talk About Money
Thiele Kaolin
Threadkore
Tomorrow Digital Marketing UPS
United Distributors Inc
Vietcom Bank
Vulcan Materials
Wal-Mart
WBL
Windham Brannon
Wipfli
YKK
Accounting & Business Law
H I G H L I G H T S
Accounting Career Fair
BAP is an honors organization for financial information students and professionals. Beta Alpha Psi exists to encourage & give recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field. This includes promoting the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems; providing opportunities for self-development, service & association among members & practicing professionals and encouraging a sense of ethical, social & public responsibility.
BAP achieved Silver Status Attended BAP Annual Meeting in Orlando Initiated 24 new members in 2025 Many events for BAP and accounting students are sponsored by the Accounting Advisory Board
Accounting Day on Front Campus | Accounting Board Interaction with students | Business Writing Skills Sessions | Fraud Night | Kickball Challenge | Meet the Firms Events | Mock Interviews | Networking Events | Resume Workshops | Scholarship Application Parties | Two Accounting Career Fairs | Voluntary Mentoring Program | Where do I Fit? Seminar
Chaired by: Dr. Herbert Snyder
Eric Neas ‘12, ‘13
*Dr Herbert Snyder retired
ALUMNI FACULTY
Executive in Residence. Read her interview in our newsletter
Dr. Mohammad Jizi
Dr Jizi, an Associate Professor and CoBT GC Journeys Fellow, brings six + years of PricewaterhouseCoopers experience to GCSU. He has published more than 20 papers, is among the top 2% of accounting researchers according to ScholarGPS, and strategically aligns Column Society talks with college goals
Read his biography in our newsletter.
Professor Jehan El-Jourbagy
Professor El-Jourbagy, associate professor of business law and ethics, won the prestigious Felton Jenkins, Jr Hall of Fame Faculty Award Her innovative teaching methods blend community service, professional networking & hands-on learning
Read the story in FrontPage.
Economics & Finance
H I G H L I G H T S
2024-2025 SMIC Executive Board
AEF Student Presenters
The $100,000 given to the Student Managed Investments Committee is now officially invested The student organization consists of an executive leadership board and 10 managing directors who oversee groups of analysts, with the 45-person membership requiring interviews and financial knowledge testing.
Read the full story in FrontPage
MENTORED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Students and faculty presented their original research at the annual conference in Pensacola, Florida.
30% of economics graduates pursued advanced degrees in the past five years. In 2024-2025, Economics graduates were accepted to: Florida State University, Emory University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wyoming, & Tapei School of Economics & Political Science.
FACULTY
Dr. Xiaomeng Lu
Dr Xiaomeng Lu serves as faculty advisor for the CFA Institute Research Challenge, has published groundbreaking research in Management Science Journal, and brings expertise in Empirical Asset Pricing and Corporate Finance
Read about Dr Lu in our newsletter
Dr. Cullen Wallace
Dr Wallace is the former recipient of the Laurie Hendricks McMillan Faculty Award, created a study-abroad program on capitalism and communism in Germany, and has published papers focusing on child welfare and adoption. Read more in our newsletter
Information Systems & Computer Science
H I G H L I G H T S
AI Club
AI Club | GC WI | MIS Explore | Mentored
Undergraduate Research | 24 students attended Grace Hopper Celebration | Scrum Master Training | IT Career Fair | Upsilon Pi Epsilon | Halle
Foundation and grants | Pickleball clinic | Service
Learning Projects | Capstone Projects | Celonis Center of Excellence | Scrum Master Certification |
MMIS Double Bobcats | ASUG Student Connect Event in Atlanta | ERPSim Sustainable
Manufacturing National Competition – placed 9th
Undergraduate Students
17 earned Celonis Rising Star Digital Badges
27 Earned SAP Student Award Certificates
Graduate Students
36 earned Salesforce Digital Badges
130+ students & professionals attended the professionalism etiquette dinner
115+ students & professionals attended the professionalism networking night These events & others sponsored by IT Advisory Board
MMIS Student at Grace Hopper
Read the full story in our newsletter
FACULTY
Dr. Jeannie Pridmore
Dr Pridmore, Chair of the Information Systems and Computer Science Department, was selected for the USG Executive Leadership Institute This year-long professional development experience will enhance her leadership skills and broaden her network
Read more in FrontPage
Dr.
Joy Godin
Dr. Joy Godin, WebMBA Coordinator, SAP Lab Coordinator, and Professor of Information Systems, was accepted into Georgia College's Women's Leadership Faculty Fellows Program
This opportunity provides dedicated time to develop leadership skills and understand higher education challenges
Management, Marketing & Logistics
H I G H L I G H T S
Every semester, the elevator pitch asks students to answer the prompt, “tell me your story” in 60 seconds. The competition was initiated in 2012. The competition helps students hone skills in networking, public speaking, and professionalism. The competition serves as a way to involve industry volunteers, recruiters, and alumni, who volunteer as judges, and provides students with an opportunity to improve their pitching abilities. The elevator pitch is organized by Ms. Kendra Evans.
560+ participants in the elevator pitch competition for the 2024-2025 academic year
The former president of the Sales Team, Michael Champa, placed second in the Speed Selling category in Fall of 2024
Entrepreneurship Club | Marketing & Advertising Club | AmericasMart field trip for students | Elevator Pitch Competition | Sports marketing partnerships on campus | Partnerships with Sodexo for class projects | International Collegiate Sales Competition | MLSCM Double Bobcats
2025 Spring Elevator Pitch Winners
Lukas Bright ‘19
Lukas, Georgia College marketing graduate and Professional Selling Team founding member, advanced from TTI Field Sales Representative to Milwaukee Tool National Account Manager, achieving his five-year career goal ahead of schedule. Read more in our newsletter.
Zach Mullins ‘11
Zach launched his career after winning Dr. Poddar's sales competition, leading to Cox Media Group. Now Chief Strategy Officer at Locality, his team generates one-third of company revenue. Former two-term SGA President who helped launch the campus wellness center and homecoming concerts. Read more in our newsletter.
Dr. Serafin brings marketing expertise from his DBA and six years teaching experience. He launched Andrew College's marketing concentration, developed seven courses, contributes to World History Encyclopedia, and is pursuing his third master's degree in law.
Read more in our newsletter
Dr. Chris Lowery
Dr. Lowery brings 33 years of expertise to business statistics and analytics, having published 37 academic articles and presented internationally. Beyond academia, he's an ultramarathon champion who has completed nearly 70 races including fifteen 100-mile events
Read more in our newsletter
Dr. Chris Serafin
CoBT Graduate Programs
H I G H L I G H T S
Monday Morning GA Breakfasts
The College of Business & Technology has graudate assistants, better known as GAs, across Atkinson helping with the accounting lab, elevator pitch, social media, and more. This year, our graduate recruiter, Cassie Napier, held weekly meetings at the Max to build a sense of community among our graduate assistants A shout-out to Sodexo for making this possible!
With the restructuring of Graduate Admissions, Ms. Napier is now housed in Graduate Admissions and located in Parks Hall 108C
Double Bobcats is a graduate dual enrollment program that has driven significant growth in our MMIS program. This year, MLSCM launched a spring cohort for both students without work experience and for the new
Double Bobcats participants. MLSCM also piloted eightweek courses, allowing students to focus on one class at a time instead of juggling two concurrent 16-week courses.
Overall enrollment in all four CoBT programs has increased by 25% since Fall of 2022
Total students enrolled in Fall 2024: 149 Program with the largest amount of growth: MMIS with 170% increase
Graduate Programs Overview
The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology offers affordable, accessible, AACSB-accredited graduate degrees. We offer online programs in logistics, information systems, and business administration, as well as a face-to-face program in accounting. GMAT/GRE waivers are available for qualified applicants. Email grad-admit@gcsu.edu to learn more.
MBA
Master of Business Administration
A member of the WebMBA Consortium offering accredited, affordable, and asynchronous degrees with exponential networking opportunities
WEB MBA
Master of Management Information Systems
Experience online convenience on a first-name basis with embedded certificate options at no additional cost.
Master
of
Logistics & Supply Chain Management
Most well-established logistics program in Georgia, with experienced industry leaders on our faculty and fully online course delivery.
Master of Accountancy
Earn the credits you need while studying to pass portions of your CPA exam in a face-to-face environment.
Center of Technology & Empowerment
Making AI Accessible for Students
Established in December of 2024, this center is a leading hub for innovation, learning, student empowerment, and community advancement by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and fostering strong partnerships. This proposal outlines the establishment of a multi-faceted center grounded in three core pillars: Industry Engagement, Student Empowerment, and Stakeholder and Community Advancement.
Read more about the Center of Technology & Empowerment.
The Inaugural AI Promptathon sponsored by the CTE’s Distinguished Practitioners, Michael and Karen Schmidt, was held with Dr. Ward Risvold and his AI Club facilitating the event.
We foresee the CTE playing a critical role in providing students with innovative educational experiences, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening community partnerships.
Dr. Tanya Goette
MIS students during the ASUG Meeting at Microsoft
Center Directors
Dr. Ward Risvold
Dr. Ward Risvold serves as Co-Director of the Center of Technology & Empowerment and AI Lab Coordinator at Georgia College Holding a Ph D in English with areas of emphasis in digital humanities and social network analysis and certified as an Artificial Intelligence Management Professional, he brings unique expertise combining humanities and technological innovation. He oversees AI-powered virtual tutoring, GCSU’s AI Community of practice, specialized workshops, and hosts an influential technology podcast The CTE serves as a comprehensive technology hub addressing the growing tech talent shortage through hands-on experience and industry partnerships
Read his biography here
Ms. Caroline Collier
Caroline Collier serves as Co-Director of the Center of Technology & Empowerment and E-Commerce Design Lab Coordinator at Georgia College With over two decades of web development and technology education experience, she oversees hands-on student initiatives in website development, social media management, and e-commerce solutions Previously serving as CODEC Director from 2014-2023, she advocates for broadening participation in computing and received the 2023 Irene Rose Community Service Award for her extensive consulting work with businesses and organizations
Read her biography here
Dr. Nicholas Creel
Dr Nicholas Creel serves as the Director of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Dr Creel holds a PhD and MA in Political Science, a JD, an LLM in International and Comparative Law, a MA in International Relations, and a BBA in Economics Dr Creel has mentored first-place Global Scaling Challenge winners, co-authored Newsweek articles with undergraduates, served as University Senate Presiding Officer, secured $400,000 NSF grant, leads solar certification program, and has 50+ media publications including Fox News, Forbes, and USA Today appearances
Read about the center here
Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a multifaceted operation that launches programs by tapping into the creative talents in and around Georgia College & State University to enhance the positive societal impact of the university.
Overview
Bobcat Business Builder Bootcamp
Global Scaling Competition
Solar Panels grant $100,000 for inclusive innovation
$25,000 Georgia Power business accelerator grant
Solar for All
Rural Youth in Business
Venture Capital Competition
EPIIC Grant
Business Incubator
Venture Capital Competition
Grants | Community Outreach | Competitions
gcsu.edu/business/center-for-innovation
The primary goal of the center is to unlock the latent entrepreneurial talents of our student body and surrounding community. We also develop industry partnerships, giving students and faculty opportunities to collaborate with private industry in mutually beneficial ways.
Dr. Nicholas Creel
Solar for All participants installing solar panels
FACULTY & STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
ATKINSON HONORS AWARD RECEIPIENTS
Dr. Brent Evans
Recipient of the CoBT Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Mary Rickard
Recipient of the CoBT Excellence in Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award
Dr. Adel Almasarwah
Recipient of the CoBT Excellence in Scholarship & Creative Endeavors Award
Dr. Brooke Conaway
Recipient of the CoBT Excellence in University Service Award
Dr. Xiameng Lu
Recipient of the Laurie Hendrickson McMillan Faculty Award
Ms. Leigh MacLeod
Recipient of the CoBT Staff Excellence Award
ADDITIONAL FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR
Dr. Brooke Conaway
Current President of Academy of Economics & Finance (AEF) and 2022 recipient of the Felton Jenkins Jr Hall of Fame Award
Read about Dr Conaway here
Dr. Navid Safari
Dr. Navid Safari earn designation as a certified Chartered Financial Analyst Level III, a prestigious recognition for finance and highest distinction possible.
Ms. Kendra Evans
Kendra Evans now serves as the chair of the GCSU Alumni Association Awards and Recognitions Committee.
Dr. Mehrnaz Khalaj Hedayati
Dr Mehrnaz Khalaj Hedayati was selected as Cohort 110's WebMBA Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year.
Dr. John Swinton
Dr Swinton won the Center for Economic Education Director of the Year Award in June 2024 This academic year the center was reconfigured into a chapter affiliate of the Georgia Council of Economic Education
Dr. Juan Ling
Professor of Management and CoBT assessment coordinator
Read Dr Ling’s article in The Colonnade
ADDITIONAL FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR
Bobcat Alums
Fun fact: Several our faculty members were once GCSU students!
Dr. Brooke Conaway
Ms. Caroline Collier
Mr. Dean Copelan
Dr Scott Cox
Dr. Brent Evans
Ms. Kendra Evans
Dr. Brad Fowler
Dr. Joy Godin
Dr. Tanya Goette
Ms. Roberta Gorham
Dr Eric Kobbe
Dr. Kelly Lee
Dr. Eddie Thomas
Dr. Cullen Wallace
Drs. Scott
& Stephen Rutner
Dr Leng Ling, Dr Juan Ling, Dr Tanya Goette, Dr Joy
Godin, Dr Whitney Ginder, Dr Sina Amiri, Dr Bob Duesing, Ms Cassie Napier, Dr Jeannie Pridmore
Not Pictured: Dr Mehrnaz Khalaj Hedayati & Ms Deanie Waddell
Cox
Dr Scott Cox & Dr Stephen Rutner received the Matthew Sonfield Research Award WebMBA Faculty & Staff
Dr. Brent Evans, Mace Bearer at 2025 CoBT Commencement
Business Executive in Residence
Read about Barry’s visit on campus.
“By initiating our Business Executive-in-Residence program, we are allowing our students to hear directly from individuals in the field, ” said interim dean Dr. Tanya Goette. “Students start to understand how the concepts they learn in class are used in the business world, because the executive is on campus for more than a class presentation ” This program featured Barry Wolfe, former director of labor and employee relations for Dean’s Foods
Read about Kevin’s visit on campus.
Executive Forum
This quarterly program facilitates an open dialogue between community leaders and those who make a difference in our state and region. Speakers have expertise in a variety of areas including economic development, technology, business innovation, and other areas of interest
Our 2025 Forums included:
An AI Road Map for Business Leaders
Kevin Neary, CEO of Orcawise
From Blight to Bright: A Blueprint for Community Rejuvenation in Central Georgia
Mike Ciabattoni, Managing Partner, CW Holdings LLC
Register to attend next year’s forum: gcsu.edu/business/forum
Unique Student Opportunities
GCSU BIZCAST
Founded in February 2022 and advised by Dr. Ward Risvold, the GCSU Bizcast is a podcast that hosts provocative conversations with business leaders and educators, providing our audience with valuable insights into the business world. Our mission is to enlighten and deliver business-topic gems to our community through quality discussions on corporate ethics, stakeholder capitalism, the future of marketing, and much more. Students have the unique opportunity to converse with some of the most influential individuals in business.
Listen to the Bizcast on Youtube.
COLUMN SOCIETY
Led by the GC Journeys fellow, Dr Mohammad Jizi, the Column Society connects students with alumni and other professionals The society provides programming throughout the academic year on topics such as personal finance, attitudes, workplace professionalism, technology, and changes in the business environment This year, with involvement from the CoBT Leadership Board, we had several speakers and 170+ students attend the engagements
Mark Bailey, Director of Information Technology at Thiele Kaolin
Dale Alexander, CFP & Benefits Broker, presented, “The Talk About Money”
s Student Advisory Board
Employer Education Partnership: Fouts Bros Inc.
The College of Business & Technology has an official partnership with Fouts Bros, Inc , providing company access to top students and ensuring an annual dedicated class project This year, our Software Engineering & MIS students developed an application for Fouts Bros, Inc., culminating in a final presentation showcasing collaboration between the company and the MIS Analysis & Design class, with project completion handled by the CS Software Engineering class. This experience benefited our students and our industry partnership Special thanks to Dr Eric Kobbe, Mr Frank Richardson, and Ms Caroline Collier for their collaboration. Companies interested in becoming official partners should contact the College of Business & Technology. Email: collegeofbusiness@gcsu.edu
Read about Dr Eric Kobbe’s career & role in our newsletter
SOCIETAL IMPACT: LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Through numerous community programs and partnerships, our faculty, staff, and students visited: The GCSU High Achievers Program, Youth Leadership Baldwin, Create Inc. with the local chamber, Keep Our Republic, Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber, Future Business Leaders of America, and many schools across the state GCSU shared information about cybersecurity, careers in business and accounting, and even economics and politics.
ALUMNI & COMMUNITY AWARDS
ALUMNI AWARDS
Pierre Clements ‘86
Managing partner of Inside Group International. Clements is a member of several organizations including GCSU Foundation Board of Trustees and 100 Black Men (Atlanta Chapter)
Alex Gregory ‘78, ’79
Gregory is the former chairman, president and CEO of YKK Corporation of America He serves on the GCSU Foundation Board of Trustees He’s also a retired commander of the U S Naval Reserves after 28 years of service
Virgil Miller ‘92
Miller is president of Aflac, Inc Miller served as a U S Marine and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm He holds a master’s degree in business management from Wesleyan College and a doctorate in humane letters from Gammon
Theological Seminary
Jeff Wansley ‘87
Wansley has a 35-year career in politics and government relations He is committed to his community with Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and Hearts and Hands Society. At Georgia College & State University, he serves as chair of the Foundation Board
BOBCAT PARTNER AWARD
This university-wide award recognizes a business or organization that, although not a part of Georgia College & State University, helps the campus community achieve its mission and goals as if it were a member of the team
Thiele Kaolin is an exemplary corporate partner, truly deserving of the GCSU Bobcat Partner Award. Each year, Thiele generously sponsors key student success events including the IT Career Fair, GC WIT Day, and the ISCS Student Networking Event.
Read more about the Alumni Awards in FrontPage.
Thiele Kaolin
GCSU Heritage Award
Alumni Service Award
College of Business & Technology Alumni Achievement Award
Trailblazer Dove Award
Atlanta, Augusta, Dublin, Gainesville, Savannah
Student Leadership Tour
Ten J Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology students travelled across Georgia. These high-achieving students represented disciplines across the college to businesses, alumni and government leaders throughout the state. Selected through a rigorous application and interview process, these students toured 15 businesses, Students learned about a variety of industries, including aerospace, energy, supply chain, and agriculture. The week of travel included panels at accounting firms, networking events with financial services companies, tours of factories, seeing the largest jet engine model made in the world, and piloting flight simulators
Read the full story here.
International Design Thinking & Artificial Intelligence
Drs. Joy Godin and Jeannie Pridmore led MIS students on a transformative journey across Europe, where they earned AI certifications from Orcawise in Dublin, collaborated with German IT company Viadee on a sustainability Design Thinking project, and visited SAP Headquarters in Walldorf. The students immersed themselves in local cultures, from exploring the Cliffs of Moher and sailing in the Irish Sea to climbing Cologne Cathedral and touring the Louvre in Paris This hands-on international experience combined rigorous academic work with cultural exploration, preparing students for global careers in technology
Read the full story in the newsletter
AI Education Meets Cultural Immersion
Dr. Ward Risvold and Ms. Caroline Collier led 22 students on a 20-day study abroad program, combining cutting-edge AI education through partnerships with Orcawise and distinguished guest speakers from Novartis, Global Payments, and others across Dublin, Oxford, London, and Paris Students earned certifications in AI literacy, governance, and advanced technical skills like RAG development while immersing themselves in experiences ranging from High Table dinner at Oxford's Keble College to touring the Louvre and Palace of Versailles. This transformative program developed technical AI expertise and cross-cultural communication skills, preparing them for leadership roles in the rapidly evolving global AI landscape.
Read the full story in the newsletter.
European Economics & Finance
Dr. Cullen Wallace and Dr. Brent Evans led 23 students abroad to Berlin and Zurich to deepen their understanding of international economics and finance. In Berlin, they explored the foundations of capitalism and communism through visits to historically significant sites, including the impactful Berlin Wall Memorial. They attended lectures on the city’s economic history, which provided essential context for understanding the legacy of divided economic systems In contrast, their time in Zurich focused on the European financial and banking systems, where they studied how they differ from those in the United States Highlights included a visit to the UBS headquarters and a lecture on Zurich’s role as a hub for cryptocurrency innovation. This experience broadened students’ global perspectives and gave them valuable insights into international business operations.
Sports + Business
Faculty & students involved with athletics through projects & research
Baseball + Data Analytics
Dr Daniel Wu has developed an exciting data science program at GCSU, working closely with the baseball team to create data visualization tools using Tableau and machine learning techniques. His research on baseball analytics was published at the IEEE Southeast Conference 2025, and he mentored Grant Jones, GCSU's first Data Science graduate, whose project was featured at Research Day. Wu is currently developing an AI framework for sports management that could transform how teams make decisions, with plans to implement predictive models for GCSU's baseball program
Softball/Baseball + Marketing
For 15 years, Dr. Joanna Schwartz has taught Sports Marketing, which includes an assignment to market a Georgia College & State University baseball or softball game during spring semester Dr Schwartz is teaching two sections of sports marketing this spring, each with about 70 students In the first week, the students formed groups of four and chose either a baseball or softball game to promote during the spring season Read the full article in FrontPage.
Sports + Economics
Dr. Brent Evans conducts economics research related to sports and was featured in the following publications: Show me the money! The immediate impact of name, image, and likeness on college football recruiting, featured in the Journal of Sports Economics Read the story here
WABE article and radio story on a proposal to eliminate state taxes on Name, Image, and Likness (NIL) contracts. Read the story here.
Associated Press article titled, "Missouri sports betting ballot measure highlights national debate about tax rates. " Read the article can here.
NFL quarterback development the role of competing quarterbacks, rookie playing time, and team quality" was accepted by The American Economist Read the story here
Faculty & Staff Directory
ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS LAW
*Herbert Snyder, Chair & Professor, Accounting
Susan Whittle, Administrative Assistant
Adel Almasarwah, Assistant Professor, Accounting
Scott Burns, Lecturer, Accounting
Dean Copelan, Sr Lecturer, Business Law
Nicholas Creel, Associate Professor, Business Law
Jehan El-Jourbagy, Associate Professor, Business Law
Roberta Gorham, Sr Lecturer, Accounting
Mohammad Jizi Associate Professor, Accounting
Susan Manrodt, Sr Lecturer, Accounting
***Harilaos Sorovigas, Lecturer, Business Law
Sandria Stephenson, Assistant Professor, Accounting
Eddie Thomas, Associate Professor, Accounting
MANAGEMENT, MARKETING & LOGISTICS
***Scott Manley, Chair & Professor, Management
Leigh MacLeod, Administrative Assistant
Sina Amiri, Associate Professor, Management
Bo Beadles, Professor, Management
Scott Cox, Associate Professor, Logistics
Sanford Dennis, Lecturer, Management
Bob Duesing, Professor, Management
Kendra Evans, Lecturer, Marketing
Whitney Ginder, Associate Professor, Marketing
Kent Hill, Lecturer, Marketing
Mehrnaz Khalaj Hedayati, Assistant Professor, Management
Juan Ling, Professor, Management
Chris Lowery, Professor, Management
Karl Manrodt, Professor, Logistics
Mohsen Mosayebi, Assistant Professor, Management
Heather Patterson, Assistant Professor, Marketing
Mary Rickard, Associate Professor, Marketing
*Stephen Rutner, Associate Professor, Logistics
Ania Rynarzewska, Assistant Professor, Marketing
**Chris Serafin, Lecturer, Marketing
Joanna Schwartz, Professor, Marketing
Aric Wilhau, Assistant Professor, Management
*Retired during AY25
**Hired during AY25
***First year at GCSU
COMPUTER SCIENCE & INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Jeannie Pridmore, Chair & Professor, Information Systems
**Linda Bailey, Office Coordinator
Hussain Al-Ibrahim, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Caroline Collier, Sr Lecturer, Information Systems
Brad Fowler, Assistant Professor, Information Systems
Margaret Geddy, Sr Lecturer, Business Communications
Joy Godin, Professor, Information Systems
Gongbing Hong, Associate Professor, Computer Science
Yu-Hsiang "John" Huang, Assistant Professor, Information Systems
Eric Kobbe, Lecturer, Information Systems
Yi "Cathy" Liu, Professor, Computer Science
Bryan Marshall, Professor, Information Systems
Emuesiri Oduaran, Lecturer, Data Science
Frank Richardson, Lecturer, Computer Science
Ward Risvold, Assistant Professor, Business Communications
*Paige Rutner, Associate Professor, Information Systems
***Daniel Wu, Assistant Professor, Data Science
Jeng-Foung Yao, Professor, Computer Science
ECONOMICS & FINANCE
J J Arias, Chair & Professor, Economics
Susan Whittle, Administrative Assistant
Chris Clark, Professor, Economics
Brooke Conaway, Professor, Economics
Brent Evans, Assistant Professor, Finance
Jessie Folk, Sr Lecturer, Economics
Tom Frye, Assistant Professor, Economics
***Donghun Kim, Assistant Professor, Finance
Kelly Lee, Lecturer, Economics
Leng Ling, Professor, Finance
Xiaomeng Lu, Assistant Professor, Finance
Navid Safari, Assistant Professor, Finance
John Swinton, Professor, Economics
Cullen Wallace, Assistant Professor, Economics
DEAN’S OFFICE
Tanya Goette, Interim Dean
Deanie Waddell, Office Coordinator
Nancy Finney, Business Outreach Coordinator
Cassie Napier, Graduate Recruiter
Haleigh Purser, Development Officer
We hope you find this Annual Report insightful and valuable for learning more about the College of Business & Technology. Interested in supporting our future business leaders? Visit https://linktr.ee/gcsu.cobt
