The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology is starting the year off with a bang! We are excited to embark on 2025, beginning with the launch of our new Executive Forum and the opening of our Center for Technology & Empowerment. Our Associate Professor of Business Law, Jehan El-Jourbagy, spoke at the December commencement, where we witnessed hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students matriculate. We are so proud of all the new alums from the College of Business & Technology at Georgia College & State University! Please join me in congratulating the class of 2024! You can view photos from that day here.

The Executive Forum is a quarterly program for executives and business leaders in the community. Each quarter, business executives come to speak about their area and topics of interest to our community. On January 27, we have our first guest from Dublin, Ireland, Mr. Kevin Neary, the co-founder and CEO of Orcawise. He works with AI developers and compliance leaders from large corporations, tech companies, and startups, providing them with responsible AI services, tools, and training. Join us for happy hour, dinner, and his presentation, An AI Road Map for Business Leaders. Register for the Annual Executive Forum Membership today.

The Center of Technology & Empowerment (CTE) in the Department of Information Systems & Computer Science has been approved. This new center brings the AI Lab, the SAP NextGen Lab, and the former Center of Design & E-Commerce together under one umbrella. This center offers our students critical hands-on learning opportunities in some of the most rapidly advancing and evolving fields.

I want to especially thank Dr. Ward Risvold and Ms. Caroline Collier, the new center co-directors. This is another collaborative, interdisciplinary project that will support students across the entire university as they explore technology in our changing world.

This month, we are highlighting the accomplishments of our Department of Accounting & Business Law. I invite you to join me in celebrating our college's recent successes.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tanya Goette

Interim Dean

Professor of Management Information Systems

The Department of Accounting & Business Law offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting (B.B.A.) and a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) degree. Accounting students at Georgia College & State University receive a high-quality professional business education that prepares them for a productive and exciting career.

Our Department of Accounting & Business Law is partnering with the United Way of Central Georgia to provide free tax return preparation services. These services are for qualified taxpayers in the Milledgeville area.

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is provided to the community by undergraduate and graduate accounting students and overseen by accounting instructor Scott Burns. This initiative offers the broader community a valuable service while also providing students with both real-world experience and the opportunity to give back to Milledgeville and Baldwin County. Interested participants can register for an appointment here.

The first-ever CoBT Scholarship Application Party is on! Thursday, Jan 23, from 6-8 PM in the Donahoo Lounge. All business majors who will be attending GCSU in Fall 2025 are invited. Refreshments, prizes, and assistance in completing university-wide and other scholarship applications will be available. Hosted jointly by Beta Alpha Psi and Delta Sigma Pi. Sponsored by Carr, Riggs & Ingram.

Beta Alpha Psi's mid-year meeting is in Atlanta on January 24-25. Several Beta Alpha Psi officers will attend and will have the opportunity to meet students from other universities and hear from accounting industry leaders.

Beta Alpha Psi New Member Initiation takes place on January 28. Accounting, Finance, and MIS, majors who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply for membership. To apply, reach out to Susan Manrodt, Senior Lecturer of Accounting.

January 29: 'Meet the Firms' and Summer Leadership Program Career Fair will be in the Magnolia Ballroom from 9:30-noon. Twenty-three firms have registered for this event to date, with more expected.

Dr. Jizi worked to align the Column Society talks with the strategic plan of the college, curating the theme “Leadership for the public good”. The objective is to develop the spirit of doing well by doing good. The Column Society is an organization that offers monthly programming connecting students with organizations where they learn about topics such as finance, professionalism, and changes in the work environment.

Prior to his academic career, Dr. Jizi spent more than six years in the advisory and internal audit practice. Jizi’s professional career began as an internal auditor in the banking sector, where he gained extensive experience in developing and executing strategic audit plans. Later, Dr. Jizi joined the Advisory and Internal Audit Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he had a leading role in several consultative and business process-reengineering projects. He conducted several audit assignments, and participated in several performance improvement and cost reduction projects across several industries such as healthcare, pharmaceutical, banking, construction, and oil and gas.

Dr. Jizi has more than 20 papers published in renowned academic journals and his research work on corporate governance and financial reporting has been presented in international academic conferences.

We sat down with the state of Georgia's Deputy State Auditor, Kristina Turner, and GCSU alumnus to learn more about her career, academic journey, and advice for the future. Turner started with the Georgia Department of Audits right after graduating with her accounting degree in '99. While working as an auditor, she came back to GCSU to complete a master's in management information systems and picked up both her CPA and CISA certifications by 2004.

How did you decide on your career path?

Growing up in a family of public servants - from my teacher parents to my grandparents' work with the military and the Army Corps of Engineers - shaped my natural gravitation toward public service. While I explored various career options, including private firms, I was ultimately drawn to state government because it aligned with my desire to make a meaningful impact. I found my niche in fiscal accountability, seeing an opportunity to use accounting skills to ensure responsible stewardship of state resources. For me, the role at the Department of Audits wasn't just a job - it was a way to contribute to the greater good while building on my family's legacy of public service.

How has a liberal arts education benefited you?

My time at Georgia College laid a crucial foundation for my career success. Beyond just the strong accounting curriculum, I valued how the professors knew me personally and invested in student success. From business law to management and communication classes.... These proved invaluable as I moved beyond technical auditing into leadership roles.

What was a defining moment for you during your time at GCSU?

A defining experience was working as an accounting lab assistant under Chair Dixie Clark throughout my college years. This role particularly helped build up my confidence - something I now recognize as crucial for young professionals entering the field. The combination of personalized attention, hands-on experience, and exposure to diverse business disciplines through career fairs and accounting clubs helped my transformation from a student into a professional.

How did you learn to combine your interest in accounting with technology?

Though I began as a staff auditor working with colleges and state agencies, my career took an interesting turn when I started focusing on how technology was changing the audit world. I ended up spearheading a lot of the department's work on data analytics and developing new audit tools. Things got really interesting in 2019 when I became deputy State Auditor – right before COVID hit. I understood that technology should enable rather than hinder their work, leading me to champion new ways of connecting. We had to figure out how to merge five different audit teams while simultaneously transitioning everyone to remote work. Since 2022, I've taken on an even broader role, working across all divisions to shape the organization's culture and help our people grow. These days, I'm focused on making it a place where people actually want to work and can see the value in what they do.

What is one of your greatest accomplishments?

Being appointed the first female deputy state auditor in Georgia's history was a significant milestone, though it wasn't something I initially set out to achieve. When I first joined the department, I couldn't have predicted this would be my career path – I was still discovering who I was professionally. But as I experienced different roles within the organization, I knew this was where I belonged.

What really defined my career, though, was leading through COVID. That was truly transformative. We had no playbook – everyone was sent home with no contingency plan, and we had to figure it out as we went. Watching our team step up, adapt, and succeed during that uncertainty was incredible. It shifted my perspective on leadership and reinforced my commitment to making our organization a place where people can grow and thrive. In both of these achievements – breaking the glass ceiling and guiding our team through unprecedented challenges – I found my true purpose in shaping our organization's future.

What are some trends you're seeing in the field?

When considering the future of auditing, it's crucial to understand that while AI and automation will transform many aspects of the profession, they won't replace the need for human judgment and professional skepticism. These tools will likely handle routine tasks and data analysis, freeing auditors to focus on more complex risk assessments and strategic thinking. The key for future auditors will be developing both technical expertise and deep analytical skills while maintaining their professional judgment and ethical standards. Success in the field will increasingly depend on one's ability to adapt to new technologies while applying core auditing principles in innovative ways.

What was one of your biggest challenges?

One of the biggest challenges in auditing is bridging the gap between analytical skills and effective communication. While accountants excel at technical tasks like building financial statements and reconciling accounts, the role demands more - we're both truth-tellers and storytellers. Our job isn't just to crunch numbers; it's to communicate what those numbers mean for an organization's fiscal health in a way that drives action.

Many accountants, being naturally analytical and often introverted, can find this challenging. But building relationships and trust is crucial in auditing, something that isn't always emphasized in academic programs. When we want organizations to act on our findings, it's not just about technical accuracy - it's about effectively conveying risks, insights, and potential future impacts to those in charge. The real skill lies in translating complex financial data into meaningful narratives that stakeholders can understand and act upon.

What advice do you have for college students?

Participate. Be well-rounded and not hyper-focused on your major. Build relationships.

Kristina Turner is slated to be our fall Business Executive in Residence, where students will have many opportunities to work alongside her and learn from her expertise.

• Senior economics major, Liam Baldwin, is serving as a Research Assistant for two professors at MIT.
• Dr. Nicholas Creel recently published an article on antitrust action in the tech industry. You can read about it in Newsweek.
• GCSU and the CoBT are moderating a focus group for Keep Our Republic. Baldwin County participants are needed for the evening of January 16th. Register here.
• Our WebMBA orientation took place earlier this month, as we welcomed our next group of students into our program.
• Dr. Navid Safari, Assistant Professor of Finance, published "The Impact of Short-Term Rental Activity on House Prices: Evidence from Coastal Virginia," in the Annals of Regional Science.
• Dr. Chris Serafin has joined our faculty as marketing lecturer. He has a DBA in marketing and comes to us from Andrew College.
• Preparations are underway for several study abroad programs taking place this summer:
• Dr. Jeannie Pridmore & Dr. Joy Godin: Work Practicum in Ireland, Germany & France
• Ms. Caroline Collier & Dr. Ward Risvold: Artificial Intelligence in Ireland, England & France
• Dr. Brent Evans & Dr. Cullen Wallace: European Economics & Finance in Germany & Switzerland