Gaynor Cheokas

Dr. Cheokas holds a B.S. in Political Science from Columbus State University, an MSA from Georgia Southwestern State University, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Georgia State University.

Dr. Cheokas joined Georgia Southwestern in the Fall of 2004. She is currently serving as Dean for the College of Business and Computing. As a faculty member, she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses primarily in small business management, entrepreneurship, and organizational leadership. Cheokas is also the Director for the Center for Business and Economic Development (CBED) housed in the College of Business and Computing. She consults one-on-one with entrepreneurs and provides support services to economic development agencies and local governments. Her consulting experiences include assisting family-owned businesses transition leadership from one generation to the next and working with various entities in understanding, defining, and refining their organizational culture. Cheokas is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and is a member of the Board of Examiners for the Georgia Oglethorpe Award.

Before joining GSW, Dr. Cheokas served as Area Director in Americus for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC-SBA) network of Georgia. She also worked 21 years in private industry as a division director of a national catalog company and brings an extensive background in multi-unit retail stores with extensive hands-on experience in marketing, customer service, and personnel management.

In addition, Cheokas remains active in her community. She is a past president of the Americus Rotary Club and has held various leadership positions with the Americus-Sumter Chamber of Commerce. She is married to Mike Cheokas and they have three grown children, Brittany, Athan, and Lexie. Gaynor enjoys traveling abroad, baking cheesecakes, and watching all types of sports (Atlanta Braves being the top pick). 

Jim Aller

Dr. Aller received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2017. He holds the SHRM-SCP Certification from the Society of Human Resources and the Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification from the HR Certification Institute. Prior to academia, he worked in the Corporate HR field for 25 years from such companies as Walmart, The Home Depot, and Pep Boys Auto. He was instrumental in establishing the School of Retail at the University of Houston Downtown in 2012 and was the Chair of the Employer Advisory Committee from 2011-2015. Some of his publications include Reshaping Education for the Third World Countries (2020); Maintaining Relationships through Social Media and the Way Forward (2020); Employee International Green Behavior in Public Sector Organization (2020) and Longitudinal Case Study comparing Video Utilization in Qualitative and Quantitative Courses. He has also presented HR Strategy Topics to the Pentecost University in Ghana (2019 & 2020) and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC (2020). He also was a co-author of Exploring the Role of Technology on Organization Ethical Values: A review of literature, unemployment, and underutilization of labor. He has also presented at the Academy of Human Resource Develop. Dr. Aller is a practitioner of and advocate for effective HR management: a broad interdisciplinary field of talent acquisition, talent development, performance management, labor relations, compensation, scheduling management, and affective associate engagement. He has recently completed a pro-bono HR consulting project with LA Conservation while developing and implementing policies related to social media, sexual harassment, leave of absence, workplace violence, and attendance management. Dr. Aller is also chair of the Assurance of Learning Committee for the school of business and the Business and Finance Committee for the University. He also serves as the Committee Chair for the Performance Evaluation process for Business Faculty.

Carol Bishop

Dr. Carol Bishop transitioned into academia after careers in public, private, and governmental accounting. Her goal is to help students find their niche in accounting and in business. Her classes always involve real-world examples, assignments, and discussions. Her office hours include help with resume crafting, interview advice, and job strategy sessions. Dr. Bishop encourages students to pursue their dreams and prepare academically so they will be ready to seize the opportunities that come their way. She also advises students in the GSW Accounting Club. Dr. Bishop’s research interests stem from her previous career in accounting. In one research stream she investigates financial statement manipulation and fraud, including various types of pressures that influence accountants to misreport financial information. In another research area she has investigated pathways for accountants seeking to transition into academia. Her research has appeared in top accounting journals, including Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Current Issues in Auditing, and International Journal of Auditing, as well as the Journal of Accountancy, a journal for practicing CPAs. 

Shannon Perry

Dr. Perry holds a bachelor’s degree in both Information Systems and Finance from Georgia Southern University, a master’s degree with a concentration in Information Systems from Georgia Southern University, and a doctoral degree in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University. Perry was awarded the Charles L Faire’s Dissertation of Distinction Award for her dissertation on “The Impact of Online Student Support Services on Retention in the eMajor Bachelor of Business Administration Online Program.”

Dr. Perry was the owner of The Glass Slipper, a women’s shoe store, for several years before stepping full-time into academia. Since then Perry has taught at the Heart of Georgia Technical College and Brewton Parker College, serving as the Microcomputer Specialist Program Chair and Assistant Professor Computer Programming, respectively. After joining GSW, Dr. Perry has taught a variety of courses within the management major while also serving to develop and grow the eMajor BBA online program.

Soumendra Banerjee

Dr. Banerjee holds a B.S. from the University of Calcutta, an M.A. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a Ph.D. from Clark University.    

Dr. Banerjee joined Georgia Southwestern in Fall 2023. He is currently serving as an Associate Professor in the College of Business and Computing. Dr. Banerjee’s primary research interest focuses on applied microeconomics and microeconometrics of corporate social responsibility and productivity. He is widely published and has presented at numerous conferences and seminars.  

He currently serves as the President of Pennsylvania Economic Association. Presently, he is affiliated to various economic associations and a regular attendee of conferences organized by some of the well-respected economic associations." 

Robert Bennett

Dr. Robert H. Bennett III is Professor of Management and teaches classes in both Management and Finance.  He has authored or co-authored over 50 scholarly publications or presentations during his academic career.  In 2013, Robert was named a Sam Walton Fellow by the Enactus international business leadership organization and served Enactus on the U.S. National Faculty Advisory Council.  He was named the 2023 Professor of the Year at Georgia Southwestern by the GSW Alumni Association.  Bennett was also awarded the 2016 Faculty Member of the Year at GSW.  Robert has traveled extensively including regularly to France as a visiting lecturer at the prestigious Kedge Graduate Business School located in Marseille and Bordeaux. 

Dr. Bennett previously served for nearly 12 years as Chairman, President, and CEO of Farmers Exchange Bank with offices across South Alabama.   American Banker Magazine recognized FEB in 2005 as one of the top-performing community banks in the country.  He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Bankers Association from 2002 to 2010 and served as President and Chairman of the Alabama Bankers Association in 2007-2009.   He represented Alabama as a member of the Community Bankers Council of the American Bankers Association from 2008-2013.  From 2005-2008 Bennett was Academic Director of the Alabama Banking School and was a faculty member for 18 years.  Robert also served on the faculty of the L.S.U. Graduate School of Banking for four years.  Dr. Bennett has served on the Boards of four community banks in Alabama and Florida and also a very large SBA 504 lender in Florida.  Robert has consulted with numerous banks and other organizations nationwide.  He was recognized in 2002 as the Outstanding Young Banker in the State of Alabama. 

Dr. Bennett was a member of the faculty at the Mitchell College of Business, University of South Alabama from 1995 until 2001.  His doctoral dissertation from Florida State University was presented by invitation in 1998 at New York University’s Stern School of Business.  Robert was recognized as most outstanding male graduate at University of South Alabama and honored as most outstanding M.B.A. graduate at the University of Georgia.  He is a former president of the University of South Alabama National Alumni Association (1997-1998) and was a founder of the Mitchell College of Business Alumni Association.  Dr. Bennett is a past-president of the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce and Foundation Board of Wallace Community College from 2002-2009.  He was head of the Economic Development Council in Eufaula for two years and was a member of Leadership Alabama Class XVII.  Robert is married to the former Tara Parham and they live in an old home in Eufaula, Alabama along with sons Harris and Rhodes.  Robert was a very successful volunteer football and golf coach for many years and is an avid golfer.  

Allen Brown

Dr. Allen Brown’s interest in management began during his teenaged years at his Father’s business. Given the opportunity to manage at such a young age combined with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Dr. Brown pursued a career in technical management spanning 30 years. With many management opportunities during his professional career, Dr Brown was most interested in the behavioral aspects of management. Most intriguing was the individual’s knowledge with the observation that some share their knowledge while others hide their knowledge. These professional management experiences sparked Dr. Brown’s doctoral human behavior research. Dr. Brown’s research interests include the individual’s decision to hide knowledge. Also, Dr. Brown’s research interests include individual differences such as personality and the individual’s mental/psychological states. At GSW, Dr. Brown combines professional experience with research to create a unique classroom experience while teaching management courses such as Principles of Management, Quantitative Management and Operations Management.

Melinda Chatham

Dr. Melinda Chatham has a B.S. in business from Mississippi University for Women, an MBA from Jacksonville University, and a doctorate in Human Resource Development from the University of Texas, Tyler. 

Dr. Chatham transitioned into academia after 30+ years in industry in the Human Resource Management discipline. Her areas of expertise include Talent Acquisition and Talent Management. She has served in industries such as various aspects of the Financial Services Industry, Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC), Oil & Gas, Government Contracting, Commercial Construction, and various sectors of the consumer/professional services industries. 

Her current and past professional affiliations include: SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management), ATD (Association of Training and Development), AHRD (Academy of Human Resource Development), and HR Houston, the SHRM local chapter in Houston, TX. With HR Houston, Melinda has served in various committee leadership roles to include: Past Board Member; Chair-Legislative Action Committee; Lead-Employment Management Special Interest Group. With AHRD, she has served as a part of the committee to review conference manuscripts for acceptance since 2012, and continues to do so. 

Dr. Chatham’s volunteer work has focused on working with individuals in career transition. She has assisted with job search strategy, resume development, networking and interview preparation. She has worked with organizations such as Christian Community Career Center, WorkFaith Connection, and Energy Job Search Team (EJST) all in Houston, TX, as well as conducting career development workshops with the School of Engineering at the University of Houston. She has also volunteered with Operation New Hope in Jacksonville, Fl. 

Her research interests include: training transfer, adult education and workforce development. She has a special interest in training issues specific to the workforce shortage in the Construction industry. 

Outside of work, Dr. Chatham enjoys flower gardening, which is a new venture since the pandemic. She has become quite accomplished at growing zinnias, which are her favorite. 

Suzanne Conner

Dr. Conner received her PhD from New Mexico State University in 2012. She attributes her love of Marketing to work in many industries, including family businesses, from a young age. As an avid people watcher, she has always been fascinated by why people do what they do. This interest has sparked some of her research in Consumer Behavior. She also does research in the areas of sustainability and ethics. She is the Co-Secretary/Treasurer for the Marketing Educators’ Association and serves as an Editorial Review Board Member for the Journal of Global Marketing and Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing. In her spare time, she loves to explore other countries and cultures.

Karen Cook

Mrs. Karen S. Cook began teaching at GSW in 2001. She earned both her B.S. degree and her M.S. degree at GSW. Before coming to GSW, she held positions as the Systems Administrator for Lockheed Martin and for Card Services at Middle Georgia State College. She also taught at South Georgia Technical College before returning to her alma mater. She teaches courses in computer programming, computer ethics, systems analysis, and interface and configuration. She is also the founding advisor for the computer honor society, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, and for the Computer Club. She enjoys working with the independent living residents at Magnolia Manor and leads a group of students who assist the residents with their computer needs. She also enjoys traveling to third-world countries with local medical and evangelical teams and usually serves at least a week each year doing so.

Mohammad Dehzooei

Dehzooei joined GSW in 2019. He teaches economics courses at GSW and his area of interest is Applied Microeconomics broadly defined with a particular emphasis on Development Economics, Environmental Economics, Poverty, Inequality, and Climate Change. Dr. Dehzooei actively contributes to the research community and provides consulting services to help improve economic policymaking. In recent years, he has studied how government policies have affected vulnerable groups in the European Union, the Middle East, and the US. He has also worked on the impacts of weather events on the wellbeing of people, and the relationship between weather, groundwater extraction, and agriculture. . In recent years, his research was supported by grants from the World Bank. Dr. Dehzooei received his Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Tech in 2016, and before joining GSW he worked at Harvard Kennedy School, The World Bank, and Bloomsburg University.

For more information, please visit his personal webpage.

For a list of publications please visit his Google Scholar page.

Michael Fathi

Professor Michael M. Fathi is a professor of management at GSW, where he has taught graduate-level as well as undergraduate courses in Strategic Management, International Business, Operations Management, International Management, Business Strategy, and Business Ethics since 1999. In 2005, his teaching abilities earned him the honor of being named a teacher of the year at GSW and received, “Excellence & Commitment to Teaching Award”. Dr. Fathi has numerous (over 30) publications and presentations including articles in The Journal of International Management Studies, Academy of Business Review, Business Academic World International, International Academy of Business and Public Administration Discipline, Academic Business World International Conference (ABWIC), American Society for Competitiveness (ASC) Conference, The America Society for Competitiveness, and participated in editing and review of 4 current textbooks. Active in the international management education arena, some of the areas in which he has served include as a visiting professor in the Doctor of Management in Organization Development Program at Assumption University of Thailand (December, 2006); as a visiting Fulbright Scholar in the Executive MBA Program at Uzbekistan University, UZ (Fall , 1998); as a visiting professor for Central Michigan University in Vancouver, Canada to teach graduate course in Strategic Management for MSA program (8/89 to 1/06). As a visiting professor in the MBA program at Mashad University in IR (1994), and as the visiting professor in Organization and Management at the Kazakhstan (1997). Professor Dr. Fathi earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree from Jundi University in IR. 1973. He obtained the MBA from University of Baltimore in 1979, Doctor of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University in 1985. From 1987 to 1999, served as a Professor of management at Brewton Parker College and in 1993-94 recognized as a “Teacher of the Year”.

Mark Grimes

Dr. Mark Grimes received his Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Samford University (Birmingham, AL), his Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, GA), and his Doctor of Business Administration from Argosy University (Sarasota, FL). He primarily teaches Human Resources courses such as HR Staffing and Current Issues, and MBA courses such as Business Ethics, History and Philosophy of Management, Human Resource Management, and Organizational Leadership, and other Management or Human Resources courses as needed. His research and publishing interests revolve around volunteerism and the intersection of faith and management. In addition to teaching at GSW, he supports the university by sending his kids there; one of his daughters attended without graduating, another graduated with a degree in Marketing, and a third will graduate soon with a degree in Management.

Joni Hammond

Mrs. Joni Hammond has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Columbus State University and a Master of Accountancy from Auburn University. She has experience in public accounting in the areas of auditing, individual, corporate, and partnership tax, and employee benefit plans. She is a licensed CPA in the states of Georgia and Alabama. At GSW, she teaching many accounting courses to include: Accounting Principles, Intermediate Accounting I, Accounting Systems, Internal Controls & Auditing, Income Tax Accounting, Advanced Income Tax Accounting, and Contemporary Issues in Accounting.

Dawn Hart

Dawn Hart began teaching accounting in March 1993. Ms. Hart carried her love of teaching with her to Oklahoma where she taught at both Northeastern State and Rogers State Universities. While in Oklahoma, Ms. Hart completed her CPA Certification. Returning to Ga in 2002, Ms. Hart resumed teaching at Darton State College. Ms. Hart also served as a Department of Veterans Affairs Fiduciary for Disabled Veterans. Currently, Dawn Hart is a Dougherty County Probate Fiduciary of Conservatorships and Estates. Working in the public sector (in addition to being rewarding) helps Ms. Hart bring relevance to in-class topics.

Jonathan Hobbs

After a successful decade spent managing diverse IT systems across the university landscape, Jonathan Hobbs pursued a career in Academia. Drawing from his extensive real-world experiences, he infuses his classes with practical examples, engaging discussions, and challenging assignments, all aimed at equipping students with the skills they need for a seamless transition into their careers straight out of the program.

Dr. Hobbs earned his DScIT degree from Middle Georgia State University in 2023, building upon his foundation laid during his MSIT with a focus in Cybersecurity from Kennesaw State University in 2021. Hobbs began his career at GSW and remains heavily involved in campus, alumni, and sporting events around campus. He is currently serving as a board member for the GSW Alumni Association.

Becca Jones

Ms. Becca Jones has been teaching at the university level since 2016.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Reinhardt University, her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Servant Leadership from Columbus State University, and is a PhD Candidate in the department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management at The University of Memphis.  Additionally, while at the University of Memphis, she completed a Cognitive Science Graduate Certification and a Biometric Research Certification.  Her current research includes physiological responses to Super Bowl advertising content and healthcare marketing disparities among underprivileged populations.  Prior to her current research, Becca worked on research regarding rewards management and disabilities in the workplace. Her research interests also include a variety of topics involving sales psychology, advertising, biometric research (EEG, GSR, eye tracking, and facial expression analysis), consumer behavior, sensory marketing, humor, non-profit, and healthcare marketing.  Her teaching philosophy encourages experiential learning and active engagement in order to give students experience prior to graduation.  She serves as a student peer reviewer for the Journal of Advertising.

In her free time, Becca likes to enjoy the outdoors by visiting national parks, camping, searching for waterfalls, kayaking rivers, and exploring new areas.  Additionally, she loves to play softball, is an avid bingo player, loves to bowl, and often sings at open mics.  

Sai Mukkavilli

Dr Sai Mukkavilli - My specialization is in the area of “Cloud Security”. Also, my other interests lie in the area of Programming, Network Security, and Network Forensics. I am planning on shifting my focus to the security issues in Cryptocurrency. I plan to continue my current interests on a broader scale in academia. I graduated from Tennessee State University in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a Ph.D. in 2016. After that, I worked at the same place for a year as an Instructor in the Computer science department till 2017 summer. Later, I moved to Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department till 2018 summer. In fall 2018, I was hired as an Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) in the Computer Science Department at GSW.

Satyaki Nan

Dr. Satyaki Nan is an assistant professor (Tenure-Track) in the department of Computer Science at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW). Earlier, I was a visiting research scholar at the University of Cincinnati (UC). I received my MS and Ph.D. from Tennessee State University (TSU), in 2020, and 2022 respectively.  My research interests are in Behavioral cybersecurity, Game theory, Mechanism Design for cybersecurity, hardware Trojans, and cyber supply-chain security. I have published papers in top conferences/Journals like IEEE Globecom, Percom, PIRMC, etc. 

Bill NeSmith

Mr. Bill NeSmith live in Americus and works in Atlanta serving as Depurty General Counsel for the State Bar of Georgia since 2014. He is formerly a court attorney in two counties (Sumter County and Dooly County; a city attorney in three cities (Pinehurst, Richland, and Lumpkin), served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Georgia Department of Transportation and represented various other governmental entities and authorities. He graduate of Mercer University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Sociology and a Juris Doctor degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He served on the Investigative Panel for the State Disciplinary Board for the State Bar of Georgia as a member and Chair for seven years. The panel investigates unethical behavior by lawyers in Georgia. He weaches continuing education courses through the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and through the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education. Mr. NeSmith has published several articles and scholarly papers about legal and judicial ethics.

Yangil Park

Dr. Park’s work in the field of Management Information Systems focuses on the development of Internet technologies and the investigation of cognitive aspects of technology users. He teaches Information Systems for Management, Micro-computer Applications, E-commerce, and Internet Technologies. Dr. Park has published and presented nationally and internationally. His areas of research interest include cognitive investigation of end-users in the healthcare sector, Internet Technology innovation, Knowledge sharing in the organization, and IT sustainability. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, he has consulted the healthcare sector to reduce costs and to increase efficiency. These efforts include the optimization of registering patients, filing claims, surgeries, and transplants. Dr. Park is committed to providing quality teaching and thus, he has funded and served several pedagogical events. Lately, he has participated in Small Teaching Online/Brain-Based Learning community and Growth Mindset Online Faculty Learning Community supported by the Chancellor’s Learning Scholar program.

Sondra Smith

Dr. Smith received her doctorate in accounting from Kennesaw State University. She has been teaching accounting at various universities for over 25 years and teaching online classes since 2002. Before she began her teaching career, she worked in both public accounting as an accountant and in private accounting as a controller. She has been active in the Georgia Society of CPA’s for the past 20 years having served as chapter president of the West Georgia Chapter, chaired and co-chaired various committees, completed the leadership academy, served on the state council and served as a director of the educational foundation. In addition to the GSCPA, Dr. Smith has also been active and made many presentations with the American Accounting Association and the Institute of Management Accountants. Her primary areas of research include the usage of data analytics in the field of auditing, fraud, time-driven activity-based costing, and online teaching.

Amber Stovall

Mrs. Amber Stovall has more than 20 years of work experience in management, finance, and accounting in both the private and public sectors. She earned her BA in Marketing from Edinboro University and her MBA from Penn State University. Mrs. Stovall teaches courses in business communications, small business/entrepreneurship, management, and leadership. She is currently Co-Advisor for the COBAC Leadership Program, Vice President of the GSW Faculty Senate, board member of the Georgia Association of Marketing Educators, and actively involved with the Clute International Academic Conference on Business.  In the local community, Mrs. Stovall is a partner at Americus Living, board member of the Sumter Historic Trust, board member of the City of Americus Historic Preservation Commission, and Vice President of the Americus Sumter Development Company.  She promotes entrepreneurship and small business development in Sumter County and provides consultations services for local small businesses. 

John Stovall

John Stovall, Ph.D., attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed his Marketing Doctoral degree in conjunction with the UIC Entrepreneurial Center. His research interests include new product development and entrepreneurship, and he has consulted with many small businesses. John sat on the boards of the Americus-Sumter Chamber of Commerce in charge of Business Development and the Sumter Historic Trust where he worked to “balance the budget” and helped manage the properties owned by the Trust. More recently, John has worked with city officials, the Sumter Historic Trust, and Habitat for Humanity to redevelop neighborhoods in the historic district through his mission-based business, Americus Living, which was established in 2014.

Danielle Taylor

Danielle graduated with her Master of Accounting and BBA in Accounting (summa cum laude) from Georgia Southern University in 2010.  She has experience in an accounting firm and as a financial controller in the nursing home industry. 

Danielle is a member of the Georgia Society of CPAs, and she has served on the legislative and reimbursement committee of the Georgia Healthcare Association. She currently serves as treasurer for Georgia STOMP. Danielle also provides accounting services for independent artists and creative businesses, and she loves encouraging students who are nervous about their first accounting class.  

Darrin Theriault

Dr. Theriault (Dr. T) received his Ph.D. from Kennesaw State University in 2021. Prior to joining the COBAC team, he served as an Armor officer for 23-years in the U.S. Army, leading soldiers during multiple combat deployments to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Following his military career, he found a new passion - serving students. His post-Army career began at Kennesaw State where he served in several leadership roles focused on student success earning KSU’s administrator of the year award in 2017. Since making the transition to faculty, his focus remains on student success. His goal is to help develop business majors into future business leaders so GSW graduates can make a positive difference in the workforce, creating healthier, more diverse organizations. His research interests include leadership, followership, diversity, and workplace aggression (ostracism, abusive supervision, bullying, etc.).

Dr. T is an avid sports fan and can often be found fighting his slice on Griffin Bell golf course. Go Canes!

Qian Wang

Dr. Wang received her Ph.D. from Mississippi State University. She teaches courses in business finance, business statistics, and quantitative management at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Wang's current research interests focus on corporate finance with a specific interest in corporate governance, strategic financial decisions, and international behavioral finance. Her articles have been published in the Review of Financial and Economics and Global Finance Journal. Dr. Wang belongs to the Financial Management Association, Eastern Finance Association, and the Southern Finance Association.

Liz Wilson

Dr. Wilson received her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama/Birmingham. She retired from Georgia Southwestern in 2020 after 30 years with the University - the last 10 as Dean of the College of Business and Computing. She currently teaches Human Resources Management classes and advises Human Resources students. During her tenure at GSW, Dr. Wilson was active in many areas, including Faculty Athletics Representative, Faculty Senate, Search Committee Chair, and Undergraduate Chair.  She presided over COBAC’s entry into the eMajor program and was the Keynote Speaker at the 2019 MBA graduation ceremony.

Prior to joining the University, Dr. Wilson worked as an HR executive in rehabilitation facilities in Alabama and Georgia. Her research interest is primarily in the employment law area, particularly in the area of EEO legislation.

Alexander Yemelyanov

Dr. Alexander Yemelyanov is the director of the MS in Computer Science Program. He received his Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics and a D.Sc. in Systems Engineering with a concentration in Human Factors. His professional interests include human computer interaction; decision-making and problem-solving under risk and uncertainty; decision support and intelligent systems and their web-based mobile apps; and error analysis. Dr. Yemelyanov has written more than 120 publications, including three books. For his commitment to research, Dr. Yemelyanov received the Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award for outstanding Contributions to University Scholarship and Creative Works in 2020.

Phong Diep

Minh Diep joined the GSW College of Business and Computing in 2023. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology with a Multimedia concentration at Georgia Southwestern State University. He manages all technology, online learning management systems, and faculty support for the College of Business and Computing 

Belinda Fisher

Belinda Fisher joined the College of Business and Computing in the Dublin office as the Recruitment and Retention Coordinator in July 2022. Prior to coming to GSW, Belinda retired from Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) in 2022 after 36 years of service. At OFTC, Belinda served as an instructor and advisor for the Business Management Program. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration at Georgia College and State University. She and her husband currently live in Dublin. 

Lisa Hensley

Lisa Hensley has a wealth of experience in both the private and public sectors, paired with life experiences gained from living and working in five states (Indiana, Illinois, Florida, Kentucky, and now Georgia). Over the course of 25+ years, her work has focused on administrative assistant and office management roles, including for a large insurance company, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the United States Postal Service. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and taking walks with her husband, Mike, and their two Brittany Spaniels, Persimmon and Willow.

Janie Mooney

Janie Mooney came to Georgia Southwestern in March 2010 as the Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the School of Business Administration. She has continued as Senior Administrative Assistant with the Business School and Computer Science Departments merge to the College of Business and Computing in Fall 2019. Janie has served on the Staff Senate, the graduation committee, and on several search committees during her time as GSW. She is currently an active volunteer with SOWEGA CASA, an Ambassador for the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, and a former member of the Americus Pilot Club. Janie is dedicated to serving the faculty, staff, and students of the College of Business and Computing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her children.

Megan Payne

Megan Payne joined GSW College of Business and Computing as Administrative Assistant in July 2022.  She brings to GSW more than 15 years of small business experience in sales, display design, social media marketing and management. With this experience, she generated sales for many leading tabletop designers from all around the world. Megan received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Middle Georgia State University in 2018. She currently lives in Dublin, GA, and enjoys traveling with her husband and hiking any mountain trail with her dogs.