Cynthia Turner

Cynthia W. Turner is associate dean for access and student success at Fisher, where she leads college initiatives to improve student persistence, graduation, and career outcomes, while fostering meaningful community partnerships with alumni, corporate partners, and local organizations. She oversees the strategic direction and alignment of the Office of ACCESS and the Office of Career Management to support students from their first year through post-graduation success.

A frequent speaker, Cynthia draws on her expertise in accounting, generational dynamics, and building thriving cultures—both within organizations and across communities—to help leaders sharpen their skills, strengthen relationships, and create lasting impact.

Cynthia began her academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign, serving for 17 years on the accountancy faculty, including as associate director of its undergraduate program. In 2013, she joined Fisher as a senior lecturer of accounting and developed the award‑winning Project THRIVE program, a student success initiative in the undergraduate accounting and management information systems department. Since joining Fisher’s leadership team in 2019, her strategic efforts have helped secure over $3 million in external funding for scholarships, launched a historic partnership with the City of Columbus to support pre‑collegiate programming for local high school students, and expanded alumni engagement opportunities, among other things.

Cynthia teaches in Fisher’s undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs, and her research has been published in the Journal of Accounting Research and the International Journal of Accounting. Before entering academia, she was a practicing accountant with EY. Cynthia currently serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, PatientPoint Foundation, Community Impact Council, and Women for Economic and Leadership Development. She is a member of the American Accounting Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Black Accountants.

Honors and Awards

• Power of Change Honoree, The Ohio Society of CPAs, 2023
• Kenneth Bouyer Difference Maker in Inclusive Excellence Award, Business School Engagement Collaborative, 2023
• EY Excellence in Teaching Award, Fisher College of Business, 2018-2019
• Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award, The Ohio State University, 2018
• Undergraduate Service Award, Fisher College of Business, 2018
• Outstanding Faculty Award, Residence Halls Advisory Council, The Ohio State University, 2014

• PhD, The Ohio State University
• MA, The Ohio State University
• BS, North Carolina A&T State University

• Cases in Financial Accounting. First Edition (Pearson Publishing, 2013), with J. Shapland.
• Shear Madness (McGraw-Hill/Irwin; Primis/Create, 2010), with J. Shapland.
• Turner, Cynthia and A. Ganguly. “Discussion of Arnold, Bernardi, and Neidermeyer:  The Association between European Materiality Estimates and Client Integrity, National Culture and Litigation.” International Journal of Accounting. 36.4 (2001): 485-490.
• Turner, Cynthia. “Accountability Demands and the Auditor's Evidence Search Strategy: The Influence of Reviewer Preferences and the Nature of the Response.” Journal of Accounting Research. 2001.