Rate My Professor Aysegul Timur

Aysegul Timur, Ph.D., is the fifth president of Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), assuming the role in June 2023, with a robust background in Business & Economics and higher education administration. Renowned for cultivating collaborative teams to drive strategic initiatives, she has spearheaded workforce alignments and launched FGCU’s innovative micro-credentialing and digital badges programs to synchronize academic offerings with business community demands. From 2019 to June 2023, as Vice President and Vice Provost for Strategy and Program Innovation at FGCU, she secured a landmark $22.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce—Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge, significantly advancing workforce development in Southwest Florida. Her leadership emphasizes economics-informed strategic planning, program innovation, and regional economic responsiveness.

A first-generation college student who relocated to Naples, Florida, 25 years ago, Dr. Timur earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration, majoring in Economics, from the University of South Florida, complemented by an MBA and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Istanbul. Her career spans two decades at Hodges University (1999–2019), evolving from teaching assistant in 1999 to Full Professor of Economics in 2009, Dean of the Johnson School of Business (2014–2017), and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs (2017–2019). Her expertise in economics and higher-education leadership has profoundly shaped institutional growth and community partnerships. Dr. Timur actively serves on key boards, including the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, Collaboratory Board of Trustees (immediate past chair), Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, and Naples Botanical Gardens.