Dr. Cynthia Turner

Dr. Cynthia Turner is the Assistant Dean and Chief Diversity Officer at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business where she is responsible for creating and executing the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy and shaping its culture, climate and reputation. Cynthia made history in 1996 when she became the first African-American woman to complete a doctoral degree in accounting at The Ohio State University. And for nearly 25 years, she has been esteemed as an award-winning accounting educator and facilitator of change. Prior to returning to Ohio State in 2013, Cynthia served on the accountancy faculty for 17 years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an academic researcher, her work has been published in the top journals in her field. Cynthia is known for her contagious energy and unparalleled commitment to diversity and inclusion in every space that she works.Cynthia has served on a number of nonprofit boards and is highly respected in her community as a leader and ordained minister. Cynthia graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University and has a MA and PhD in accounting from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business.