COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus State University is seeking six speakers for its January 2027 TEDx event, with applications due Nov. 6, while the Miracle Riders have announced a new $150,000 nursing endowment. The university also has named its archives for historian Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., highlighted a multiyear Aflac student co-op program and honored 10 people during Homecoming Week. Here are five university updates from October, including deadlines, program details and funding amounts.

1. TEDxColumbusStateU seeks 6 speakers by Nov. 6

Columbus State is accepting applications for six speakers at TEDxColumbusStateU, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, at Riverside Theater. The event's theme is "Grey Matter-The Space Between." The application deadline is Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. Eastern, eight days after this story's publication.

The university is inviting students, faculty, staff, alumni, local high school students and members of the regional community to submit proposals. Applications go through the online form linked from the university's Oct. 15 announcement, and more information is at events.columbusstate.edu/tedx. The university accepts seven formats: the big idea, tech demo, performance, artist's statement, dazzle with wonder, small idea and issue talk.

Organizers expect to notify applicants of their selections in mid-November. Selected speakers will receive coaching and participate in practice sessions ahead of the event, which is 77 days after Oct. 29. The first TEDxColumbusStateU, held in January 2026, attracted more than 300 attendees.

Shana Young, the university's associate vice president for community engagement, explained the theme in the announcement. "As technology continues to reshape society, TEDxColumbusStateU will explore a critical question: How will we choose to remain human within it?" she said. The university announced the call for speakers in an Oct. 15 news post.

2. CSU names archives for historian Kenneth H. Thomas Jr.

Columbus State announced Oct. 19 that it had named its Archives & Special Collections the Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. Archives & Special Collections. The designation recognizes a philanthropic gift from Thomas, a Columbus native and Georgia historian. The archives are part of Columbus State University Libraries and hold rare manuscripts, historic photographs, special collections and maps.

Thomas graduated from Columbus High School, and his family's local roots reach back to the 1820s. He earned a history degree from Emory University and served four years in the U.S. Air Force. From 1978 through 2006, he served as Georgia's official historian for the National Register of Historic Places, writing or editing more than 1,500 nominations during those 28 years.

Thomas also wrote a weekly genealogy column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1977 through 2024, a 47-year period. His books include "Columbus, Georgia, in Vintage Postcards," published in 2001, and "Fort Benning," published in 2003. His honors include the 2003 Governor's Award in the Humanities, the 2008 Sarah Turner Butler Heritage Award, recognition as a Fellow of the Society of Georgia Archivists in 2009 and two lifetime achievement honors in 2013.

His permanent endowment will pay for workshops and lectures, digitizing collections for wider access, acquiring and preserving regional historical documents, and student preservation projects. The university's post ties the gift to Columbus 2028, the city's bicentennial of its 1828 founding. "Ken Thomas has embodied the highest ideals of historical scholarship, public advocacy and stewardship," said Dr. Bryan Banks, dean of libraries and archives, while David Owings, director of the archives and associate dean of libraries, said, "For decades, Mr. Thomas' passion for historic preservation - throughout Georgia, but especially in Columbus - has enriched how we teach our students and engage with our local and scholarly communities."

3. Aflac co-op gives 20 students paid corporate experience

Columbus State and Aflac launched the Claims Co-op program this past summer as a multiyear professional pathway for students. The first group includes 20 sophomores studying business, data analytics, computer science, health sciences and kinesiology. Mike Johnson, Aflac vice president for claims, said, "For the student, it's a win because they're continuing their education, and as they're continuing their education, they're able to get real-life work experience with a Fortune 500 company."

Students initially complete a summer training period that involves 40 hours of work each week and earns three academic credits. During the academic year, their schedules shift to 20 flexible hours weekly so they can continue taking classes. Workspaces for the co-op are set up at the Synovus Center for Commerce & Technology and Frank Brown Hall.

Co-op students are treated as Aflac employees. They are paid above minimum wage with expected yearly raises. Their benefits include paid time off, health insurance options and 401(k) planning.

"What I'm seeing from the students in the [co-op] is they're asking lots of questions, they're very engaged, they're already looking at our processes and ways that we can innovate them," said Heather Runci, Aflac's Claims Co-op director and a 2000 Columbus State graduate. Jayde Colson, a business administration and human resources major, described the appeal of the program: "What attracted me to the co-op is being able to get real work experience in a corporate environment." Columbus State President Dr. Stuart Rayfield summarized the university's objective: "Our goal is to prepare students to solve real-world problems from day one."

4. Alumni Association recognizes 10 people during Homecoming

The Columbus State Alumni Association honored 10 people at an awards luncheon Friday, Oct. 16, during Homecoming Week. The university announced the recipients in an Oct. 20 news post. The university counted the Pezolds as two recipients, which brings the total to 10.

Bobbi Starr, a 2014 and 2016 graduate, received the Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumnus Award for her work as executive director and co-founder of Micah's Promise, which addresses the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Jack and JoRhee Pezold received the Frank D. Brown Achievement & Leadership Excellence Award, recognizing contributions that include support for the Pezold Center for Emergent Technology. Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman, a 2007 graduate who previously served 16 years as elected marshal, received the Distinguished Alumnus in Military/Public Service Award.

Eboni Thomas, a 2009 and 2024 graduate and strategic planning specialist at Columbus Water Works, received the Young Alumni Award. Employee Appreciation Awards went to chemistry professor Dr. Kerri Shelton Taylor, a faculty member since 2016, and Debra Tommey, who has worked nearly 18 years at the Joyce & Henry Schwob School of Music. Marion Scott, a 1975 graduate, received the Alumni Service Award for support of Ride for Miracles, while Howard Miles and Will Stephenson received honorary alumni status for motorcycle ride fundraising.

5. Miracle Riders add $150,000 to nursing investment

The Miracle Riders announced a $150,000 endowment for Columbus State's School of Nursing on Oct. 13, exactly one year after completing a $1 million fundraising commitment. Adding the $150,000 endowment to the $1 million commitment brings the riders' total to Columbus State to $1.15 million. The endowment will fund maintenance and technology upgrades for three clinical simulation laboratories established through the riders' earlier donations.

The riders pledged up to $1 million in 2021 to develop pediatric-focused simulation facilities. Their 2022 ride funded the pediatric lab, the 2023 ride funded the mother-baby lab, and the 2024 and 2025 rides supported the neonatal lab. Those four rides helped create three laboratories equipped with robotic patient simulators that reproduce movements, facial expressions, breathing, vital signs and childbirth.

Scott Ressmeyer, founder of the Miracle Ride and co-owner of Country's Barbecue, announced the latest commitment at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. The foundation has managed donations from the riders since 2015. The ride began in 2009, when Ressmeyer rode through the 48 contiguous states for his 50th birthday to raise money for the Children's Hospital at Midtown Medical Center.

Since 2009, the riders have raised more than $3.1 million for children's services. "They all do it for one reason - from the heart. And if you do something from the heart, you have impact," Ressmeyer said. Dr. Margie Yates, dean of the College of Education & Health Professions, said, "These labs and the opportunity for our students to train on robotic simulators are game changers for our nursing programs."

## How we did this Columbus Times compiled these five updates from Columbus State University news releases dated Oct. 13, 15, 19, 20 and 21, 2026, published at news.columbusstate.edu. All facts were checked against the posts Oct. 28, 2026, and quotes were rechecked word for word against the live posts Oct. 29 in those posts. Columbus Times calculated the eight-day TEDx application window, 77-day event countdown, 28-year and 47-year historical periods, 10 alumni honorees and $1.15 million Miracle Riders commitment from the university's published figures.