Twenty-eight years ago, after graduating from college in her home country of Turkey, Aysegul Timur had an ambitious personal goal. The first-generation college student, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Istanbul University, wanted to earn a doctorate from an American university, which she considers the best in the world. Her then fiancé, Mete Timur, shared that dream. “We had big ideas,” she remembers.
When the couple communicated these plans to their respective relatives, they promised they would only be gone three years. Their families gave their blessing, believing the sooner the pair left, the sooner they would return. To appease their mothers, they first married. Two days later, they arrived in Marco Island, where a Turkish friend owned a business.
The Timurs did not speak a word of English and promptly enrolled in ESL classes at International College (renamed Hodges University in 2007). “Four months later, I could read, write, and speak English,” Aysegul notes. About their new home, she says, “We fell in love with the region and the people. We were welcomed with open arms.”
A Born Educator
Aysegul is a popular name in Turkey. The youngest in her family by 13 years, she relays that her two older brothers had grown up reading books about a character with her name—a beloved educator and storyteller. As it turns out, her parents chose a name that perfectly suited their only daughter.
Aysegul shares she did not always love learning, however. In fact, she told her mom, when young, she did not want to go to school anymore. It was middle school that changed her mind. “The right teacher made all the difference for me,” she explains. “I discovered I loved math and calculus. Learning energized me. I even started teaching others while in high school.”
Once she mastered English, Aysegul worked as a teaching assistant at Hodges University. Although she entertained moving to another state for her doctoral studies, she and Mete discovered they had fallen in love with the people of Southwest Florida and were reluctant to leave. Aysegul did not want to complete an online program. With the help of then Hodges University Dean Fred Nerone, she found a doctoral program at the University of South Florida in Tampa that would allow her to remain affiliated with Hodges. Four days a week for four years, Aysegul traveled back and forth. Her son, Efehan, born in 2000, accompanied her on many of her learning adventures, as did Mete. The three logged thousands of miles on I-75 so Aysegul could graduate in 2006 with a doctorate in business administration and economics.
Aysegul scaled the academic ranks to become a full professor of economics in 2009 at Hodges University. Here, she became dean of the Johnson School of Business (2014-2017) and later served as senior vice president of academic affairs (2017-2019). (Hodges closed its doors in August 2024.)
In 2019, Aysegul accepted employment at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)—Florida’s tenth state university founded in 1991—taking on the role of vice president and vice provost for strategy and program innovation. In this role, she was instrumental in overseeing the university’s historic $22.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, provided to amplify workforce development efforts in Southwest Florida.
Gail Markham, a forensic and certified public accountant in Southwest Florida for almost 50 years, first met Aysegul at Hodges University’s business school, where Markham was a frequent guest speaker. The two bonded. “We have mutual math brains,” says Markham.
Markham was on the committee to hire a new president at FGCU in 2023. Aysegul loved her job as vice president and had no intention of throwing her hat in the ring for the position. At the eleventh hour, however, she submitted her application. Markham recalls it was a very competitive process, noting “Aysegul narrowly won in a tight vote in the second round of nominations.” About her friend the FGCU enthusiast says, “She works harder than anyone I know. She is professional, on top of it, and gets it done.”
All in a Day’s Work
As university president, Naples resident Aysegul follows a busy schedule. Her day begins at 5 a.m. She gets ready, donning the official school colors of blue and green—either in her clothing or accessories. She enjoys coffee and breakfast with her husband, an entrepreneur who manufactures electric golf carts, and 17-year-old daughter, Alara, a junior at Aubrey Rogers High School in Naples. (Son Efehan, who graduated from the University of South Florida, now resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he works as an industrial engineer.) Aysegul checks her emails, listens to the local news, and tries to get a quick stroll in with her Australian labradoodle, Diva.
Around 6:30 a.m., she settles herself behind the wheel of her Audi SUV, tunes her radio to WGCU 90.1 FM—an FGCU-affiliated public broadcasting station—and begins her commute to campus. Her goal is to enjoy a scheduled early morning coffee with a faculty member or a student every day. “I want to see and hear for myself what is going on and what the students are saying,” she explains.
Back at her office, she attends back-to-back administration, communication, economic development, and/or chamber of commerce meetings. “I meet with international teams, internal teams, and bargaining teams—often over lunch,” she relays. She likes to invite donors and other guests to campus, offering tours—by golf cart—that showcase the institution she is so proud of.
Aysegul is often seen walking around campus. “I like to walk and talk and see what is going on,” she says. She regularly attends donor and community events and often travels to Tallahassee for meetings—with the goal of connecting state leaders with FGCU and its mission.
The president, who believes sports are an important part of the college experience, spends evenings and weekends on campus, attending every FGCU athletic event possible—from soccer to volleyball to basketball. “I love watching the Eagle athletes,” she says. While she might stop into the president’s suite for a few minutes, she is happiest visiting with the fans in the stands and cheering on teams alongside the Dirty Birds, the official student fan group at FGCU.
Aysegul also attends every performance at the Bower School of Music & the Arts. In the month of February alone, there are 11 scheduled events she will enjoy. As often as possible, Mete is by her side. Pamela McCabe, director of university communications & media relations at FGCU, affectionately refers to him as “the first gentleman” or “Mr. FGCU.”
Off campus, Aysegul volunteers for various organizations, serving on boards at Naples Botanical Garden, Imagine Solutions, and the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, among others. “I give back to my community with my time and talent,” she says. In 2012, Aysegul was a Leadership Collier graduate. The friends she met there—all professionals in their fields—have become her “close tribe,” she says. “We support each other.” They continue to socialize and often travel together. “We all have one thing in common,” she shares, “we are passionate about Southwest Florida.”
A Leader Who Listens
In January 2025, following prior approval by the FGCU Board of Trustees, a strategic plan was approved for FGCU by the Florida Board of Governors. Five specific goals tied to this plan include: innovate for academic excellence, enhance student success and well-being, elevate partnerships for regional impact, strengthen the organizational culture and commitment to all employees, and champion sustainable practices and resiliency specific to Southwest Florida.
Aysegul is committed to these goals while continuing the success of the institution that boasts more than 16,000 students and 43,000 alumni and will celebrate 30 years of teaching and learning in 2027. “I am so proud of where we are,” declares Aysegul. “The four previous presidents built a great institution.”
Ryan Kaczynski, a senior, who will graduate from FGCU this spring, served as student body president (2024-25), attending numerous events with Aysegul in this role. He considers her extremely approachable. “She talks to everybody,” he says, and “she is very inspirational.” Kaczynski believes the president’s positive style “will influence his future leadership roles.”
Jan Kantor, a business consultant who has helped companies succeed for the past 34 years, has known Aysegul professionally since the early 2000s. “I consider her story beautiful and unique,” says Kantor. “In my opinion, her talents are incredible. She has adapted and listened to improve her career and better serve the community, building and expanding the culture and impact of the university for the future. I’m so proud of what she has accomplished in her devotion and commitment to the university and Southwest Florida.”
For the Timurs, three years has quickly turned into 28. They consider Southwest Florida their home. “We have built a life here,” says Aysegul, who considers herself a “true product of the local environment.” Although she started her American story with a specific plan, Aysegul does not make five- or ten-year plans for herself. Instead, she prefers to seize opportunities more organically. When they present, she assesses and decides if it is the right time to take them or not. If she decides to move ahead, however, she gives it her all—every step of the journey.
Story Credits:
Shot on location at Naples Botanical Garden
Photo assistant: Ben Cooper
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