Aysegul Timur, Ph.D., the fifth president of Florida Gulf Coast University, is widely known for building collaborative teams of university and community stakeholders to implement strategic initiatives, including workforce alignments. This includes launching FGCU’s micro-credentialing and digital badges initiative, which enhance the rigor of existing academic programs while being responsive to the ever-changing needs of the business community.

Prior to becoming president in June 2023, Timur served as FGCU's Vice President and Vice Provost for Strategy and Program Innovation. Timur led the efforts for FGCU to receive a historic $22.9 million grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce — Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge Grant to amplify workforce development efforts in Southwest Florida.

Prior to joining FGCU in 2019, Timur worked for Hodges University, where she progressively took on larger leadership roles. She started off as a teaching assistant in 1999 and steadily scaled the academic ranks to become a full professor of economics in 2009. She soon took on additional administrative roles, ultimately becoming Dean of the Johnson School of Business in 2014 and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs in 2017.

Timur is a first-generation college student who made the cross-continental move to Naples 25 years ago. She earned a doctorate in business administration with a major in economics from the University of South Florida, complementing her MBA and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration from the University of Istanbul.

Timur raised her two children with husband, Mete, in the Southwest Florida community. While furthering her career in higher education, she also embedded herself in the regional community, performing civic service and taking on additional leadership roles.

Today, Timur is a member of the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Board of Trustees, a member of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, the immediate past chair of the Collaboratory Board of Trustees, a board member of the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, and a board member of the Naples Botanical Gardens.