Teaching, Research, and Professional Areas

• Teach several courses in economics, some of which include international economics, econometrics, statistics, regional economics, macroeconomics, and the economics of healthcare
• Research in the area of regional economics, with an emphasis on socioeconomic issues
• Member of the Southern Regional Science Association and regularly review papers for Public Health and the International Journal of Social Economics

Bio
Ferdinand's research is primarily in regional economics. He has conducted studies on business survival, energy, and economic impact analysis. He has also applied regional economics to mental health and socioeconomic issues, such as suicide, divorce, and drug use. He has published papers on the macroeconomic factors influencing divorce (2012), the spatial pattern of suicide in TN (2017), and the historical trend of alcohol sales in TN to predict the legalization of marijuana (2019).  His working papers right now include 1) a study on the effect of the business cycle on rural versus metro poverty and 2) the economic influences of drug use in TN.