Dr. Mark Strazicich, a professor of economics, says that students studying economics at Appalachian State University have at least three advantages over their peers at other schools:

• First, classes are generally smaller.
• Second, Appalachian is “above average” in terms of research. “We have lots of people publishing papers and going to conferences,” he said. “We really enjoy research and value research in our department.”
• Third, Appalachian students have easier access to their professors, he said: “You’re actually taught by the professors who are doing the research.”

Strazicich’s own areas of research are macroeconomics, econometrics and international economics. His work has examined economic growth and the distribution of world income, economic growth and pollution, the behavior of government debt, and developing and applying time series tests with structural breaks. 

Strazicich typically teaches multiple sections of Principles of Macroeconomics, a requirement for business majors. Depending on the semester, he also teaches Econometrics, an upper-level elective course on the statistical analysis of economic data. Or, he teaches a course on money and banking.

In fall 2015, Strazicich offered an upper-level course on the history of economic thought, which he described as a blend of philosophy, history and economics. “I’ve always been interested in this,” the professor said. The course covers philosophers on the topic of economics from Aristotle and other ancient Greeks, to Adam Smith and Karl Marx.

“The big picture got me interested in economics – how the economy works and how it might influence world events,” Strazicich said. “(Economics) is a way to explain a lot of what goes on in the world.”