Christopher Ferrall

Christopher Ferrall is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Queen's University, where he has been since 1990. He also serves as the Academic Director of the Queen's Research Data Centre and previously led the John Deutsch Institute for the Study of Economic Policy (2009–2016). His research focuses on computational methods applied to labour economics, dynamic programming, and structural estimation. Ferrall holds a BA from the University of Wyoming (1984) and a PhD from the University of Minnesota (1990). He has held visiting positions at institutions such as Carnegie Mellon, New York University, and the Norwegian School of Economics.

• Education: BA Economics & Computer Science (University of Wyoming, 1984); PhD Economics (University of Minnesota, 1990).
• Research Interests: Labour market dynamics, computational economics, structural estimation, and policy analysis using dynamic programming.
• Key Contributions: Developed the niqlow software platform for economic model design and estimation, and authored the textbook C4E: Computation for Economists.

His publications span topics like unemployment insurance, physician work patterns, and the impact of education quality on labour market outcomes. He has supervised over 20 PhD students, many of whom hold academic or policy roles globally. Ferrall has secured grants totaling millions, including leadership in Canada’s Research Data Centre Network and SSHRC initiatives. His teaching spans advanced econometrics, computational methods, and labour economics at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

• Grants: Over $30M in funded research, including SSHRC/CIHR initiatives and Canada Foundation for Innovation grants.
• Administration: Extensive service on university committees, including roles in high-performance computing, graduate programs, and academic review committees.

He is affiliated with the Queen’s Research Data Centre and has collaborated with institutions like Statistics Canada and the World Bank. His work bridges theoretical models with practical policy analysis, leveraging computational tools to address complex economic questions.