Faculty Profile

Faculty Headshot

Douglas Downing

Professor Emeritus of Economics

Email: ddowning@spu.edu


Education: BS, Yale University, 1979; PhD, Yale University, 1987. At SPU 1983–2018. Emeritus since 2018.

Douglas Downing has taught at Seattle Pacific University since 1983. He studied at Yale, earning a BS degree with double majors in economics/ political science and astronomy/physics in 1979, and a PhD in economics in 1987. His dissertation was on "Teenage Employment: Personal Characteristics, Job Duration, and the Racial Unemployment Differential."

In addition to teaching economics and quantitative methods in SPU's School of Business, Government, and Economics, he teaches introductory astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences and Globalization in the University Scholars program.

Dr. Downing has served as SPU faculty chair, SBGE undergraduate chair, SBGE study abroad coordinator, and leader of SBGE's study abroad trip to China.

He has written 15 books that have been published in 45 editions, including a trilogy of math textbooks (algebra, trigonometry, calculus) written as fantasy adventure novels, and other books on math and computers. His book Freedom, Opportunity, and Security: Economic Policy and the Political System was published in 2015.


Books

Freedom, Opportunity, and Security: Economic Policy and the Political System

Lexington Books, 2015

E-Z Calculus

Barron's Educational Series, 2010

Business Statistics, with Jeffrey Clark

Barron's Educational Series, 2010

E-Z Trigonometry

Barron's Educational Series, 2010

Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms, with Michael and Melody Covington

Barron's Educational Series, 2009

Dictionary of Mathematics Terms

Barron's Educational Series, 2009

E-Z Algebra

Barron's Educational Series, 2009

E-Z Statistics, with Jeffrey Clark

Barron's Educational Series, 2009

Selected Publications

  • "Wage Subsidies for Low Wage Jobs," Western Economic Association International, Vancouver B.C., July 2, 2009.
  • "The Consequences of Misunderstanding the Causes of Poverty," Baylor University conference on Christianity and Economics, April 17, 2009.
  • "The Consequences of Misunderstanding the Causes of Poverty," Western Economic Association International, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2, 2008.
  • "Conflicts Between Ethical Behavior and Profit Enhancement," Christian Business Faculty Association, Seattle, Washington, October 6, 2007.
  • "Wage Subsidies for Low Wage Jobs," Oxford Round Table, Oxford, England, July 3, 2007.
  • "Optimally Targeted Employment-Expanding Investment Subsidy," Western Economic Association International, San Francisco, July 6, 2005.

Please view Dr. Downing's CV (PDF) for additional publications.

Personal Links

Dr. Downing's website

Doug Downing

Why I Teach at SPU

Douglas Downing, Associate Professor of Economics; Adjunct Professor of Astronomy

"It is always exciting to have the opportunity to interact with SPU students in the classroom and help them learn very difficult material step-by-step, or to travel with students on a study abroad program. I became an economics teacher because of stories my parents told about growing up in the depression and seeing the need to find ways to help solve economic problems. I teach astronomy because it is very fun."