Economics often feels more relevant than ever, especially for students in Dr. Howard Wall’s econometrics class at the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. Students dove into real-world data sets to uncover surprising insights, ranging from income and incarceration to sleep habits and basketball stats.
Dr. Wall challenges students to go beyond the textbook, encouraging them to analyze data through the lens of everyday life.
“I tell my students that econometrics isn’t about learning some statistics,” Wall said. “It’s about training your mind to organize and interpret the data and information that we collect in our day-to-day lives.”
That mindset inspired economics major Earl Eiselstien to combine his passion for basketball with statistical analysis. He studied the points, rebounds, positions and ages of high-profile NBA players from the 1990s to uncover patterns in performance and earnings. According to his data, the center position had the strongest correlation with high performance.
Taylor Smallwood, a UTC football player and business student, approached his project from a different angle. Fascinated by the connection between income and lifestyle, he examined whether getting more sleep could lead to greater earnings. Contrary to common assumptions, his analysis showed that sleeping more didn’t necessarily translate into higher income. In fact, some of his data suggests that people who sleep less and work more hours earn significantly more.
“I was curious how sleep and wealth intersect, especially as a student-athlete whose schedule varies a lot between seasons,” Smallwood said. Looking at the numbers, he found it really came down to work hours.
John McAdams explored incarceration rates and how data can inform public policy. He analyzed county-by-county trends and discovered striking correlations in the way incarceration patterns developed across different regions. These insights could help shape more effective policy decisions.
Projects like these highlight how students in the Rollins College of Business are using economics to make sense of the world around them and to ask bold questions that challenge conventional wisdom.
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