Fred Floss

Frederick Floss, PhD

Professor Cassety Hall 347
Phone: (716) 878-3735
Email: flossfg@buffalostate.edu

Curriculum vitae

Education

BA Economics and English, SUNY Oswego (1979)
MA Economics, University at Buffalo - SUNY (1982)
PhD Economics, University at Buffalo - SUNY (1986)

Courses recently taught
New York State Government & Budget (MPA and MS Applied Economics) (each spring semester), Econometrics, Public Finance, Cost Benefit Analysis, Intermediate Economics, Financial Analysis, Investment Theory, Environmental Economics, Senior Seminar, Labor Economics, Labor Relations
 

Biography

Fred Floss is the former chairperson of the Department of Economics and Finance and Professor of Economics and Finance at SUNY Buffalo State where he teaches courses in both economics and finance including labor economics and labor relations, microeconomic theory, econometrics, public finance, investment and portfolio management, forecasting, and New York State governance and the State's budgetary process. 

Floss is currently a Secretary of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority and the past Chairperson and current vice president of the SUMMIT Board of Directors (a school for autistic and developmentally challenged students). He was elected in 2024 as a member of the Kenmore-Tonawanda School Board and was a member of the 2024 Erie County Citizen Salary Review Commission setting salaries for elected officials.

Floss previously served as the Statewide President and Vice President of Academics for United University Professions. While at UUP he served as their chief negotiator for the 2007-2011 contract, which represented 37,000 academic and professional faculty in the SUNY system and currently serves as the Chapter President at Buffalo State. He is also a senior fellow at the Fiscal Policy Institute where he was FPI's third Executive Director. Floss has published numerous articles in economics and finance including higher education finance, gender inequity microeconomic theory and forensic economics.  His current scholarship includes co-editor (Brown, Buonanno, Parshall) of Governing New York State Through Crises (currently in the manuscript review process with SUNY Press).

Publications 

  • Floss, F. (co-editor with Brown, Buonanno and Parshall) Governing New York through Crisis, SUNY Press (manuscript in review process, December 2024)
  • Floss, F. “Cost Benefit Analysis of Human Capital: Are Value Added Models Valid?” in Left Behind the Race to the Top, Edited by Julie Gorlewski and Brad Porfirio.  IAP, 2013, pp. 37-47.
  • Floss, F. “The Declining Rate of Return to Women in Higher Education” Proceedings of the Conference on Succeeding as Women in Higher Education WAGADU,, Special Issue: Gender Equity in Higher Education: Vol. 9, 2011, pp 187-205. 
  • Floss, F. “The Economics of Globalization and Corporatization in Higher Education.”  In Transforming Higher Education: Education, Economy, Democracy and the University.  Edited by T. Kriger and S. Rosow.  Lexington Books, 2010.
  • Floss, F. “The Historical Rate of Return of Full Time Faculty in the US.”  UUP Working Paper Series, Sept. 2009. 
  • Floss, F. “Economics and Buffalo in the Great Depression,” The Buffalo News, 20 week series Winter/Spring 2003-2004.
  • Floss, F. L. Spizman and E. Dunne Schmidt.  “Final Comment: Unintended Consequences of New York Structured Settlement Laws,” Journal of Forensic Economics, 16:3 fall 2003, pp. 305-307.
  • Floss, F.,  L. Spizman and E. Dunne Schmidt.  “One More Time: New York’s Structured Settlement Statutes, Rent-Seeking, and the Pro-Plaintiff Bias,” Journal of Forensic Economics, 15:3 Fall 2002, pp. 303-311.
  • Floss, F. “How Long is Your Life?  A Lesson in Life Time Budgeting,” EconEd Link, January 2000. 
  • Floss, F. “The Story of Jack and the Bank Stalk,” EconEd Link, December 1999
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans.  “Structured Settlements and the Interest Rate Switch,” Journal of Forensic Economics 12(1), 1999, pp. 57-64.
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans. “Measuring Economic Loss for the Self Employed: The Role of Economic Rent,” Journal of Legal Economics, 7(2), 1997, pp. 1-14. 
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans.  “Incomplete Markets and the Calculation of Economic Loss,” Journal of Forensic Economics, 9(1), 1996.
  • Floss, F.,  J. T. Romans and S. Warren. "Annuals of the Latin American Debt Crisis,"  Journal of International Finance and Foreign Exchange, January 1995.  
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans. "The Estimation of Retirement Age in the Calculation of Earnings Loss," Journal of Legal Economics, 3(2) 1993, pp. 25 - 32.   
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans. "The Economic Value of Restricted Fringe Benefits: A Comment” Journal of Forensic Economics, 5(2) 1992, pp. 169 - 172.       
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans. "Four Guidelines for Selecting a Discount Rate,” The Journal of Forensic Economics, 5(3) 1992, pp. 265 - 266.
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans. "Three Concepts of the Value of Fringe Benefits,” The Journal of Forensic Economics, 3(1) 1990, pp. 69 - 73.
  • Floss, F. and J. T. Romans. "The Evaluation of Homemaker Services: Replacement Cost, Opportunity Cost or Something Else?”  The Journal of Forensic Economics, 1989, pp. 61 - 65.   
  • Floss, F. (Book Review)  Marvin Daub, Canadian Economic Forecasting:  In a World Where Alls Unsure, 1978, in The Journal of Business Forecasting, vol. 7 number 3, fall 1988.
  • Floss, F. "Gramm-Rudman and the Deficit,” Rockefeller Papers Abstracts, March 1987.
  • Floss, F. "Comparable Worth, Skill Groups and Market Interactions,” Women and Politics, 6 (3), fall 1986, pp. 25-42. (Reprinted in)  The Politics of Professionalism, Opportunity, Employment and Gender, ed. Sarah Slavin, Haworth Press, 1987. 

Testimony (recent)

Testimony before NYS Assembly, “Economics of Minimum Wage.” 2016.
Testimony before the NYS Fast Food Wage Board, “The Economic Impact of Changes to the NYS Minimum Wage on Franchises.” 2015.
Testimony On New York State Taxation for Fiscal Policy Institute before the Joint Committee of NYS Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committee, 2014. 

Media Interviews (selected, recent)
-ZDF German Television. Heute (2024, November 29).  Black Friday.  (Video, interview begins at 7:07)
-Buckley, Eileen. (2024, October 15). ' There is No Fiscal Crisis'  What is the Fiscal Shape of Buffalo as Byron Brown Departs City Hall? WKBW7
-Benson, Nate. (2024, September 27).  Lawmakers and the Control Board Offer Ways to Fill the Buffalo Budget Gap.  2WGRZ.
-Zahn, Max. (2024, August 11).  DNC Speakers Claim Biden Inherited Economy in Disarray.  Economists Say It's More Complicated.
-Kahwaty, Sabrina. (2024, August 23).  In the News:  Floss Discusses Presidential Impact on U.S. Economy with ABC News.
-Gramza, Janet. (2024, July 31).  Buffalo Next:  Buffalo State Cuts its Deficit by about 25%.  The Buffalo News.
-Roesser, Brianne. (2024, January 31).  Buffalo Economist Weighs in on Trend in Mass Layoffs.  Spectrum News.
-Whalen, Ryan. (2024, January 30).  Despite Good News, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Manufacturer Plug Power Still Presents Risks for New York. Spectrum News.
-Anstey, Evan and Hope WInter. (2023, August 22).  Faculty Pickets;  D'Youville Says It's Gone Above Obligations.  4WIVB.
-Roesser, Brianne. (2023, February 23).  New Yorkers Raise Alarm Around Rising Rent Prices.  Spectrum News.
-WGRZ2-TV. (2022, July 1).  Independence Day Cookout Prices Soar Due to Supply Chain Demand.  
-Robinson, David. (2022, January 17).  As Yellow Turns to Orange, Fragile Buffalo Niagara Economy Takes New Hit.  The Buffalo News.
-WGRZ-TV. (2021, October 5).  Tuesday Town Hall Segment One - Nurses' Strike.
-Robinson, David. (2020, November 11).  Analysis:  As Covid Surges, the Buffalo Niagara Economy is at a Crossroads.  The Buffalo News.
-Arbetter, Susan. (2020, August 19).  Buffalo Economist Fred Floss:  'We Are in an Impossible Situation."  Capital Tonight (Spectrum News).
-WBFO. (2019, February 4).  Blizzard's Economic Impact Difficult to Measure.
-Lynch, Kaley. (2018, February 19).  Buff State Economist Discusses Potential Impacts if Tops Files for Bankruptcy (video).  WIVB4.
-Whalen, Ryan. (2017, January 10).  How Buffalo Billion Phase II Started and Took Shape.  Spectrum News.
-Whalen, Ryan. (2016, October 3).  Financial Experts Not Overly Optimistic for SolarCity's Future in WNY.  Spectrum News.
-Edic, Tyler. (2014, December 30). Fred Floss '79 Finds Career in Finance Rewarding.  Oswego Alumni Magazine.

Presentations (see cv)

Professional Associations
American Economic Association
American Statistical Association
National Association of Forensic Economists
American Association of Forensic Economists