A graduate student from Texas Tech's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics was recently recognized for his outstanding research efforts by the university's Graduate School.

Raymond March, a doctoral student at the time, received first place honors in the "2018 Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Awards" in the program's social science category, according to officials with Texas Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The awards program was funded by the Helen Jones Foundation.

The title of March's dissertation was Self-Regulation in the U.S. Pharmaceutical Market. "Writing a dissertation on self-regulation in the market for pharmaceuticals has been an eye-opening, challenging, and very fruitful experience in my development as an applied economist," he said.

March currently serves as a research fellow at the Independent Institute and an assistant professor of economics at San Jose State University. He received his bachelor's degree in management with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Florida Gulf Coast University-Ft. Myers. His master's degree and doctorate are from Texas Tech.

Program officials note that first-place dissertation award winners were entered into the Council of Graduate School's annual CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award competition, which honors the dissertations that represent original work and significant contributions to the discipline being considered for the year.

Students were nominated by their faculty representatives. In this case March was supported by Adam Martin, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

The Graduate School recognizes theses and dissertations of mathematics, physical sciences, engineering and social sciences in even numbered years, and biological life sciences, humanities and fine arts in odd years.

Other winners included:

• Gail Alleyne Bayne (Social Science - 2nd place-doctoral dissertation) Department of Instructional Technology: "Effects of Online Course Design Elements on Undergraduate Students' Mental Fatigue"
• Alyssa Bonorden (Social Science - 1st place master's thesis) Department of Anthropology: "Comparing Colonial Experiences in Northwestern Belize: Archaeological Evidence from Qualm Hill Camp and Kaxil Uinic Village"
• Molla Hasan (Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering -1st Place Doctoral Dissertation) Department of Mechanical Engineering: "Decoupling the Effects of Surface Roughness and Chemistry on the Wetting of Metallic Glasses"
• Sara Calandrini (Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering -2nd Place Doctoral Dissertation) Department of Mathematics and Statistics: "Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulations for Medical Applications"

CONTACT: Phillip Johnson, chairman and director of the university's Thornton Agricultural Finance Institute, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-0474 or phil.johnson@ttu.edu

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