T. Jake Smith, a postdoctoral researcher at CARD, was named recipient of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association's prestigious Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award. Smith was nominated for his dissertation "Agricultural production in the 21st century: Technology adoption, adaptation, and market power" for which he also won the CARD Award for Best Ph.D. Dissertation in Agricultural, Environmental, and Energy Economics and Policy. Smith's dissertation is comprised of studies on three significant developments in US agricultural markets during the twenty-first century: the adoption of genetically engineered (GE) corn seed, the implementation of the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard, and rising concerns over market power in the beef packing industry.

In his AAEA nomination, GianCarlo Moschini, Smith's major professor, said "The three studies in this dissertation contribute to our understanding of the consequences of significant changes in technology, policy, and market concentration that have occurred over the past few decades in agricultural markets. The dissertation displays mastery of an impressive array of analytical tools, thorough familiarity with industry facts and relevant policies, ability to work with large data, and a keen eye on what makes empirical findings interesting and relevant. The research questions addressed are important, the analysis compelling, and the results novel, interesting, and policy-relevant. This dissertation is a sterling example of scholarship that makes a fine contribution to applied economics, in the best tradition of the AAEA."

Smith will be honored as an award winner at the 2024 AAEA Annual Meeting this July in New Orleans.