Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Gary Caton (with Tim Harvey and Ed Gamble)

Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship

“Impacts of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program”

Wendy Stock

Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Optimization of Laboratory Assays to Quantify Influenza D Virus

Agnieszka Rynda-Apple

• Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Wan-Yuan Kuo

Department of Health and Human Development

Kalli Decker

Department of Health and Human Development

Sarah Church

Department of Earth Sciences

Sally Moyce

College of Nursing

Joseph Atwood

Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics

Mariana Carrera

Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Daniel Bigelow

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“A Hot Debate: Are Occupational Health Policies Effective?”

Sally Moyce

College of Nursing

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

William Kleindl

Land Resources and Environmental Sciences 

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Sally Moyce, College of Nursing

Wendy Stock, Agricultural Economics and Economics

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“A Web-Based Story Map to Explain Sensitivity Analysis of Riparian Wetland Assessment to Disturbance Gradients within SW Montana”

William Kleindl

Land Resources and Environmental Sciences 

“Data on Trends in Enrollment and Other Outcomes for Special Education Students”

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“Data on Trends in Enrollment and Other Outcomes for Special Education Students”

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“Impact Study and Evaluation of K-5 School Practices and Schedules”

“Do State-Level Financial Literacy Policies Impact Diversity in Economics”

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“Food and Development Aid Policy” and “Charter School Legislation and Regulations”

Vincent Smith

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“Physician Incentives, Advanced Care Planning, and Health Care Costs”

Mariana Carrera

Agricultural Economics and Economics

David Weaver

Land Resources and Environmental Sciences

William Kleindl

Land Resources and Environmental Sciences 

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“The Effect of Unemployment Insurance on Marital Outcomes, Domestic Violence, and Suicide”

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“Is the Lottery a Tax on the Nation’s Poorest? Evidence from Lottery Participation, Jackpots, and Food Stamp Distribution”

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

William Kleindl

Land Resources and Environmental Sciences

“Do State-Level Financial Literacy Policies Impact Diversity in Economics.”

This study seeks to increase our understanding of policies that may impact the diversity of the economics profession by examining the relationship between exposure to economics during high school and later college-level economics enrollment. Enrollment in high school economics courses has increased over time, largely due to the implementation of state policies requiring that students take economics courses. 5,6 Our study will use difference-in-differences analysis to estimate the relationship between state-level mandates for economic and financial literacy education and the share of in-state student women majoring in economics in those states. This research is related to the IRAEA mission because it seeks to understand the impact (if any) of state-level educational policy on the diversity of those majoring in economics. Because much of the critical intellectual development of future economists, politicians, regulators, scientists, teachers, engineers, medical professionals, and many others occurs at the Bachelor's degree level, undergraduate students' exposure to economics affects how these different professions approach problems and issues. It also impacts the degree to which application of "the economic way of thinking" occurs throughout the economy, including among policymakers and others tasked with regulatory oversight. Furthermore, because a disciplines' undergrads often become its professors and researchers, the intellectual and demographic mix of students in economics influences the direction of economic research and teaching across generations.

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Physician Incentives, Advanced Care Planning, and Health Care Costs."

This study will examine how the prevalence of advanced care planning (ACP) changed with a reimbursement policy passed in 2015. Effective at the beginning of 2016, Medicare began reimbursing doctors for ACP discussions with their patients ($86 for first 30 minutes, $75 for subsequent sessions). Medicare data suggests a large response, with 222,997 beneficiaries receiving the service in 2016 and 453,288 in 2017. The Medicare payments for these services reached $31 million in 2017.3 Yet, given the absence of a billing code for ACP discussions prior to 2015, it is unknown whether the frequency of the discussions actually increased, or simply their expense.

Mariana Carrera

Agricultural Economics and Economics

Although antidiscrimination laws have been found to have contemporaneous labor market impacts (in positive and negative directions), they are also likely to impact the incentives of protected classes to invest in human capital. This, in turn, could impact the later labor market outcomes among those who grow up under different policy regimes.

This project will build on the existing literature to investigate whether minimum wage, antidiscrimination, Medicaid, and other social policies affect human capital investments among protected populations in the United States. The immediate goal is to compile an updated review of the literature and a summary of data available to answer these questions. This research is relevant to the Initiative’s mission because it examines the impact of policy on the economic and social well-being among the disabled and other protected classes of population.

“Lotteries and Crime.”

Since the first multi-state lottery was established in 1985, 44 states have started participating in one or both of the two major multi-state lotteries: Powerball and Mega Millions. With jackpots as high as $1.6 billon, these large-scale lotteries generate national participation and interest.  While many have suggested that large-scale state-promoted lotteries may lead to important unintended consequences, hasnot been rigorously evaluated in the existing literature. 

This projectis a continuation of Joe Baan and Isaac Swensen's researchonlotteryparticipationandthe degree to which itleads to changes inrisky behaviors and crime usingapproachesthat exploit variation in (i) jackpot payouts (ii) lottery ticket sales, (iii) timing of drawings, and (iv) state participation in Powerball and Mega Millions.As lotteries are an important source of revenue for state budgets, but also a controversial set of policies, this work aligns with the mission of the IRAEA to understand the effects of policy and regulation of important economics.

Joe Baan is majoring in economics.

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Complementarity of Lottery Participation, Cigarettes, and Alcohol."

This research project looks at the complementarities for lottery participation and alcohol consumption, and lottery participation and smoking using a novel approach that exploits variation in jackpot payouts, lottery ticket sales, timing of drawings, and state participation in Powerball and Mega Millions. By doing so, we can observe fluctuations in sales of these goods, which will allow us to identify short-run effects (exploiting the timing of drawings) and longer-run effects (Since we can exploit variation in longer-term tickets sales across counties driven by high payout jackpots).

The goal of our research is to provide policy-applicable results through an expanded understanding of the relational effects that “sin goods” have on one another and what the potential consequences of continued Sin Taxes. 

Kaminetzky is an honors student majoring in political science and economics. He is minoring in mathematics.

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Racial Segregation and Team Performance." 

This research project will exploit variation in educational desegregation to estimate the effect of racial composition of high school football teams on team performance. The main goals for our initial research activities are to i) better understand how state-specific institutional changes leading to racial integration affected team racial composition and ii) collect archival data on the timing of integration for school districts and data on high school football team performance metrics and racial composition. This source of variation and these data will allow us to explore, for instance, whether newly integrated schools immediately integrate football teams; whether they start playing other all-white schools that they used to play, whether conferences change radically, and whether there are measureable effects on team performance. Our work is related to recent work by Owen Thompson, who explores effects of school district transitions from fully segregated to fully integrated education in the 1960s and 70s.

As discrimination policies continue to be at the forefront of public debate, this work contributes to the mission of the IRAEA to understand the effects of policy and regulation.

Rowen Tracy is majoring in financial engineering with a minor in economics.

Isaac Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics

“Payday Lending, Crime, and Suicide.”

This project will examine the impact of payday lending on other outcomes including local crime and suicide rates, outcomes that may result from increased financial distress and distraction. This project will investigate the impact (if any) of payday lending regulation on local-level crime and suicide rates.

Faisal AlSaad is majoring in business finance, economics, and mathematics.

Wendy Stock 

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Toward Piikani Food Sovereignty: A Study of Federal Regulations, Tribal Prerogatives, and Lessons Learned for Establishing and Maintaining a Culturally Appropriate Food Distribution Program on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.”

This project intends an investigation of food banks in American Indian communities: how they are successfully established and maintained, including monitoring and evaluation; to what extent they reflect community interest in food security and food sovereignty; how the tribal regulatory environment can best facilitate local Indigenous priorities like incorporating garden produce and traditional foods. Actual implementation will follow, guided by the Native Farm Bill Coalition’s “Indian Country Priorities and Opportunities for the 2018 Farm Bill, Title IV: Nutrition.

Danielle Antelop is majoring in sustainablefood and bioenergy systems.

Kristin Ruppel

Native American Studies 

 "Potential impacts of plastic degradation by thermoenzymes." 

This research project seeks to identify thermophiles from hot springs in Yellowstone National Park that are capable of degrading low-crystallinity polyethylene terephthalate (PET, a common plastic material). This will be tested using a matrix of microbial enrichments incorporating sediment from hot springs and differing atmospheric conditions (anaerobic and aerobic). The enrichments will be monitored for biodegradation using gas chromatography, material mass reduction, and microscopic imaging. If thermophiles capable of biodegrading PET are isolated and identified, they could be used as an economically efficient and sustainable means of managing plastic wastes, thus reducing plastic pollutants and making PET materials a more sustainable resource.

The research will also help inform societies on how to address the immediate and daunting problem of synthetic material pollution in an economically viable manner. Current PET recycling systems are limited, and regulations do not account for the vast array of plastic types or sheer quantity, indicating an urgent need for more environmentally-friendly regulations. This project will analyze current plastic recycling and waste regulations and estimate how microbial biodegradation might alter future management practices.

Noelani Boise is double majoring in environmental biology and German

Dana Skorupa

Chemical and Biological Engineering

"The Differential Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on Privately- versus Publicly-Held Banks."

This research is an empirical examination of the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) on the performance of banking institutions. To the extent that there are compliance costs associated with SOX, such as increased auditing and accounting expenditures, one argument is that SOX places an unnecessary burden on adopting banks, thereby negatively impacting their performance. Conversely, others may argue that SOX improves financial statement comparability and reduces earnings management. We propose testing the differential effects of SOX on publicly-traded banks that must comply with SOX versus privately-held banks that do not adopt SOX. In doing so we test the pre- and post-SOX effects on the short- and long-term performance of various size banks, which have varying levels of commitment to SOX regulation.

Hannah Brauch is majoring in economics.

Gary Caton

Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship

Project one: “Food and Development Aid.”

The purpose of this project is to extend recent empirical research on US food aid policy to account for the efficiency of different categories of non-government agencies in providing emergency food aid in the context of alternative regulatory requirements.  A particular context will be the efficiency and effectiveness of food and other aid (including FEMA outlays) in mitigating the impacts of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.   

Project two: “Charter schools:differences in the timing and structure of state level legislation and regulation and educational outcomes by race and gender.”

The purpose of this project is to extend empirical research examining the scope and determinants of the extent of charter schools, accounting for differences in the timing and structure of state level legislation and regulation, and their impact on educational outcomes by race and gender.  This is a new project and the first step, which is labor intensive, is to establish a comprehensive database on state-level charter school legislation and regulations. 

Athena Erickson is an economics major in the MSU Honors Program. 

Vincent Smith

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Human Trafficking: The Impact of Policy on Identification and Prosecution."

How do federal and state human trafficking policies impact the number of human trafficking cases identified and prosecuted in the United States? The goal of this study is to examine the impact (if any) of legislation on identification and prosecution to determine effective policies at increasing these rates. This is a proposal for continuation of funding for this project, which includes identification of (1) legislation and (2) arrest and prosecution data for human trafficking cases.

Emma Folkerts is studying economics and political science.

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Post Sullivan Law Gun Regulations."

Decades of research has shown mixed results of the reduced-form effects of gun regulations on crime.  Despite the inconsistency of the existing evidence, most agree that private decisions to legally own and carry concealed handguns have serious ramifications for public safety, and the mixed findings on this topic stress the importance of alternative approaches to understand the consequences of gun regulations. In this proposed study, we will continue ongoing efforts to understand some of the earliest efforts to require permits to purchase and possess handguns.

Dustin Hofer is a junior majoring in economics with a minor in economics.

Isaac D. Swensen

Agricultural Economics and Economics  

"Genetically Modified Food: Then, Now, and Tomorrow."

This research intends to explore the dynamic introduction of genetically modified organisms [GMOs] to the consumer food market. This will involve an investigation into the public policies regulating the initial introduction of GMO foods to the consumer market, and econometric assessment of their adoption within the supply chain.

Connor Hoffmann is majoring in directed interdisciplinary studies, chemical engineering; and biological engineering.

Wendy Stock

Agricultural Economics and Economics

"Sensitivity Analysis of Multiple Regulatory Tools for Riparian Wetland Assessment to Disturbance Gradients within SW Montana."

Wetland assessment has been designed to meet multiple goals of federal, state and local agencies such as the Clean Water Act (CWA) 404(b)(1) regulatory guidelines for mitigation, the CWA §305(b) guidelines for states report aquatic conditions, BLM guidelines to manage grazing allotments, and local governments managing non-point pollution sources.

William Kleindl and Tony Hartshron

Land Resources and Environmental Services

“State Lottery Participation and Crime Rates.”

Joe is an economics major.

Isaac Swensen

“Assessing Potential Impacts of Electronic Logging Device Regulations on Cattle Prices.”

Meghan is an agricultural business major. 

“An Evaluation of Montana’s Willingness to Pay for Un-hunted Yellowstone Grizzly.”

“Do Graduate Policies and Characteristics Affect Economists’ Later Publication and co-Authorship Rates?”

Danielle is an economics major

"Data on Trends in Enrollment and Outcomes of Students Covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and IDEA-related Special Education Teacher Certification Requirements."

Carolyn is studying biological sciencs and economics.

"Human Trafficking: The Impact of Policy on Identification and Prosecution."

Emma is studying economics and political science.

“Assessing the Effects of Automation in Historically Labor-safe Industries.”

 “Toward a Market-based Solution for Improving the Cost-Effectiveness of Enforcing the U.S. Grain Traceability Mandates.”

Laura is studying sustainable foods and bioenergy systems, and economics.

“Mental Health Resources in Schools, School Disciplinary Outcomes, and Youth Crime.”

"Data on Trends in Enrollment and Outcomes of Students Covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and IDEA-related Special Education Teacher Certification Requirements."

Her research project will support data gathering efforts in support of an overarching research program aimed at investigating the impacts of policy and regulation on the health and well-being of young people with physical and mental disorders.

Carolyn is majoring in biological sciences, pre-med, and economics.

Wendy Stock

“Charter Schools: The consequences of post Hurricane Education Policy Change in New Orleans and Puerto Rico.”

The purpose of this project is to extend recent empirical research on US food aid policy to account for the efficiency of different categories of non-government agencies in providing emergency food aid in the context of alternative regulatory requirements. These include the current monetization requirement for approximately 20 percent of all food aid outlays and the impact of current sourcing requirements for food aid as opposed to more flexible local and regional sourcing policies.

Athena is an economics major in the MSU Honors Program. 

"Developing Bio-based treatments for Scours with regard to FDA policy that governs these treatment strategies."

This project aims to develop novel biological-treatment strategies for treating scours that will outperform current methods that rely on antibiotics, and will help determine how biological treatments will be viewed by the FDA.

Dominick is a junior majoring in cell biology and neuroscience.

"An Examination of Antibiotic Regulations on Cattle Production in Montana and Access to Export Markets.."

This research will provide a review of issues related to antibiotic use in beef cattle production and its associations with food labeling regulations, consumer preferences, and international trade regulations associated with US exports into major trading partners, such as Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and China. This project will be conducted using an interdisciplinary approach, as this student will work in collaboration with Dominik Faith (undergraduate working under the direction of Dr. Wiedenheft, see above), who will focus on developing a non-antibiotic treatment for scours. The final report for this project will be co-authored by both students, who will each benefit from this interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Fangfei, horticulture major, is a senior exchange student from the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China.

"Human Trafficking: The Impact of Policy on Identification and Prosecution"

Her research will examine the impact of human trafficking legislation (the independent variable) on outcome variables including the number of human trafficking cases identified and prosecuted from 2000 to 2016.

Emma is studying economics, political science and sociology.

"Can Domestic Violence Victim Screening Reduce Domestic Violence?"

Alex's research project considers the extent to which the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) similarly reduces more frequent non-lethal domestic violence incidents and whether the benefits of implementing LAP extend beyond the pilot state of Maryland.

Alex is majoring in economics.

“Impacts of Medicaid Reform in Montana.”

This study examines the link between national Medicaid policy and funding and Medicaid funding and coverage in Montana will be examined over the period 1995 to 2017. Impacts of potential changes in federal policy on Medicaid funding and coverage in Montana will be examined using detailed data on Medicaid services and coverage in Montana.

Ryan is majoring in financial engineering.

 "Investigating the Effect of GDL Laws on Risk Behaviors"

Faisal is majoring in finance, mathematics, and finance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one third of U.S. drivers aged 16 to 17 years are victims of fatal crashes between 2009-2014. The crashes result from high risk behavior such as speeding, drinking and driving, and having other youths in the motor vehicle.  Faisal will research will examine Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) and time spent with a responsible adult as a possible source to reducing risky behavior among youth in the US. 

 "An Economic Analysis of the Causes and Consequences of Wilderness Designation"

Peter is majoring in economics with a minor in mathematics. His research examines economic issues associated with government regulations affecting the use of over 100 million acres of western lands.

“Prosocial Organizing and Regulation: Nonprofit Tax Status”

Seth is a candidate of a Masters of Professional Accountancy. His research will examine tax-exempt status of nonprofits in the U.S., particularly whether tax-exempt status of nonprofits should be removed or modified.

Laura is a junior Honors Student dual-majoring in sustainable foods and bioenergy systems, agroecology option, and economics. Her research will investigate whether emerging on-farm wheat quality assessment technology creates an opportunity for a market solution to barriers facing the wheat industry.

His research will explore whether, and if so, how, soil organic matter (SOM) levels affect producer bottom lines.

Tony Hartshorn

Ryan is a junior dual majoring in financial engineering and economics. His research will look at the link between national Medicaid policy and funding and Medicaid funding and coverage in Montana over the period 1995 to 2017. Impacts of potential changes in federal policy on Medicaid funding and coverage in Montana will be examined using detailed data on Medicaid services and coverage in Montana.

Vincent Smith

“Analyzing the Impact of GDL Laws on Youth Employment and Risk Behaviors” 

Andrea is a junior majoring in economics with a minor in computer science. Her summer research examined whether Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) programs have effects on teenage Labor Force Participation Rates (LFPR)s due to the restrictions they impose on teenage mobility.

 “Alternative Crop Insurance Subsidy Structures with WTO-compliance considerations”

Grace is a junior majoring in economics with a minor in business administration.

 "What SOX should a bank be wearing? The Differential Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on Small, Medium and Large Banks”

Tanner is a junior majoring in accounting. His research will examine the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) on the performance of banking institutions, presents an opportunity to understand how major regulation affects short- and long-term performance of banks across size and ownership structure.

“Research on the History and Current State of Regulations on Marketing Psychiatric Pharmaceuticals in the U.S.”
Allie is a junior majoring in Marketing and minoring in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management.  Her research will generate a history and provide an overview of laws regarding pharmaceutical marketing of psychiatric drugs in the United States, with focus on drugs for treating ADHD. This research will describe the current state of laws at the state and federal levels and will summarize the progression of these laws over time.

 “A Review of Mental Health Service Policy and Delivery in U.S. Higher Education Institutions”

Micah is a junior double majoring in economics and community health. His research project aims to compile a comprehensive literature review on the practices and services that higher education institutions in the U.S. use to address student mental health in the campus environment. This review will also include an inventory of potential data sources that could facilitate further research and analysis regarding mental health services and outcomes in higher education.

“Research on the Effects of Early Gun Regulations”
Alex is a junior majoring in Finance with a minor in Economics. His research will create a unique dataset on gun-related accidents, suicides, and homicides during the early to mid-1900s to estimate the effect of some of the earliest efforts to require permits to purchase and possess handguns.  The dataset will be created using historical mortality records from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention that will be divided by state and year (and city where available) and will then be used in a difference in difference approach to compare gun-related mortality outcome before and after these laws were implemented.

“Alternative Crop Insurance Subsidy Structures with WTO-compliance considerations”
Madeline is a senior double majoring in Agribusiness Management and Applied Economics.  Her research will examine the relationship between trade regulations made between members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and domestic agricultural support programs in the United States.  This research will provide an overview of existing regulations, review conflicts between trade commitments and current and past US domestic agricultural support programs, and assess future avenues of domestic support programs that are in full compliance with WTO commitments.

Eric Belasco

“Research on the History and Current State of Special Education Funding Laws in the US” 
Alec is a junior majoring in Physics and minoring in Economics.  His research will examine the history and current state of special education funding laws in the US at the federal and state level.  This research will create a timeline and a machine-readable data set summarizing how the landscape of legislation, focused on the welfare of special needs students, has changed over time.  These findings will be incorporated into research, currently being conducted on the impacts of ADHD diagnoses on educational outcomes.

“Impact of Dodd‐Frank on Mortgage Delinquency Rates for Large‐, Medium‐, and Small‐Size Banks”
Tyler is a senior majoring in Business Finance with a focus on Economics.  His research will test to see if the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DF) has affected mortgage delinquency rates for the largest one-hundred banks as well as one-hundred banks not amongst the largest ranked by assets.  Using ordinary least squares regression, the relationship between mortgage delinquency rates, Dodd-Frank, and bank size will be examined.  Additional parameters such as LIBOR, Unemployment Rate, and GDP growth will also be considered.

Frank Kerins  & Gary Caton

“An Exploration into the contradictory definitions of “Good Farming Practices” across U.S. Government Agencies”
Colburn is a senior double majoring in Agribusiness Management and Economics.  His research will examine the conflict between conservation practices and mandates enforced by the Risk Management Agency of the USDA. It will also work to identify the primary practices within this conflict and the barriers to information being included in the good farming practices.  In order to look at this conflict, the research will focus on understanding the definitions used by the Risk Management agency to define ‘good farming practices’ and how those definitions relate to those used by other federal agencies.

“Research on the History and Current State of Regulations on Marketing Psychiatric Pharmaceuticals in the U.S.”
Allie is a junior majoring in Marketing and minoring in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management.  Her research will generate a history and provide an overview of laws regarding pharmaceutical marketing of psychiatric drugs in the United States, with focus on drugs for treating ADHD. This research will describe the current state of laws at the state and federal levels and will summarize the progression of these laws over time.

Austin is a junior majoring in Business Marketing. He also has an Associate’s Degree in Aviation. His research will investigate the link between growth of nascent entrepreneurial firms and state minimum wage policies, subminimum wage provisions, and exemptions for small businesses.  Different types of entrepreneurship and different minimum wage levels and conditions will be examined in search of relationships and impacts on economic growth.

Dan is a junior double majoring in Business Finance and Economics.  His research will evaluate the change over time in the number of US Patents that include the term ‘biofilm’ in the title, abstract, or claims in order to better understand the relative prevalence of the development of biofilm-related medical technology.  This process will include trying to identify which of these new patents are specifically for technologies that may have medical applications that would be regulated by the FDA.

Paul Sturman  & Frank Kerins

“Research on the Effects of Early Gun Regulations”
Alex is a junior majoring in Finance with a minor in Economics. His research will create a unique dataset on gun-related accidents, suicides, and homicides during the early to mid-1900s to estimate the effect of some of the earliest efforts to require permits to purchase and possess handguns.  The dataset will be created using historical mortality records from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention that will be divided by state and year (and city where available) and will then be used in a difference in difference approach to compare gun-related mortality outcome before and after these laws were implemented.

John is a senior majoring in Agricultural Business.  His research will examine the regulatory environment of the natural gas and fertilizer industries and empirically investigate the extent to which this regulatory structure has affected the efficiency of information transmission in fertilizer markets.  He will also investigate the degree to which uncertainty has influenced our ability to predict fertilizer prices and evaluate the extent to which agricultural production costs are affected by natural gas and fertilizer industry regulations.