In his 35 years as a faculty member at Texas A&M, marketing professor Rajan Varadarajan has collaborated on a number of research projects, leading him to receive this year’s Mays Lifetime Achievement Award.

Varadarajan will give a lecture and receive the award Thursday. The award was established in by Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jerry Strawser in 2014 when he was the dean of Mays Business School. Strawser said the award celebrates pioneers and thought leaders in different business fields.

Varadarajan focuses on the field of marketing, specifically in regards to marketing strategy, innovation, international marketing and environmental sustainability. Eli Jones, marketing professor and Dean of Mays Business school, said Varadarajan is a world-class scholar.

“He is known in the marketing discipline around the world for his cutting-edge research,” Jones said. “He is a very solid researcher, both in terms of rigor and in relevance. He teaches a valuable seminar on being a marketing academic and in particular looking at strategic issues regarding managerial relevance and statistical rigor — or methodological rigor to be more precise.”

Varadarajan has also taught various courses at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels, in addition to working with doctoral students while serving on dissertation committees.

“During these years, I have also been fortunate and privileged to collaborate on a number of research projects with some outstanding doctoral students and esteemed faculty colleagues in the department of marketing,” Varadarajan said. “The Mays Business School has always been supportive of my service roles at the professional level, such as serving as editor of the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.”

Jones said research at Mays Business School plays a critical role in keeping teaching relevant. Management junior Sergio Rivera agreed with Jones, and said it’s crucial for students to be aware of research revelations as they move into their careers and future endeavors.

In recognizing faculty members for their contributions in research, Varadarajan said the Mays Lifetime Achievement Award motivates further knowledge creation through scholarly research and knowledge dissemination in the classroom.

“Texas A&M University has a long and rich history of recognizing and honoring faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in research, teaching, administration, student advising and other areas,” Varadarajan said. “When I think of the past recipients of this prestigious award and their scholarly accomplishments, I am humbled and honored to have been selected for this award.”