MIT Technology and Policy Program

Theses

TPP student research spans many domains, but shares methodologies and goals. Examples of award-winning theses and noteworthy research projects are shared here. We also maintain a public database of all TPP thesis titles, with links to web publications where available.

Award-Winning Theses and Student Research Stories

2023 Thesis Prize Winner

  • Maja Svanberg; “The Economic Advantage of Computer Vision Over Human Labor, and Its Market Implications” (2023). Advisor(s): Neil Thompson.

2022 Thesis Prize Winners

2021 Thesis Prize Winner

Karan Bhuwalka, recent TPP alum who won best thesis in 2021, reflects on TPP’s interdisciplinary approach and bringing data science, manufacturing, and social issues together in his research on the materials that make up electric vehicles.

Do native ads shape our perception of the news?: Manon Revel

Often masquerading as legitimate news, so-called “native” ads, pushed by content recommendation networks, have brought badly needed revenue to the struggling U.S. news industry. But at what cost? TPP alum Manon Revel is now a PhD student in the IDSS Social and Engineering Systems PhD program. Her TPP thesis advisor was Prof. Ali Jadbabaie.

Health Savings of Renewable Energy: Emil Dimanchev

Research from TPP alum Emil Dimanchev, who won TPP’s best thesis award in 2019, found that health savings from cleaner air would more than pay for the cost of implementing renewable energy policies. His thesis was advised by TPP director Noelle Selin.

Thesis Database

Thesis Titles, 1977 to 2015

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2015
  • Sarah Abdelkader; “Framework for Risk Informed Perfromance Based Regulation for Nuclear Power Plants;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Michael Golay)
  • Om Agarwal; “Managing Privately Procured Rail Transit Systems: A Case Study of Tren Urbano;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (John B. Miller)
  • Joseph Bailey; “Internediation and Electronic Markets: Aggregation and Pricing in Internet Commerce;” PhD, 1998 (5/1/1998)
  • Santiago Banales Lopez; “Public Policy and Energy Technology Innovation: Lessons Learned from the Development of Coal Combustion in Fluidized Bed in US;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Vicki Norberg-Bohm)
  • Joshua Bernstein; “Design methods in the aerospace industry : looking for evidence of set-based practices;” SM, 1998 (6/1/1998) (John Deyst)
  • Maresi Berry; “Graphical Method for Airport Noise Impact Analysis;” SM, 1998 (2/1/1998) (John-Paul B. Clarke, Richard L. de Neufville)
  • Neetu Bhatia; “Supply Chain Dynamics in the Automotive Industry;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Charles Fine, Don P. Clausing)
  • Chad Bollmann; “Optimization of DUPIC Cycle Environmental and Economic Performance;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Mujid Kazimi, Michael Driscoll)
  • Leong Cheah; “The Electronics Manufacturing Sector in Hong Kong and Taiwan: A Comparison and Policy Implication;” SM, 1998 (9/1/1997)
  • Karlynn Cory; “Policies to Implement Renewable Energy Technologies within Electricity Restructuring: Analysis of the System Benefits Charge;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Vicki Norberg-Bohm)
  • Stacey Cowap; “Economic Incentives in Aerospace Weapons Systems Procurement;” SM, 1998 (2/1/1998) (Wesley L. Harris)
  • Jean-Gaston de Lassus St-Genies; “Information Technologies and Corporate Performance: Review and Application to France;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Erik Brynjolfsson)
  • Radhika De Silva; “Intercomparison of Soil-Hydrology Modules in the MIT Integrated Global System Model for Analysis of Climate Issues;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Dara Entekhabi)
  • Bertrand Delcaire; “Dealing with Airport Congestion: Development of Tactical Tools for the Departure Flows from a Large Airport;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Eric Feron)
  • Scott FitzGerald; “Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Aid in Siting Dredged Material Disposal Areas;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Judith Pederson)
  • Paulo Goncalves; “College Enrollment and the Diffusion of Distance Education Modeling;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998)
  • Christopher Handwerk; “Economics and Fuel Performance Analysis of Extended Operating Cycles in Existing Light Water Reactors;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Neil E. Todreas, Michael J. Driscoll, John B. Meyer)
  • Stephanie Harrington; “New Policy Protocols for Marine Scientific Research: Lessons Learned from Past Case Studies;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Judith T. Kildow)
  • Scott Hassell; “National Environmental and SustainabilityStrategies for Automobiles in Thailand;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998)
  • Paul Kang; “Economic Analysis of Altenative Materials Technologies: The Composite Intensive Vehicle;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Joel Clark)
  • Andjelka Kelic; “Assessing the Technical and Financial Viability of Broadband Satellite Systems Using a Cost per T1 Munute Metric;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Daniel E. Hastings)
  • Mark Kendall; “Formulating Future Energy Supply Technologies in Long Range Greenhouse Gas Emissions Models;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998)
  • Humera Khan; “The Impact of INPO on Plant Performance and Operations;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Kent Hansen, Nelson Repenning, Richard Tabors)
  • Brett Leida; “A Cost Model of Internet Service Providers: Implications for Internet Telephony and Yield Management;” SM, 1998 (2/1/1998) (Richard C. Larson, Lee W. McKnight)
  • Michael Lenox; “Agency and Information Costs in the Intra-Firm Diffusion of Practice;” PhD, 1998 (John Ehrenfeld)
  • Paul Ma; “Lead/Lag Effect of Index Volatilities;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Richard Tabors)
  • James Neely III; “Improving the Valuation of Research and Development: A Composite of Real Options Decision Analysis and Benefit Valuation Frameworks;” PhD, 1998 (6/1/1998) (Joel Clark)
  • Samuel Newell; “Strategic Evaluation of Environmental Metrics: Making Use of Life-cycle Inventories;” PhD, 1998 (6/1/1998) (Joel Clark)
  • Huy Nguyen Trieu; “Impact of Information Technology on the Policies of Export Processing Zones: Comparison between the Multimedia Super Corridor, Masan and Shenzhen;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Michael S. Scott Morton)
  • Donald O'Sullivan; “Aircraft Interior Structural-Acoustic Control Design;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Steven R. Hall)
  • Sergio Paniagua-Webb; “Using a Design Handbook of Coordination Processes to Reduce Object Model Dependencies on Software Applications;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Chrysanthos Dellarocas)
  • Susan Pickett; “Deliberation: Integrating Stakeholder Values and Risk Assessments in Environmental Decision Making;” SM, 1998 (9/1/1997)
  • Renata Pomponi; “Organization Structures for Technology Transition: Rethinking Information flow in the InPittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrathtegrated Product Team;” PhD, 1998 (9/1/1998)
  • Clementina Randall; “Analysis of the Introduction of New Technologies to Evaluate the Performance of Pharmaceutical Unit Operations;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Charles L. Cooney)
  • Vincente Reynal; “Production System Design and Its Implementation in the Automotice and Aircraft Industry;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998)
  • Robert Rogers; “Diffusion Strategy for Residential Solar Hot Water Systems in the U.S.: Technical, Economic, and Stakeholder Analyses;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998)
  • Eduardo Romano; “Introducing QoS in the Internet;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Lee McKnight)
  • Andrea Ryan; “Should We Fertilize the Oceans? Examining the Science, Economics and Policy of the Iron Hypothesis and Ocean Fertilization;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Sallie W. Chisholm)
  • Vinayak Shanbhag; “Optimal Control Systems in Response to Diverse Electricity Pricing Structures;” SM, 1998 (2/1/1998) (Leslie K. Norford)
  • Prashant Soral; “Pollution Reduction and No-Regrets Options in the Iron/Steel and Pulp/Paper Manufacturing Sectors;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Uday B. Pal)
  • Elizabeth Stoehr; “Informing the Stakeholder through Rankings: Fortune's 1993 'Environmental Scorecard';” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (John R. Ehrenfeld)
  • Karl Sun; “Micropayment Systems and a Market-Based Approach to Intellectual Property Protection;” SM, 1998 (9/1/1997)
  • Chow Yin Tan; “Supply Chain Software Systems: Current Issues and Imperatives in Selection and Implementation;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (James B. Rice, Jr., Richard D. Tabors)
  • Motoshi Uchiyama; “Technology Choice and Policy Choice for CO2 Control of Japan's Utilities;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Henry D. Jacoby)
  • Gregory Yashko; “Ion Propulsion and Cost Modeling for Satelite Clusters;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Manuel Martinez-Sanchez)
  • Ziad Younes; “Deregulation of the Electric Power Industry: The Impact of Transmission on Market Imperfections;” SM, 1998 (2/1/1998) (Marija Ilic)
  • Song Zhao; “Promoting Energy Efficiencies: A Key to China's Energy Strategy for Sustainable Development;” SM, 1998 (5/1/1998) (Karen R. Polenske)

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