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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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
2015
  • Eric Amundsen; “A Distributed, Object-Based Analysis of the Environmental Automobile Policies;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (David Wallace)
  • Estelle Andrin; “The Price Behavior of Tradable Permits: The SO2 Allowance Price Spike of 1998;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Dr. Denny A. Ellerman)
  • Michelle Antonelli; “Building Information Systems to Integrate the Manufacturing Supply Chain;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Daniel E. Whitney, Kirkor Bozdogan)
  • Michael Augusteijn; “Extended Producer responsibility and Competitive Advantage;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (John R. Ehrenfeld)
  • Jed Bailey; “Additional or Conditional?: An Institutional and Economic Analysis of Climate-Change-Related Development Aid;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999)
  • Mahesh Bhatia; “Indian Software Industry: Lessons from the Past and Strategies for Future Growth;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999)
  • Tyson Browning; “Modeling and analyzing cost, schedule, and performance in complex system product development;” PhD, 1999 (2/1/1999)
  • Jenifer Brunette; “The Policy Significance of Socially Responsible Investing;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999)
  • Andrew Campbell; “An Analyses of the Potential for Using High-Temperature Superconductors for Direct-Current Power Transmission Cable Applications;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999) (Robert M. Rose, Bruce P. Strauss)
  • Minsoo Cho; “High-Tech Entrepreneurship Policy in Korea;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Simon Johnson)
  • Siddharth Das; “DOME: An IT-based System Modeling Paradigm for Making Integrated Tradeoffs in Product Development;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (David Wallace)
  • Annelene Decaux; “Determinants of Regional Carbon Dioxide Abatement Costs and Inter-Reional Emissions trading Potential;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999) (A. Denny Ellerman)
  • Terence Fan; “Dynamics of Airline Schedule Planning and Route Aggregate Traffic-An Examination of London - Tokyo Route and Insights for Policy Planning;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard Tabors)
  • Gonzalo Figuera Diez Picazo; “An Analysis of International Internet Diffusion;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Sharon E. Gillett, William H. Lehr, Lee W. McKnight)
  • Ralph Gabriel; “Integrating Technology, Policy, and Civil-Military Operations: The Case for a Policy of Nation Assistance;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard Tabors)
  • Jessica Gama-Alvarez; “Promoting Technology Entrepreneurship in Mexico;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Simon Johnson)
  • Frederic Hannoyer; “Venture Capital and Innovation in Information Technology: Evaluation of the French Public Policy;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999)
  • Teng-Cheng Hsu; “Causes and Impacts of Class One Engineering Changes: An Exploratory Study Based on Three Defense Aircraft Acquisition Programs;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Kirkor Bozdogan, John Jacob Deyst)
  • Mehran Islam; “Assessing the Role of Self-Governance in Promoting Environmental Responsibility: A Case Study of the Encourageing Environmental Excellence Program at the American Textile Manufacturers Institute;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard D. Tabors)
  • Lanqing Jia; “Strategies to Improve Energy Efficiency and Reduce Emissions from Industrial Boilers in China;” SM, 1999 (9/1/1998) (Kenneth Oye)
  • Takafumi Kakudo; “The Potential for Independent Power: An Analysis of Japan's Deregulated Electricity Market;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard D. Tabors)
  • Mugo Kibati; “Wireless Local Loop in Developing Countries: Is it too Soon for Data? The Case of Kenya;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Sharon E. Gillett)
  • David Lackner; “Strategic Technology Investment Decisions in Research and Development;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Thomas J. Allen)
  • Karim Lakhani; “Sustaining the Virtual Commons: End User Support for Apache Web Server Software on the Usenet;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Eric A. von Hippel)
  • Jessica LeBlanc; “Policy Incentives and Choices for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Comparison of the EU and US Approaches;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Fred Moavenzadeh)
  • Mark Lee; “Internet-Driven Strategic Opportunities Facing the Retail Brokerage Industry;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999)
  • Ronald Lee; “Should Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Technology be Used in Bangkok? An Economic, Environmental ,and Political Analysis;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999) (David Marks)
  • Jean-Pierre Leotard; “Transmission pricing and incentives for investments under uncertainty in the deregulated power industry;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Marija Ilic)
  • Ian Je Hun Liu; “Bandwith Provisioning for an IP Network using User Profiles;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (David Clark)
  • Nestor Macias Anaya; “Engineering Design Leadtime Drivers Analysis (Part II);” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard de Neufville)
  • Carlos Martinez-Vela; “The Challenge of Integration in the Research University;” SM, 1999 (9/1/1998)
  • Patricia Mejia; “Pipeline vs. Wires: The Case of Central America's Energy Markets;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard Tabors)
  • Amy Munson; “HSPF Modeling of the Charles River Watershed;” SM, 1999 (9/1/1998) (E. Eric Adams)
  • Yuki Naruse; “Competitive Undersea Cable Policy;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Lee W. McKnight)
  • Taku Nishimura; “Dynamic Strategic Planning for Transportation Infrastructure Investment in Japan;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard de Neufville)
  • Yasuyuki Nishimura; “Application of Dynamic Strategic Planning to Urban Transit Projects: Case Studies of Boston and Osaka;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999)
  • KoJo Ofori-Atta; “Economic Analysis of Dual Voltage Automobile Electrical System-estimating the Generation Cost per Kilowatt of The Dual Voltage Electrical System;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (John B. Miller)
  • Enrique Ortiz; “The Mexican Pharmaceutical Industry: Public Policy and Market Structure;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Stan N. Finkelstein)
  • Skander Oueslati; “Evaluation of Nested and Parallel Real Options: Case Study of Ford's Investment in Fuel Cell Technology;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Richard de Neufville)
  • Luis Paz-Galindo; “Storage and Capacity Rights Markets in the Natural Gas Industry;” PhD, 1999 (Richard Tabors, Donald Lessard, Denny Ellerman)
  • Christine Picazo; “Comparison of Energy Efficiency, Emissions, and Costs of Inernal Combustion and Fuel Cell Vehicles Operating on Various Fuels;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (John M. Deutch)
  • Jose Prada; “Valuation of Operating Reserve in Power Systems;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Marija Ilic)
  • Michael Rees; “Human Capital Movement: Effects on Research Productivity in the Pharmaceutical Industry;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Rebecca Henderson, Anna Thornton, Richard Tabors)
  • Christopher Russo; “A Multi-Attribute Analysis of Electrical System Expansion Options for China;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999) (Stephen R. Connors)
  • Aaron Salzberg; “Statutory Structure and the Regulatin of Carcinogens: Goals versus Rules;” SM, 1999 (9/1/1998) (John R. Ehrenfeld)
  • Husham Sharifi; “Remote Information Organization and Descentralized Education;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (John Williams, Lee McKnight)
  • Magali Smets Hamoniau; “Dynamic Strategic Planning for System Design: An Application to Oil Field Development;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999)
  • Isao Sugino; “Addressing System for Internet Telephony;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Sharon E. Gillett)
  • Jason Switzer; “ISO 14001: Goal-Setting, Environmental Managemenet and Regulatory Reform;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999) (John Ehrenfeld, David Marks)
  • Henry Taylor; “Modeling Paper Material Flows and Recycling in the US Macroeconomy;” PhD, 1999 (6/1/1999) (John Sterman)
  • Darian Unger; “Energy Policy and Environmental Technology: The Development of natural Gas Turbine Technology in Power Generation;” SM, 1999 (2/1/1999) (Howard Herzog, Richard Tabors, David Marks)
  • Esther Wolf-Graf; “Using HSPF to Evaluate Stormwater Best Management Practices in the Charles River Watershed;” SM, 1999 (9/1/1998) (E. Eric Adams)
  • Chi-Jen Yang; “Taiwan's Industrial structural Change and Its Implications on Energy Intensity;” SM, 1999 (6/1/1999) (Karen R. Polenske)

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