News Archive

Majority of anti-vaccine ads on Facebook were funded by two groups

Research from IDSS alum David Broniatowski (TPP '06, ES '10) shows that 54 percent of the anti-vaccine ads on Facebook were funded by a group headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a California-based organization.

Valerie Karplus receives Clean Energy Education & Empowerment award

Karplus (TPP '08, ES '11), an assistant professor at MIT Sloan and "expert on China’s energy system," was recognized by the the U.S. Department of Energy for her leadership and achievements in clean energy education.

Sustainability Rating For Space Could Help Keep Junk Out Of The Sky

Space should be treated like a world heritage site argues Danielle Wood (TPP '08), who leads the Space Enabled Research Group at the M.I.T. Media Lab.

MIT report provides guidance on climate-related financial disclosures

Erik Landry (TPP '18), now a research associate at MIT, is lead author on a report that makes recommendations which could help companies deliver more useful disclosures to investors on the risks they face due to climate change.

Alumni Profile: Josephine Wolff

Josephine Wolff (TPP ’12) is the Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity Policy at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She researches cybersecurity policy and cyber-insurance, and is the author of “You'll see this message when it is too late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches."

Danielle Wood inducted into International Academy of Astronautics

The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) elected Danielle Wood (TPP '08) as a Corresponding Member for Engineering Sciences. Wood holds a joint appointment at MIT with the Program in Media Arts & Sciences and the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics.

Using machine learning to hunt down cybercriminals

TPP alum Cecilia Testart, now a grad student at MIT CSAIL, is part of a team that's building a model to identify “serial hijackers” of internet IP addresses.

Experts urge “full speed ahead” on climate action

An MIT climate change symposium panel chaired by TPP director and IDSS/EAPS professor Noelle Selin described the state of knowledge in climate science and stressed the urgent need for action.

Alumni in Academia: Energy and Climate

Four TPP alumni bring their energy and climate expertise to universities across the country as new assistant professors.

Electricity in the developing world: 3 questions with TPP student Grégoire Jacquot

“The flexibility of the curriculum has allowed me to take classes in a range of topics from business and law to finance and power sector regulation.”

Internship Q&A: Energy Policy on Capitol Hill

TPP student Tomas Wesley-Green’s summer as an intern with the Assistant Speaker of the House gave him a clearer view of decarbonization policies.

Shift to renewable electricity a win-win for U.S. states

Research from TPP alum Emil Dimanchev and TPP director Noelle Selin finds health savings from cleaner air would more than pay for the cost of implementing renewable energy policies.

Lowering emissions without breaking the bank

New research from TPP alum Arun Singh provides a look at how India could meet its climate targets while maintaining economic growth.

Health effects of China’s climate policy extend across Pacific

New research from IDSS/EAPS professor and TPP director Noelle Selin shows that China's pledge to peak carbon dioxide emissions in 2030 could result in fewer premature deaths in the U.S.

TPP celebrates the class of 2019

Congratulations to all 38 TPP students who graduated in 2019!

MIT Policy Hackathon connects data-driven problem solvers

Interdisciplinary teams propose creative policy solutions that address societal challenges at a unique event run by students from TPP and IDSS.

Designing water infrastructure for climate uncertainty

A research team that includes TPP and IDSS alum Sarah Fletcher and TPP alum Megan Lickley has developed a flexible planning framework that evaluates approaches that add water storage capacity incrementally if the climate becomes warmer and drier.

Manon Revel presents research on fake news

Revel joined other MIT students to present research using computational tools at a celebration for the new Schwarzman College of Computing.

Student profile: Julia Milton

A dual TPP/AeroAstro student, Julia's research focuses on developing sensors and metrics for remote telehealth systems -- helpful in remote regions, essential for astronauts in space.

Casey Evans named to Aviation Week’s “20 Twenties” of 2019

TPP student Casey Evans is one of three at MIT recognized for her academic performance, civic contributions, and research.

TPP and MIT well represented at COP24

Sruthi Davuluri, Anthony Fratto Oyler, and Erik Landry represented MIT and TPP at COP24.

Two TPP Alumni Named to Forbes 30 Under 30

Sebastien Boyer and Xiaoyuan (Charlene) Ren are among the 31 MIT alumni named to the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list.

Study: Impact of mercury-controlling policies shrinks with every five-year delay

A new study by TPP director Noelle Selin finds that the longer countries wait to reduce mercury emissions, the less effective any emissions-reducing policies will be when they are eventually implemented.

HUBweek Policy Hackathon delivers solutions to local challenges

Citizens and data scientists produce actionable recommendations for high-priority Boston-area issues at an IDSS student-run event during Boston's annual ideas festival.

Student insight on the “Future of Nuclear Energy” study

Current TPP student, Amy Umaretiya, joined other student researchers in Washington to lend their voices and ideas for exploring nuclear energy’s potential to address climate change.

Study: Emissions from most diesel cars in Europe greatly exceed laboratory testing levels

Guillaume Chossiere, TPP 17, co-author on paper

Study: Adding power choices reduces cost and risk of carbon-free electricity

Research from TPP Alumni- Nestor Sepulveda, Fernando de Sisternes, Jesse Jenkins TPP.

How many people can China feed?

Tiziana Smith, TPP15, studies links between water availability and crop yields in the world’s most populous country.

Study: Health benefits will offset cost of China’s climate policy

TPP Connections- Noelle Selin, Valerie Karplus, and Katie Mulvaney

2018 IDEAS Winners

Anna Waldman-Brown, TPP18, and the rest of the PreserveAir Team were among the 10 winning teams in the 2018 IDEAS Global Challenge Competition

Using data science to improve public policy

MIT Policy Hackathon, run by students within MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, seeks interdisciplinary solutions to societal challenges.

Noelle Selin awarded Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship

Noelle Selin, Associate Professor, IDSS and EAPS; and Associate Director, Technology and Policy Program, has been awarded a Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship at the Technical University of Munich Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IACS).

Second annual Women in Data Science conference showcases research, explores challenges

Co-hosted by MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, WiDS Cambridge brings together students, academic leaders, and industry partners.

Emil Dimantchev, TPP18, helping Mexico design effective climate policy

MIT researchers are working with the Mexican government on carbon pricing options to meet the country’s climate goals under the Paris Agreement.

Noelle Selin, TPP Associate Director: Tracing toxins around the world

Atmospheric chemist takes on pollutants and the global treaties written to control them.

Danielle Wood, TPP ’08, joins Media Lab Faculty

Case study suggests new approach to urban water supply

Sarah Fletcher, PhD candidate in IDSS and TPP alum, is the lead author of a paper that suggests an alternate approach to water planning.

TPP alum, Sarah Fletcher (far right) received a new graduate fellowship and a TMP Graduate Consortium Best Presentation award.

MIT Technology and Policy Program’s Best Thesis for 2017

maps out a clean energy future for India

Tenure Announcements

Noelle Selin and Jessika Trancik, both of IDSS, have been promoted to associate professor with tenure.

Clean power planning

Study led by Jennifer Morris (TPP & Engineering Systems PhD alum) details why it’s prudent to invest in carbon-free electricity now.

Michael Davidson wins a best poster award in AAAS Student Poster Competition

Michael Davidson (TPP ’14 and engineering systems PhD candidate) received a best poster award in the social sciences category. The poster highlights hidden costs in China’s coal plant upgrade.

Study: Volkswagen’s excess emissions will lead to 1,200 premature deaths in Europe

TPP student Guillaume Chossière co-authored a paper that examines the health impact of 2.6 million cars installed with "defeat devices," sold in Germany under Volkswagen Group’s brands VW, Audi, Skoda, and Seat.

Anna Waldman-Brown, TPP ’18, awarded Schmidt MacArthur Fellowship

TPP student has been selected to be part of the 2017 Schmidt MacArthur Fellowship program.

Rethinking How We Get Around

Paul Kishimoto, TPP12 and current IDSS PhD student, probes the future of transportation in China.

TPP Student, Alix de Monts de Savasse, Named Schwarzman Scholar

TPP student Alix de Monts selected as a Schwarzman Scholar and will pursue a year of study and leadership training at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Michael Davidson (TPP ’14) and Arun Singh (TPP ’17) Join MIT Contingent at COP22

Graduate students Arun Singh and Michael Davidson came to Marrakech to advance their international climate research and keep abreast of real-time developments in climate policy.

Steve Connors, TPP Alum and MITEI Researcher, Dies

Steve Connors, a friend and graduate of the Technology and Policy Program (’89) as well as an accomplished researcher in alternative energy here at MIT in the Energy Initiative, died at home on November 13.

TPP Alum Yi Xue’s Work With R. C. Larson’s Research Team Profiled

Research from doi:10.1002/sres.2210 into the dynamics of the academic job market is profiled in the New York Times. The paper, “Too Many PhD Graduates or Too Few Academic Job Openings: The Basic Reproductive Number R0 in Academia” was authored by Prof. Richard C. Larson and Navid Ghaffarzadegan.

TPP Celebrates 40 Years with Special Event

TPP celebrated forty years with an event on May 20, bringing together TPP alumni and others from academia, government, and industry.

TPP Alum Valerie Karplus Profiled at Poets & Quants

Poets & Quants, a C-Change Media blog devoted to covering graduate business education, recently posted its 2016 profiles of the “Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors,” and TPP alum (and Sloan School faculty member) Valerie Karplus (webpage) is listed.

TPP Alum Renata Pomponi Profiled in Boston Globe Magazine

TPP alumna Renata Pomponi (TPP ’95) was profiled in the September 13, 2015 Boston Globe Magazine; “Renata Pomponi went from the boardroom to Drumlin Farm.”  A more detailed discussion of her path to the position can be found on the Mass Audubon webpage: Introducing Drumlin Farm’s New Sanctuary Director!

TPP Prof. Ken Oye and Colleagues On Regulating the Synthetic Biology of Alkaloid Production

ESD.103 instructor Kenneth Oye, with Chap Lawson and Tania Bubela, challenge the synthetic biology community to devise flexible responses to the evolving capabilities of the field to produce problematic compounds in a commentary published in Nature (Drugs; Regulate ‘home brew’ opiates; Nature; V.521, pp. 281-283; 21 May 2016; doi:10.1038/521281a) See also 3 Questions: Kenneth Oye […]