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

2024 Thesis Prize Winners

• Michael Giovanniello; “Modeling and Implementation of the U.S. Hydrogen Production Credit” (2024). Advisor(s): Dharik Mallapragada; Ruaridh Macdonald.
• Kailin Graham; “Doing the Dirty Work: Employment vulnerability to the energy transition implications for climate policy and politics” (2024). Advisor(s): Christopher R. Knittel.

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

• Farri T. Gaba; “Solutions to the Generalized UAV Delivery Routing Problem for Last-Mile Delivery with Societal Constraints” (2022). Advisor(s): Matthias Winkenbach
• Jonathan Garrett Novak; “Policy and Design Courses of Action to Improve Resilience of Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Constellations Against Adverse Solar Weather” (2022). Advisor(s): Daniel E Hastings.
• Aaron Matthew Schwartz; “The Role of Natural Gas in Future Low-Carbon Energy Systems” (2022). Advisor(s): Dharik S Mallapragada.

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.

• Assessing the Socio-Economic Risks in Electric Vehicle Supply Chains (Thesis)
• Characterizing the Changes in Material Use due to Vehicle Electrification (Environmental Science & Technology, Jul 2021)

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.

• Combining AI with passions (MIT News, March 2019)

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.

• Shift to renewable electricity a win-win at statewide level (MIT News, Aug 2019)

Thesis Database

Thesis Titles, 1977 to 2015

• Annette Beitel; “Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program Policy: Evaluation and Agenda for Future Action;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Alan Buzacott; “The Development of Broadband Telecommunications Standards;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Peter Cebon; “The Missing Link: Organizational Behavior as a Key Element in Energy/Environment Regulation and University Energy Management;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• Peter Cunniffe; “Misreading History: Government Intervention in the Development of Commercial Communications Satellites;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Aaron Curtis; “Relieving Airport Congestion: Policy Changes Necessary for the Effective Control of Demand for Airport Resources;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• Jacques Demael; “On the Generation of Variable Structure Distributed Architectures;” SM, 1990 (9/1/1989)
• Jeffrey R. Dieffenbach; “Semiconductor Materials Selection: A Technology and Policy Assessment of Gallium Arsenide for Integrated Circuit Applications;” SM, 1990 (9/1/1989)
• Nibras El Fadel; “A Coherent Fiber Optics Communication System;” SM, 1990 (9/1/1989)
• Kenneth Farber; “Information Technology and Nuclear Power: A Policy for Organizational Change;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• J. Victor Gobbell; “An Analysis of Policy Alternatives for Regulating Atmospheric Emissions of Hexavalent Chromium;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• David Gold; “The U.S. Commercial Launch Industry: Government's Role in Technological Development;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Christoph Hilz; “Toxic Waste Exports to the Third World: An Analysis of Policy Options and Recommendations for an International Protocol to Protect the Global Environment;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• Abyd Karmali; “Stimulating Cleaner Technolgies Through the Design of Pollution Prevention Policies: An Analysis of Impediments and Incentives;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Caleb King; “Nearly Optimal Mathematical Programming in Water Resouce Development: Generating Alternative Configurations for Vector-Borne Disease Assessment;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• Richard Macchi; “Expressing Trains on the MBTA Green Line;” SM, 1990 (9/1/1989)
• Hossein Mohsenzadeh; “Broadband Telecommunications: An Economic and Strategic Perspective;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Robert Moncrieff; “Bringing Manufacturing Upstream in the Product Development Cycle: The Role of Process Decisions;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Burt Monroe; “Transitional Strategies for the Reduction of 'Greenhouse Gas' Emissions in the United States Electric Power Sector;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Shinji Nambo; “Comparative Analysis for Institutional Building of Environmental Protection in Newly Industrialized Countires -- Lessons from Japan, US and EC --;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Michael Nussbaum; “Modeling and Optimization of a Hybrid Circuit Production Facility;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Ziad Oueslati; “A Material and Policy Assessment in the Automotive Pressure Sensor Industry;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Robert Pearce; “Strategic Policy Development for Short-Haul Intercity Transport: The Case of the Tiltrotor Versus Maglev;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• Richard Polo; “Innovation in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: A Case Study of Fort Drum;” SM, 1990 (9/1/1989)
• Bertrand Rigaldies; “Technologies and Policies for the Development of Composite Information Systems in Decentralized Organizations;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• James Risbey; “Climate Models and the Validation and Presentationof Greenhouse Change Theory;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Mark Roberts; “Encouraging The Use of Electric Vehicles: Policies for an Alternative Technology;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• Philippe Rose; “A Model-Based System for Fault Diagnosis of Chemical Process Plants;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)
• James Winebrake; “An Analysis of Transfer Mechanisms for Federally Funded Research and Development;” SM, 1990 (2/1/1990)
• Kristin Wulfsberg; “Incorporating Environmental Externalities in the Electric Utility Resource Planning Process: Methods, Effects, and Limitations;” SM, 1990 (5/1/1990)