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

• Siddharth Bammi; “A Methodology for Economic Analysis and Cost Modeling of Assembly Ramp-up Strategies for the Automotive Industry;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Joel P. Clark, Randolph E. Kirchain)
• Benjamin Brandt; “Barriers to Lean Enterprise Transformation: A Case Study of the F-16 Avionics Sustainment System;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Dr. Kirkor Bozdogan, Joseph M. Sussman)
• Margaret Cortes; “Benefits of Emerging Transportation Technologies: Simulation Analysis and Policy Issues;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Moshe E. Ben-Akiva, Hans N. Koutsopoulos)
• Alexandre Cosquer; “Optimizing the Reuse of Light Metals from End-of-Life Vehicles;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Randolph Kirchain)
• Robert Dare; “Stakeholder collaboration in Air Force acquisition : adaptive design using system representations;” PhD, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Earl Murman)
• Mark De Figueiredo; “The Hawaii Carbon Dioxide Ocean Sequestration Field Experiment: A Case Study in Public perceptions and Institutional Effectiveness;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Howard Herzog)
• Shoa-ollah Ehsani; “Enhanced Geothermal Energy and Cogeneration: Design, Technology and Economics;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003) (Jefferson W. Tester)
• Ricardo Forcano; “Removal of Barriers to the Use of renewable Energy Sources for Rural Electrification in Chile;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003)
• Erica Fuchs; “The Significance of Production Cost Inputs in Regional Technology Choice: Composite Automotive Body-in-Whites in the U.S. versus China;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Randolph E. Kirchain, Richard Roth, Joel P. Clark, Edward Steinfeld)
• Lisa Grogan; “Exposure to PAHs and Ultrafine Particulate Matter in Mexico City: A Case for Reducing Mobile Source Emissions;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Mario J. Molina, Joseph M. Sussman)
• Antoine Guivarch; “Concurrent Process Mapping, Organization, Project and Knowledge Management in Large-Scale Design Projects Using the Design Structure Matrix Method;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Daniel E. Whitney)
• Farnaz Haghseta; “Information Technology and Sustainable Development: Understanding Linkages in Theory and Practice;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003)
• Christopher Hansen; “Evaluation of Renewable and Advanced Electricity Generation Alternatives for Shandong Province, China;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003)
• Gimba Hassan; “Design of Dual-Output Alternators with Switched-mode Rectification;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003)
• Jason Heinrich; “Managing Environmental and Human Safety Risks Associated with Geologic Storage of Co2;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003) (Howard J. Herzog)
• Guang-Lih Huang; “The Impact of Local Competition and Regulation on Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Services for Businesses;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (David J. Gabel, Sharon E. Gillett)
• Solomon Jamin; “Aviation-Induced Emissions in the United States: City-Pair Modeling and Policies for Abatement;” SM, 2003 (9/1/2002) (Andreas Schafer, Moshe E. Ben-Akiva)
• Christopher Jones; “Nonproliferation Issues in the Nuclear Energy Future;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Ernest J. Moniz)
• Mohamed Kabbaj; “Strategic and Policy Prospects for Semantic Web Services Adoption in US Online Travel Industry;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Benjamin N. Grosof)
• Omid Kassiri; “Options for Sustainable Electricity Generation in the Developing World: Financing Mechanisms, Technologies and Policies;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Stephen Connors, David Marks)
• Ryoji Kawaguchi; “RESHAPING JAPAN'S PLUTONIUM-RECYCLING POLICY: Two-Step Approach To Reduce Its Negative Security Externalities;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Richard J. Samuels)
• Elizabeth Khaykin; “Telemedicine as a Disruptive Tehcnology: Implications for Home Health Agencies and Nurses;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Joseph Coughlin)
• Harn Wei Kua; “Co-optimization for Sustainability as a Guiding Principle for Construction Technology and Policy;” SM, 2003 (9/1/2002) (Nicholas A. Ashford, David H. Marks)
• Erwan Le Tanneur; “Residential Resale of Broadband;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003) (Sharon E. Gillett, William Lehr)
• Shung Yar Lim; “Global Knowledge Networking for the Multinational Enterprise;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003)
• Andrew Luers; “Flow Control Techniques in Serpentine Inlet: An Enabling Technology to Increase the Military Viability of Unmanned Air Vechicles;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (James D. Paduano, David A. Mindell)
• Joshua McConnell; “Technical and Policy Issues Surrounding the Use of Autonomous Maneuverable Earth Observing Satellites;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Brian Williams, Daniel Hastings)
• Lewis McCulloch; “Improving the Multi-Media Assesssment Capabilities of the U.S. EPA: Recommending the Use of Input/Output Life-Cycle-Analysis;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Joanne Kauffman, David Marks)
• Ali Mostashari; “Design of Robust Air Quality Measures for the Road-Based Public Transportation Sector in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA);” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Joseph M. Sussman)
• Christine Ng; “The Role of Public-Private Clean Diesel R&D Partnerships in the Regulatory Process;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Joanne Kauffman, D. Eleanor Westney)
• William Nickerson; “Policies to Manage Electronics Waste: An Analysis of US and EU Regulatory Initiatives (formerly 'The Art of the Impossible');” SM, 2003 (9/1/2002) (Nicholas A. Ashford)
• Fleming Ray; “Legal Strategies for Stimulating Innovation and Diffusion of Human Computer Interfaces and Work Practices to Reduce Risks Associated with Computer-related Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs);” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003) (Nicholas A. Ashford)
• Christopher Roberts; “Architecting Strategies Using Spiral Development for Space Based Radar;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Daniel E. Hastings)
• Adam Ross; “Multi-Attribute Tradespace Exploration with Concurrent Design as a Value-centeric Framework for a Space System Architecture and Design;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Daniel E Hastings)
• Kellyn Roth; “The Air Pollution Implications of the Residential Sector: Case Study of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (Mario J. Molina, Diane E. Davis, Stephen R. Connors)
• Atsumasa Sakai; “Internet Service over Power Lines in Japan: Costs and Policy Implications;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003)
• Mark Sin; “An Auction-based Method for Shared Wireless Medium Access Control;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (David Clark)
• Chantz Strong; “The Application of Evolutionary Algorithms to Business Policy Formulation;” SM, 2003 (6/1/2003) (John Quimby)
• Suchatvee Suwansawat; “Promoting the Cooperation Among Contractors Using Artificial Neural Networks in the First Subway Project in Bangkok;” SM, 2003 (9/1/2002) (Herbert H. Einstein)
• Ee-Leen Tan; “Barriers to Global Financial Account Aggregation and Recommendations to Overcome Them;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003) (Stuart E. Madnick)
• Brice Tariel; “SO2 Allowance Trading Program: Influences of Public Utility Regulation on Compliance Strategy;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003)
• Darian Unger; “Product Development Process Design: Improving Development Response to Market, Technical and Regulatory Risks;” PhD, 2003 (5/1/2003)
• Jill Watz; “The Role of Demand Response in Deregulated Electricity Markets;” SM, 2003 (2/1/2003)