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

• Itaru Abe; “Revenue Management in the Railway Industry in Japan and Portugal: A Stakeholder Approach;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Pragnya Alekal; “Best Practices for the Sustainable Scaleup of Lighting Technologies in Bottom of the Pyramid Communities;” SM, 2007 (9/1/2007)
• Matthew Bunn; “Guardians at the Gates of Hell : estimating the risk of nuclear theft and terrorism -- and identifying the highest-priority risks of nuclear theft;” PhD, 2007 (2/1/2007) (Richard Lester)
• Edward Calder; “Best Practices for University-Industry Collaboration;” SM, 2007 (2/1/2007)
• Bruce Cameron; “Value Network Modeling: A Quantitative Method for Comparing Benefit across Exploration Architectures;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Diane Cameron; “Globalization and Standards: the Liberalization of Trade and the Potential for a Regulatory Race to the Top;” SM, 2007 (9/1/2007)
• Michel-Alexandre Cardin; “Facing Reality: Design and Management of Flexible Engineering Systems;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Richard-Duane Chambers; “Tackling uncertainty in airport design : a real options approach;” SM, 2007 (9/1/2007)
• Samuel Chow; “Can Nintendo Get its Crown Back? Examining the Dynamics of the U.S. Video Game Console Market;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Laurene Debesse; “The Use of Frequency-Consequence Curves in Future Reactor Licensing;” SM, 2007 (2/1/2007)
• Matthew Dorfman; “Future Contactless Payment Options for Transport for London: Demand, Cost, Equity, and Fare Policy Implications;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Christi Electris; “Environmental Technology and Policy Development in a Regional System: Transboundary Water Management and Pollution Prevention in Southeastern Europe;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Wen Feng; “Driving Segments Analysis for Energy and Environmental Impacts of Worsening Traffic;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Susumu Goto; “Weather Forecasting: The Next Generation; The Potential Use and Implementation of Ensemble Forecasting;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Jennifer Gustetic; “A Framework for Understanding and Designing Partnerships in Emergency Preparedness and Response;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Ryan Hannink; “Investigation of the Use of Nanofluids to Enhance the In-Vessel Retention Capabilities of Advanced Light Water Reactors;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Matthew Hodge; “Quantifying Potential Industrial Symbiosis: A Case Study of Brick Manufacturing;” SM, 2007 (9/1/2007)
• Matthew Kromer; “Electric Powertrains: Opportunities and Challenges in the US Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Loic Lagarde; “Exploring the Future of the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry - A Supply Chain Perspective;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Deanna Laufer; “Radio Frequency Identification : Regulating Information Privacy Protection;” SM, 2007 (9/1/2007)
• Hsaio-Lin Lin; “Changes in the characteristics of new drug applications for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus;” SM, 2007 (2/1/2007) (Ernst Berndt and Fred Moavenzadeh)
• John MacNeil; “Changes in the Characteristics of Approved New Drug Applications for Antihypertensives;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Mudit Narain; “Pathways to Adoption of Carbon Capture and Sequestration in India: Technologies and Policies;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Nicolas Osouf; “The Potential for a Nuclear Renaissance: The Development of Nuclear Power under Climate Change Mitigation Policies;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Mujde Pamuk; “TransformScout : finding compositions of transformations for software re-use;” SM, 2007 (9/1/2007)
• Kate Parrot; “Lateral Stakeholder Alignment in the Global Water Partnership;” SM, 2007 (2/1/2007) (Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld)
• John Pendray; “Prospects for Increased Low-Grade Bio-fuels Use in Home and Commercial Heating Applications;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Gayle Ratliff; “Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of Commercial Aircraft on Local Air Quality in the U.S.;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Robert Rudin; “Making Medical Records More Resilient;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Marcus Sarofim; “Climate Policy Design: Interactions among Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Urban Air Pollution Constraints;” PhD, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Gregory Singleton; “Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide: Risk Analyses and Implications for Public Acceptance;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Yoshihiko Sugawara; “Understanding the Differences in the Development and Use of Advanced Traveler Information Systems for Vehicles (ATIS/V) in the U.S., Germany, and Japan;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)
• Masahiro Sugiyama; “Estimating the Economic Cost of Sea-Level Rise;” SM, 2007 (2/1/2007) (Henry Jacoby)
• Derek Supple; “Managing the Transition toward Self-Sustaining Alternative Fuel Vehicle Markets: Policy Analysis Using a Dynamic Behavioral Spatial Model;” SM, 2007 (6/1/2007)