Projects in SSPS (MQP's)
Every year a small number of students work closely with faculty in SSPS to complete their Major Qualifying Project (MQP). The MQP bears some resemblance to a requirement that goes by the name of "senior thesis" at other schools except that in SSPS the MQP is equivalent to three courses and requires that students conduct original research using the social science research methods appropriate to their major. Students may work in teams or on their own, depending on their interests. Students have completed MQPs both on campus and in conjunction with off-campus organizations. More information about the MQP is available in the Undergraduate Catalog, and example projects specific to the department follow.
Examples of MQPs Completed by SSPS Majors
Evaluating Legal Services Provided on the Internet
Tasha Andrade '04 (society, technology, & policy) worked with Heather Oman '04 on a project sponsored by the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Mass to evaluate a web-based system for providing legal information to low-income tenants in Worcester Housing Court. Legal Assistance built a internet accessible law library and chat room so that clients could discuss their cases with a legal advocate via the computer. The students surveyed tenants in Housing Court to determine whether access to this information helped them to prepare and assert their rights when facing eviction.
Dynamic Modeling a Policy Response to a Terrorist Event
Bruce Skarin '02 (system dynamics) developed a model of possible approaches to the problem of the terrorist threat in the United States. With his model, he identified three approaches that should be used in over different time periods following at terrorist event: offence, defense, and diplomacy. Using the model, he was able to demonstrate that because offensive actions spur terrorist recruitment, they should be used sparingly and very soon after a terrorist event. Improvements to defensive actions must be implemented in response to a terrorist event and maintained indefinitely. Diplomatic actions such as cultural exchanges should not wait until the threat is removed but should be implemented early and continuously in order to fight recruitment efforts.
Connecting fuel cells and other small electricity generators into the power distribution network
Jennifer Persico '03 (system dynamics) and Andrea Baker '04 (electrical engineering) developed a system dynamics models to understand the bottlenecks associated with decentralizing the electricity distribution in U.S. They found that investment into linkup technology was a key to achieving success in decentralizing the electricity distribution system.
Market recovery strategies for a cosmetic product
Wicharn Manawanitjaren '04 (economics) and Win Sutirachi '04 (management) worked with the Bangkok based Smooth-E Company to develop strategies to recover market share for an anti-wrinkle facial foam whose sale seemed to be stagnating. They developed a system dynamics model of the marketing operations of the company and experimented with it determine that the stagnation was due to saturation in the targeted customer population and that the company needed to target other populations to increase market share of this product.
System Dynamics and Agent-based modeling
Iavor Trifonov '04 (computer science and system dynamics double major) worked with Icosystem Corporation to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of system dynamics and agent-based modeling processes using cellular phone service market as an example. He found that both modeling techniques could be used to represent the problem he was addressing, but while agent-based modeling was easier to implement to represent complex market characteristics, system dynamics offered greater explanatory power.
Managing R&D for development of drugs
Ian Fenty '01 (system dynamics) worked with Eli Lilly Corporation.
Comparing Personality Type and Criminal Behavior
Heather Oman '04 (society, technology, & policy) worked with data on personality type collected for several prior years in the Worcester School District and arrest data complied by the Worcester Police. She used statistical analysis to determine whether crime and specific kind of crime are associated with specific MBTI personality types.
Applying the First Amendment Speech Provision to the Internet
Jennifer Yambert '97 (society, technology, & policy) examined First Amendment law developed in the context of print and radio and television media to determine how these older principles might find application in the Internet age. Based on this law, she developed arguments in opposition to the Communications Decency Act of 1996, later challenged in the Supreme Court. Jennifer's analysis not only correctly predicted the outcome of the Supreme Court case, but she was also able to accurately predict the rationale the Court would use in its decision.
Group Think at NASA
NASA's problems in its program to develop commercially viable products and technologies for use on earth led Robin Auger '92 to interview NASA officials at commercialization centers. Her work revealed that part of the agency's problem was a cultural mindset that limited innovative thinking. The work eventually led Robin into a graduate program in space policy at George Washington University and employment in a space policy consulting firm. She is currently at work on a Ph.D. at George Mason University.
Modeling a Usage and Maintenance Plan for a Community Center
Jim Duggan '04 (system dynamics) worked with students in a group model building class to assist town officials in Concord, Massachusetts, in planning for the Harvey Wheeler Community Center. The model that resulted included factors such as finances, facility aging, fundraising and other management decision rules to develop a proactive plan for the future of the building, and for the town building management processes more broadly.
Survey of Fire Officials
Working with faculty from WPI's Fire Protection Engineering program and Worcester fire officials, Greg Doerschler developed and implemented a nationwide survey of fire officials on the future of fire services. The survey elaborated a variety of scenarios and its conclusions demonstrated that fire officials were adopting ideas about urban design to limit the spread of fires in urban areas. The journal "Fire Command" published Greg's findings.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: March 17, 2008 10:54:54