

EDUCATION
Dan and Eva Roos Thesis Prize
Dan and Eva Roos Thesis Prize (2023-2025 Call)
The MIT Mobility Initiative is soliciting nominations for the 2025 Dan and Eva Roos Thesis Prize to be awarded to the outstanding MIT PhD dissertation in the field of transportation. Doctoral dissertations meeting the following criteria are eligible for consideration:
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The dissertation should have been completed and submitted as part of the degree lists from September 2023-June 2025.
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The dissertation is in the area of transportation and mobility, broadly defined. It can be submitted to any department or PhD-granting program at MIT, and can address any aspect of transportation systems (e.g., research related to any mode of transport; passenger or freight transportation; theoretical or applied problems; technological, economic, planning or policy analysis; etc.)
Prize Selection Committee 2025
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Gioele Zardini
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Cathy Wu
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Saurabh Amin
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Jinhua Zhao (Chair)
Timeline:
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Application due: Aug 31, 2025
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Result announcement: Sep 30, 2025
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Awardees will be invited to present at the MIT Mobility Forum in Fall 2025
Application Process:
Please submit the following documents via email to Bhuvan Atluri (bpatluri@mit.edu) by Aug 31, 2025:
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CV of the student
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A pdf copy of the complete dissertation.
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An extended abstract (4 to 5 pages) describing the work, its contributions, and its relevance.
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A letter of nomination from the dissertation supervisor supporting the submission and highlighting the importance of the research
The award is hosted by MIT’s Mobility Initiative (MMI).
Prizes in the Prior Years
2023:
Winners:
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Overall Winner: Baichuan Mo -Toward a Resilient Public Transportation System: Effective Monitoring and Control under Service Disruptions
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Honorable Mentions:
Rounaq Basu - Planning sustainable cities: Coordinating accessibility improvements with housing policies
Karthik Gopalakrishnan - Modeling and Control of Networked Systems: Applications to Air Transportation
Prize Selection Committee:
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Prof. Amedeo Odoni
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Prof. Alexandre Jacquillat
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Prof. Jinhua Zhao (Chair)
2021:
Winner: Dr. Shenhao Wang, Deep Neural Networks for Choice Analysis
Honorary Mentions:
Dr. Arthur Delarue: Optimizing School Operations
Dr. Wilko Schwarting: Learning and Control for Interactions in Mixed Human-Robot Environments
Prize Selection Committee:
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Yossi Sheffi
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Cindy Barnhart
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Alexandre Jacquillat
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Jinhua Zhao (Chair)
2018:
Winner: Dr. Gabriel Kreindler - “Essays on the Economics of Urban Transportation" (Extended Abstract | Full Thesis)
Prize Selection Committee:
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Ali Jadbabaie, CEE and IDSS
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Yossi Sheffi, CTL and CEE
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Hamsa Balakrishnan, Co-Chair, AeroAstro
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Jinhua Zhao, Co-Chair, DUSP