With winter quarter beginning the first full week of January, students and faculty are already in full swing as we continue to welcome 2025. This newsletter shares research highlights from the end of last year. Stay tuned for our next newsletter, which will celebrate our community and recent awards.
Explore articles, videos, and more in this issue of the MS&E Newsletter.
Our lead story: Energy and sustainability
(left to right) Nuri Capanoglu, Elena Kopstein, Tarun Chhabra, '02, Mandy Alevra, and Jackson Painter in Washington, D.C. | Photo courtesy of Nuri Capanoglu
When fall courses began, four students enrolled in MS&E 296: Technology, Innovation and Great Power Competition to learn how technology affects international competition. Little did they know, they would soon be presenting nuclear energy policy recommendations at the White House.
MS&E students Mandy Alevra, Nuri Capanoglu, and Jackson Painter teamed up with Elena Kopstein, who has yet to declare a major, and a research project sponsor from the National Security Council. They initially studied how to meet the energy demands of large AI data centers, but as the answer turned toward nuclear energy, their focus shifted to the nuclear energy industry as a whole.
During a mid-quarter check-in, their sponsor was so impressed with the students' work that they were invited to the White House to present their findings. With help from the Stanford Gordian Knot Center, the team flew to Washington, D.C., to present their proposal of a threefold solution addressing financial de-risking, energy export agreements, and regulatory reform to bolster U.S. leadership in nuclear energy.
Sustainability in infrastructure and athletics
(left to right) Sophia Sanders, Nora Goodwillie, Alayna Burns and Sydney Tomlak at the Green Sports Alliance Summit in Los Angeles | Photo courtesy of Alayna Burns, The Stanford Daily
Natural disasters and climate change pose significant risks to communities. But there's a problem: Building maximally resilient infrastructure isn't always the most sustainable solution, and maximally sustainable infrastructure isn't always the most resilient. Professor Madeleine Udell recently received a 2024 Environmental Venture Projects award from the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment to optimize solutions for at-risk communities.
Students enrolled in Earth Systems 26: Sustainability in Athletics learned from several guest speakers last quarter, including MS&E senior and Cardinal field hockey forward Alayna Burns. She shared her experience creating environmental advocacy initiatives at Duke University, where she transferred from this past year. A few examples: a shoe drive that continues each semester, and a sorted waste system within the athlete dining hall.
The latest MS&E research
Chris Dunckley (MS '12), left, turns nuclear weapons waste into life-saving treatments | Photo courtesy of Comms Trader
Those who have read The Friction Project by professor emeritus Bob Sutton and GSB professor Hayagreeva Rao (this short video summarizes some of the book's key concepts) are likely familiar with the concept of "management by walking around." In an HBR article and the case study that inspired it, professors Sutton and Rao dive deep into one example from the book—how the California DMV significantly improved its services by utilizing in-person visits to all of its 180 field offices, or "management by driving around."
Ronald Howard | Photo courtesy of Stanford Engineering
Professor emeritus Ronald Howard, a seminal figure in the field of decision analysis and its ethical application, and a mentor to Stanford students for 53 years, passed away on Oct. 6, 2024, at 90 years old. Stanford Engineering honored his career and legacy here.
