Jessika Trancik

Jessika Trancik is a Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research examines the impacts of technologies and the reasons behind technological change. She has developed theory and predictive models to understand why some technologies improve faster than others, and what technology features enable rapid innovation. Trancik has developed models for forecasting technological change, which inform engineering design, public policy, and investment portfolios. Several of her theories and models have been applied to new and developing energy technologies, such as solar energy and batteries, and to electricity and transportation systems. Her models have also been used to inform government innovation policy, and applied in diverse industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, software, and consumer products. Her work has been published in journals such as Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Energy, Nature Climate Change, and Environmental Science and Technology, and has been featured by news outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and NPR.

At a glance:

• Professor Trancik received her B.S. from Cornell University and her Ph.D. from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
• She has developed theory and predictive models to understand why some technologies improve faster than others, and what technology features enable rapid innovation. 
• Her models have also been used to inform government innovation policy, and applied in diverse industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, software, and consumer products.