Jessika Trancik, a faculty member at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, has been appointed as the new head of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC), starting July 1. The SSRC assembles and assists researchers concentrating on challenges and solutions where technology intersects with societal consequences.
Trancik’s research revolves around technological innovation and energy frameworks. At the Trancik Lab, she and her group devise methodologies that utilize engineering insights, data analysis, and policy critique. Their investigations assess the velocity and catalysts of technological evolution, highlighting where innovation is fastest, how emerging technologies compare to established systems, and which performance benchmarks are crucial for tangible outcomes. Her models have informed governmental innovation strategies and have been utilized across various sectors.
“Professor Trancik’s extensive knowledge of technology’s social ramifications, paired with her dedication to crafting transformative solutions across various fields, makes her an ideal candidate to oversee SSRC,” states Maria C. Yang, interim dean of engineering and William E. Leonhard (1940) Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
A substantial portion of Trancik’s work centers on energy frameworks and creating evaluative techniques for energy technologies, assessing their costs, efficacy, and environmental ramifications. She explores an extensive array of energy services — including electricity, transportation, heating, and industrial procedures. Her research spans applications in solar and wind energy, energy storage, low-carbon fuels, electric vehicles, and nuclear fission. Trancik is also recognized for her studies on extreme occurrences in renewable energy availability.
A prolific scholar, Trancik has contributed to gauging progress and facilitation of solar photovoltaics, batteries, electric vehicle charging networks, and other low-carbon innovations — while forecasting future patterns. One of her highly referenced contributions involves quantifying learning rates and pinpointing where focused investments can most effectively spur innovation. These tools have been employed by U.S. federal entities, global organizations, and the private sector to refine energy R&D portfolios, climate policy, and infrastructure strategies.
Trancik is devoted to educating and raising awareness among the public regarding energy consumption. She and her team created the app carboncounter.com, which aids users in selecting vehicles with low costs and minimal environmental effects.
As an instructor, Trancik teaches courses for students across MIT’s five schools and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.
“The inquiry that drives my teaching and research is how we can address significant societal challenges through technology, and how we can be more intentional in creating and nurturing technologies to achieve our goals?” Trancik stated in a piece discussing course IDS.521/IDS.065 (Energy Systems for Climate Change Mitigation).
Trancik obtained her undergraduate degree in materials science and engineering from Cornell University. As a Rhodes Scholar, she earned her PhD in materials science at the University of Oxford. She later worked for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. After contributing as an Omidyar Research Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute, she became a faculty member at MIT in 2010.
Trancik succeeds Fotini Christia, the Ford International Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science and director of IDSS, who previously held the position of SSRC director.