Capstones and Culminating Projects
Many SPS graduate programs require students to undertake a capstone course or similar final project. Capstone courses can take the form of a workshop or independent study. Regardless of their title, such courses provide SPS students with a unique opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the skills and knowledge acquired through their studies in replacement of a master’s thesis.
Working in teams or independently, capstone students solve real-world problems for a range of organizations. For example, the Sports Management Supervised Research Projects have had NFL staff as clients; Sustainability Management M.S. students have consulted with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and Technology Management M.S. students have worked with mentors from BP, Goldman Sachs, HBO, Prudential, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
For the culminating project of their master’s degree, SPS students present their capstone project methods, findings, and recommendations before faculty, students, and industry clients, including government and nonprofits. You may find these projects below.
2024
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Abigail Anderson – Ethics of meat eating: animal well-being, planetary environment, and human health | Master’s Thesis: Ethical permissibility and compromising solutions of meat eating | View | Spring 2024 |
Michelle Nowlan – Surrogate-Making for People with Intellectual Disabilities at the End of Life | Master’s Thesis: Ethics of surrogate-making for people with intellectual disabilities at the end of life | View | Spring 2024 |
Allison Rosenbaum – What Does Palliative Care Have to Offer Psychiatry? | Master’s Thesis: Ethical issues surrounding application of palliative care in psychiatry | View | Spring 2024 |
Quintin Spey – Ethical Improvements to Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Trials | Master’s Thesis: Ethical concerns and recommendations for improving Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) clinical trials | View | Spring 2024 |
Angela Kemfack – A Continent Spared: Rethinking International Research Ethics Guidelines Amid Stunted COVID-19 Incidence in sub-Saharan Africa | Master’s thesis: Exploring reasons behind COVID-19's lighter impact in sub-Saharan Africa | View | Spring 2024 |
Genevieve Lewis – Anencephalic Infants as Organ Donors: Altruism at the Intersection of Personhood, Consciousness and “Brain Birth” | Master’s thesis: Personhood and consciousness of anencephalic infants and their eligibility for organ donation | View | Spring 2024 |
2023
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Emily Beer - Building Patient Protection into Medical Implant Development and Dissemination | Master’s thesis: Biomedical implants’ technology, industry, and ethical considerations | View | Spring 2023 |
Eric Cyphers - Mistake of Future Roadmap—Getting Your Act Together | Master’s thesis: The Patient Test Result Information Act and its healthcare, legal, ethical, and socioeconomic implications | View | Spring 2023 |
Samantha Dyar - Adolescent Cancer Patients and Addiction | Master’s thesis: Adolescent cancer treatment and mitigating the risk of opioid addiction | View | Spring 2023 |
Rebecca Grinberg - Applied Behavioral Analysis—as a Treatment for ASD | Master’s thesis: The ethics of treating autism spectrum disorder with applied behavioral analysis | View | Spring 2023 |
Piet Hinoul - The Price is Right(eous) | Master’s thesis: Fair profit in the medical-industrial complex | View | Spring 2023 |
Rachel Levy - Planned Oocyte Cryopreservation—Past, Present And Future | Master’s thesis: The risks, costs, and potential rewards of planned oocyte cryopreservation | View | Spring 2023 |
Peri Lowell - Patchwork Policy: Organ Transplantation in the U.S. | Master’s thesis: Inequity and its impact on organ donations and transplants | View | Spring 2023 |
Avi Pion - Finding Solace in the Air We Breathe | Master’s thesis: Investing in the social determinants of health as a form of preventative care | View | Spring 2023 |
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Lewis Reddick - Conquer Urban Blight | Construction Capstone, exploring solutions for complex construction challenges | View | Fall 2023 |
2024
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Stephanie Busch – An examination of interpersonal conflict, culture clash & company morale | Organizational case study: Google and Nest merger | View | Summer 2024 |
Nataliya Donchenko – What factors influence the WGA, SAG-AFTRA | Organizational case study: WGA & SAG-AFTRA | View | Summer 2024 |
Sydney Wong – The Hidden Agendas and Negotiation Power for Female Associates | Organizational case study: Female Attorneys and Negotiation | View | Summer 2024 |
Taryn Marie Jenkins – The Hollywood Machine: Unions, Strikes and the Impact of AI | Organizational case study: Unions & AI | View | Summer 2024 |
Shahzeb Amin – The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen and the Underlying Needs of Primary Actors | International case study: Yemen post-Arab Spring | View | Spring 2024 |
Emilia (Emi) Komarova – Deconstructing Russian Modern-Day Imperialism: Advocacy, Justice and Peace | International case study: Ukraine and Russia | View | Spring 2024 |
Khalil Smith – Google and Nest: Understanding an Acquisition through the CEO Experience | Organizational case study: Google & Nest Merger | View | Spring 2024 |
Teya Gulie – Dismantling the Pipeline: Building Pathways to Equity in Education | Community case study: Minneapolis community and police relations | View | Spring 2024 |
2023
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Kevana Funches - Resolving the Cycle: Minneapolis' Reactive Nature to Incidents of Police Brutality | Community case study: Minneapolis community and police relations | View | Fall 2023 |
Merritt Johnson - Revolutionary Tragedy: Moving Forward in the Aftermath of George Floyd | Community case study: Minneapolis community and police relations | View | Fall 2023 |
Theresa Klepper - Google-Nest Merger: Accessibility as a Workplace Shift | Organizational case study: Google & Nest Merger | View | Fall 2023 |
Gonzalo Miranda - Yemen in the Shadows: The Reality Faced by Children | International case study: Yemen, post-Arab Spring | View | Fall 2023 |
Chuyue Zhang - Google Walkout: Re-establishing Trust After Corporation Retaliation | Organizational case study: Google & Nest Merger | View | Fall 2023 |
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Lionheart Advisory | A Case Study for Channel Kindness: A Project of Born This Way Foundation | View | Summer 2024 |
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Benny Rosenzweig – Neural Networks for Data Science | A Case Study in Voter Turnout | View | Summer 2024 |
Trevor Sepúlveda – Leveraging Sentiment Analysis to Gauge Political Rhetoric | A Retrospective Analysis of the Nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh Through Social Media Data | View | Summer 2024 |
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Strategic Communication Capstone Experience | Capstone Project - Communication Strategy for legacy publishing brand | View | n/a |
Capstone | Client | Video | Semester |
WCS Bronx Zoo Events and Catering Department Final Report: Net Zero Mission | Wildlife Conservation Society - Events & Catering Department | View | Fall 2023 |
Building a Greener Future: Leveraging Environmental Data in Real Estate | OSCRE International | View | Fall 2023 |
Ocean Awareness and Sustainability: Hotel Engagement & Programming | Ocean Rescue Alliance International | View | Fall 2023 |
Gamifying the Race to Net-Zero Buildings | Urban Green Council, City Atlas | View | Fall 2023 |
A Rare Approach to the Environment: Developing a Framework for Strategic Planning | Rare | View | Fall 2023 |
Finding Refuge: A Plan for Sustainable Humanitarian Operations at International Rescue Committee (IRC) | International Rescue Committee | View | Fall 2023 |
Community Engagement Plan: City of Palm Coast | City of Palm Coast, FL | View | Fall 2023 |
Expedite the Adoption of GRI 13: Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fishing in the United States | Global Reporting Initiative | View | Fall 2023 |
Seaside Sustainability Strategic Consulting Plan | Seaside Sustainability | View | Summer 2023 |
Removing Policy Barriers to Distributed Renewable Energy in Agriculture | Power for All | View | Summer 2023 |
Zamalek Island Ecosystem Services Assessment | Zamalek Association for Services Development, Cairo, Egypt | View | Spring 2023 |
Climate Adaptation Project Impact Assessment Guide | C40 Cities Finance Facilities (CFF) | View | Spring 2023 |
Innovation in Forest & Biodiversity Conservation | The Overbrook Foundation | View | Spring 2023 |
The Business Cost of Corporate Conflict with Communities Impacted by Extractive Projects | Amazon Watch | View | Spring 2023 |
Recommendations for RGGI States to Leverage Auction Proceeds Given the Inflation Reduction Act | The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) | View | Spring 2023 |
Marine Park Alliance Strategic Plan | Marine Park Alliance | View | Spring 2023 |
Sustainable Business Model for Coastal Resilience in South Florida | Ocean Rescue Alliance International | View | Spring 2023 |
Scaling the Ground Source Heat Pump Industry in New York State | New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO) | View | Fall 2022 |
Stand for Trees, Forests, and Biodiversity | The Overbrook Foundation, JustChange, Rainforest Alliance | View | Fall 2022 |
Empowering Environmental Stewardship in Florida Title 1 Students through Coral Restoration Education | Coral Restoration Foundation | View | Fall 2022 |
Integrating Health and Equity into an Economic Valuation of Nature | OneNature and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) | View | Fall 2022 |
Understanding Sustainability Portfolio Risks and Opportunities | Trinity Church Wall Street | View | Fall 2022 |
Advancing Electrification | Office of Sustainability, Ithaca, NY | View | Fall 2022 |
U.S. Supermarket Refrigeration: Most Effective Policies for Achieving Net Zero Emissions | North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council | View | Fall 2022 |
Workforce Development for Clean Energy Economy in NJ & PA | Energy Efficiency Alliance | View | Summer 2022 |
Environmental Impact Measurement Tool for Agricultural Startup | Re-Nuble | View | Summer 2022 |
Strategy for Tracking and Reducing Scope 3 Freight Emissions | Columbia University | View | Summer 2022 |
Sustainable Model Transit-Orientated Design and Policy | Tri-State Transportation Campaign | View | Spring 2022 |
Evaluating the Future Availability of Clean Electricity for Sea-Tac Airport | Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Aviation Division | View | Spring 2022 |
Saving Wild Spaces: Ecotourism as a Tool for Conservation | Wild Tomorrow Fund | View | Spring 2022 |
Advancing Environmental Justice in the Private Sector | EPA Smart Sectors Program | View | Spring 2022 |
Building Park Management Capacity among Parks Groups in NYC | Friends of Morningside Park | View | Spring 2022 |
African Forestry Landscape Restoration Initiative | World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Restoration Initiative (GRI) | View | Spring 2022 |
2024
Capstone | Client | Video | Semester |
Sustainable Management of styrofoam waste in New York City | NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) | View | Spring 2024 |
2023
Capstone | Client | Video | Semester |
Estimating the Environmental Impact of the Shift to E-Commerce in New York City | Open Plans | View | Fall 2023 |
From Carbon Removal to Credits - an Assessment Framework | The International REC Standard | View | Spring 2023 |
Sustainability Analysis of the Dirty Heating Fuel Switch Under NYC’s Clean Heat Program | NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene | View | Fall 2022 |
Risk Assessment and Monitoring Plan for Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School | Indian Point Decommissioning Oversight Board | View | Spring 2022 |
Capstone | Description | Video | Semester |
Gigi Etienne, Winnie Su, Leean AlHosain – Hilton: Defining web/mobile accessibility for the Deaf community. | Client: Hilton How and where Hilton could identify real time sign language support for the deaf and hard of hearing community into ther digital channels. | View | Summer 2024 |
Malaika Goswamy – KNOT | A AI-Powered networking solution inspired by the concept of six degrees of separation. | View | Summer 2024 |
Amoura Whitney, Jibran Chaugukle – Marketing Logix | Client: Marketing Logix - Tissa Richards Scale coaching without losing quality. | View | Summer 2024 |
Vinita Vijay, Rosa Basevich, Sherman Lim, Anil Gunel – ELYX.LIFE | Client: Monkshill Ventures AI-Driven concierge healthcare solution with specialized treatments, wellness, and spa services for preventive care and longevity for ultra high net worth individuals. | View | Summer 2024 |
Kenisha Paliwal – mila | Seamlessly integrating the charm of the "meet cute" into your daily lives by encouraging real-time, genuine connections. | View | Summer 2024 |
Harvey Gunjarueg – MiSN | Client: MiSN Streamline MiSN operations and improve scalability with AI-Integrated Service Applications. | View | Summer 2024 |
Pandu Nugroho, Jennifer Cai, Shubham Ghosh – Neogroup | Client: Neogroup Current and Future of BPO Procurement Market. | View | Summer 2024 |
Abhijit Patharkar, Amos Loon, Faaris Ismail, Nathaniel Walker – Digital Bunker 365 | Client: Digital Bunker 365 To efficiently manage their M365 environemnt and focus on scaling their core business operations. | View | Summer 2024 |
Actualita Maharani, Fadilla Primariadewi, Gustavo Montaldo, Prudence Huang – CS2 Cybersecurity | Client: CS2 Cybersecurity Japanese SMBs, often lacking specialized cybersecurity teams, struggle to find affordable and suitable cybersecurity services because the current market offerings are overly expensive and generic. | View | Summer 2024 |
Ploy Rattanatikin, Nattawan Tantinakom, Claudia Hou, Adiguna Triraharjo – UCHE | Client: UCHE Helping company scale-up their operations to achieve a revenue target of $100M in 5 years. | View | Summer 2024 |
Ekin Ataman – StarMatch | A dating app that matches people as per their astrological synergies. | View | Summer 2024 |
Martin Silva – Maqui | Revolutionizing e-commerce shopping with transparency. | View | Summer 2024 |
Elya Levi – SustainaBella | Revolutionizing the beauty industry with synthetic, lab-grown ingredients to protect our planet and secure the industry's future In a world where the supply of natural resources falls short of global demand, we provide scalable, bioengineered alternatives. | View | Summer 2024 |