WHY TPRC?
“TPRC has been fundamental in my growth as a researcher. I started going as a first-year PhD student and not only did it fuel my interest in multidisciplinary research, but it also helped me incorporate economics and policy perspectives to my technical research. Our goal as researchers is to “move the needle” in our areas of expertise. The TPRC community helps us achieve this goal by enabling cross-disciplinary conversations that place our research within a broader and richer context. Coming back from TPRC with innovative ideas and energy to keep pushing our research boundaries is a common “side-effect”. - Marcela Gomez, University of Pittsburgh
Krishna Jayakar of Pennsylvania State University has presented multiple papers at TPRC, including research on broadband adoption for people with disabilities that went on to reach policy audiences around the globe. Jayakar says he’s a “big fan” of the conference, which “attracts a wider and broader perspective than any other. It's great to get feedback from industry and policymakers as well as other scholars,” he continues, “and TPRC has a real international dimension. "
"TPRC is the world’s foremost conference in its field: where policy begins, orthodoxy ends, facts matter and partisanship has no place." Eli Noam, Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
Jon Peha of Carnegie Mellon University and Barbara Cherry of the Media School at Indiana University met at TPRC and collaborated on a paper that influenced the FCC's recent Net Neutrality ruling. The conference provided an opportunity for us to “bridge differing perspectives to make a policy recommendation,” says Cherry. Adds Peha, “it’s the only conference that regularly brings together thought leaders with a shared interest in technology policy but very different perspectives.”
Dave Clark, of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab has published a number of influential papers on Internet architecture. “I got hooked on the conference a long time ago,” he says. “TPRC is a wonderful venue for anyone who is serious about undertaking multi-disciplinary research in telecommunications. The range of people who [attend] will broaden your thinking and give you fresh perspectives.”