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Chair of Systems Design

Doctoral Theses

List of Doctoral Theses at the Chair of Systems Design

2024

  • Georges Andres: “From Interactions to Persistence: A Multi-Level Perspective on Group Dynamics.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 30259, Defense: 05/2024
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Dr. Stefan Thurner, Prof. Dr. Samin Aref

  • Sophia Schlosser: “An Odyssey Through Political Space and Time: Tracing 130 Years of Swiss Legislative Work Through Computational Approaches.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 30260, Defense: 05/2024
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Simon Hug, Prof. Dr. Natasha Wunsch

  • Giuseppe Russo: “Computational Approaches for Identifying Causal Effects in Online Social Platforms.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 30050, Defense: 02/2024
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Emilio Ferrara, Prof. Dr. Francesco Pierri

2023

  • Ambra Amico: “Modeling the Dynamics of Distribution Networks.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 29108, Defense: 02/2023
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Dr. Stefan Thurner, Prof. Dr. Alexandra Brintrup

2022

  • Ramona Roller: “Social Differentiation during the European Reformation.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 28641, Defense: 09/2022
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Andreas Flache, Prof. Dr. Rachel Midura, Prof. Dr. Jared Rubin

  • Christian Zingg: “Towards a Quantitative Resilience Framework: Data-Driven Studies and Applications to Social Organisations.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 28444, Defense: 05/2022
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Raissa M. D’Souza

2021

  • Christoph Gote: “Quantifying Individual and Collective Aspects of Performance in Software Development Teams.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 27862, Defense: 09/2021
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Dr. Kevin Crowston

2019

  • Giacomo Vaccario: “The Organization, Exchange, and Transfer of Knowledge in Socio-Technical Systems.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 25960, Defense: 05/2019
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Andreas Pyka

  • Giona Casiraghi: “A Network Approach to Quantify the Resilience of Complex Systems.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 25950, Defense: 04/2019
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Jose F. F. Mendes, Prof. Mason A. Porter

2018

  • Vahan Nanumyan: “Structure and Dynamics of Collaborative Knowledge Networks.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 25138, Defense: 05/2018
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Renaud Lambiotte, Prof. Matus Medo

  • Yan Zhang: “Towards Interventions of Social and Economic Systems: A Control Theory Perspective.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 24932, Defense: 02/2018
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Ginestra Bianconi

2017

  • Simon Schweighofer: “Affective, Cognitive, and Social Identity Related Factors of Political Polarization.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 24797, Defense: 12/2017
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Bernard Rime

2016

  • Adiya Abisheva: “Opinion Polarization in Online Communities.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 23979, Defense: 12/2016
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Ricardo Baeza-Yates

  • Rebekka Burkholz: “Systemic Risk: From Generic Models to Food Trade Networks.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 23467, Defense: 05/2016
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiners: Prof. Hans Herrmann, Prof. James Gleeson

  • Nicolas Wider: “Higher-Order Networks in Complex Systems: Temporality and Interconnectivity.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 23457, Defense: 05/2016
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Vito Latora

2015

  • Mario Vincenzo Tomasello: “Collaboration networks - their formation and evolution.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 22448, Defense: 01/2015
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Hans Gersbach
    The thesis was awarded the Zurich Dissertation Prize 2015

2014

  • Pavlin Mavrodiev: “Decisions and Their Unintended Consequences.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 22026, Defense: 06/2014
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Ryan Murphy

2013

  • Marcelo S. Zanetti: “A Complex Systems Approach to Software Engineering.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 21653, Defense: 12/2013
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Giuseppe Valetto

2012

  • Dorian Tanase: “Social dynamics in Online product review communities.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 20755, Defense: 10/2012
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Mike Thelwall

  • David Garcia: “Modeling collective emotions in online communities.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 20699, Defense: 09/2012
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Johan Bollen

  • Paolo Tasca: “Diversification, Leverage and Systemic Risk.”
    Dissertation Advanced School of Economics, Ca’Foscari University of Venice (DEA XXIII Ciclo), Defense: 03/2012
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Paolo Pellizzari, Examiners: Prof. Michael Haliassos, Prof. Antonio Guarino, Prof. Fabrizio Lillo

  • Nicolas Perony: “Comparative Analysis of Social Interactions in Animal Groups.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 20255, Defense: 02/2012
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Barbara KönigThe Thesis was awarded the ETH Medaille.

2011

  • Hans-Ulrich Stark: “Social Influence and Strategical Decision Making in Models of Social Interaction.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 19639, Defense: 05/2011
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Dirk Helbing

2010

  • James B. Glattfelder: “Ownership Networks and Corporate Control: Mapping Economic Power in a Globalized World.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 19274, Defense: 09/2010
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Guido Caldarelli

  • Stefania Vitali: “Industrial organization from a geographical and network perspective.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 18974, Defense: 05/2010
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Thomas Brenner
    The Thesis was awarded the Zurich Dissertation Prize.

2009

  • Markus Michael Geipel: “Dynamics of Communities and Code in Open Source Software.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 18480, Defense: 09/2009
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Georg von Krogh

  • Patrick Christian Groeber: “An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Emergence and Enforcement of Norms of Coordination and Cooperation.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 18513, Defense: 09/2009
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Dirk Helbing

  • Frank E. Walter: “Designing Mechanisms for Trust-based Interaction in Social Networks.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 18539, Defense: 09/2009
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Elgar Fleisch

  • Michael D. König: “Dynamic R&D networks.”
    Dissertation ETH No. 18182, Defense: 01/2009
    Supervisor/Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Co-Examiner: Prof. Francis Bloch
    The Thesis was awarded the Zurich Dissertation Prize.

2008

  • J. Emeterio Navarro Barrientos: “Adaptive Investment Strategies for Different Scenarios.”
    Dissertation Humbolt University Berlin, Defense: 10/2008
    Supervision/Examiner: Prof. Hans-Dieter Burkhard, Supervisor/Co-Examiner: Prof. Frank Schweitzer, Prof. Kai Nagel