In my final two semesters at Brandeis University, I wrote a thesis in collaboration with the American Studies and Legal Studies departments. The paper compared the trajectory of information technology in the 1990s with that of home electrification 80 years earlier.

I identified precedents and parallels in how Americans handled technological development in the past, which could help us better navigate technological advances in the future.

‍Wired America is a cultural, economic, and legal analysis of two eras of American history. I drew upon a range of sources, including films, comic strips, legal documents, and economic analysis, to support my arguments.

One example: In the 1990s, politicians often suggested that information technology would lead to a resurgence of rural America as a cultural and economic hub, prompting investment in rural broadband. A similar claim was made by politicians in the 1920s, who used municipal funds to build "Great White Ways" — illuminated downtown areas that paved the way for home electrification. In both cases, these claims were eventually questioned as urban America continued to attract cultural and economic elites.

The 180-page paper was well received and awarded High Honors.