Relveant projects

INST 327 - (Database Design & Modeling)

This course taught me how to design and work with relational databases, from the conceptual level all the way to writing queries in SQL. I learned about requirements analysis, ER modeling, normalization, and how to implement a database using a relational database management system (RDBMS).

Final Project – Chicago Traffic Citations Database
For the team project, we built a working relational database that tracks and manages Chicago traffic citations. Our goal was to design a system that could handle violations, tickets, fines, officers, and locations in an organized way.

Database Design: Created an ER diagram and schema with multiple related tables (tickets, violations, fines, officers, units, and locations).
Implementation: Built the database in SQL, populating it with sample data filtered from Chicago’s traffic ticket dataset.
Queries & Views: Developed queries and five database views, such as:
- violation_details_with_ticket_count – subquery to count tickets per violation code.
- ticket_counts_by_officer – aggregation showing number of tickets issued by each officer.
- fine_amounts_by_violation – joins across multiple tables to calculate fines tied to violations.
Improvements: Adjusted data types (e.g., switching ticket_id to bigint) to support large datasets and streamlined unnecessary entities to keep the design efficient.
Ethics & DEI: Reflected on privacy and fairness, noting how traffic citation data can reveal structural disparities and stressing the importance of secure, transparent data handling .

Outcome:
This project gave me hands-on experience designing and building a real database from scratch. I practiced ER modeling, normalization, SQL queries (joins, filters, aggregations, subqueries), and also considered ethical and inclusivity issues in data management. The experience showed me how databases can support accountability, improve decision-making, and be extended with features like geospatial analysis or predictive modeling in the future.

INST362 - (User-Centered Design)

This course focused on the human side of system and product design, teaching the user-centered design (UCD) process from research to implementation. I learned how to apply methods like user interviews, surveys, persona development, story boarding, prototyping, and usability testing to create designs that solve real problems for people.

Final Project – Final Project
Our team developed a website to showcase our design process and final product: Sure Designs

User Research: Conducted [interviews/surveys/contextual inquiry] to understand user needs and pain points.

Ideation & Sketching: Created storyboards, brainstormed solutions, and developed personas to guide our design decisions.
Prototyping: Built low- and high-fidelity prototypes, iterating on feedback from heuristic evaluations and peer critiques.
Testing: Carried out usability tests with target users, refining the design to improve usability and accessibility.
Final Deliverable: A comprehensive portfolio site documenting our entire UCD process from discovery to delivery.

Outcome:
This project gave me hands-on experience leading a full cycle of user-centered design activities. I practiced translating research into design requirements, communicating design ideas clearly, and working collaboratively to create a digital product that addresses real user needs.

INST 314

(Statistics for information science)

In this course, I learned the basics of statistics and how they apply along information science. We covered topics like hypothesis testing, ANOVA, correlation, regression, and how to use R for data analysis. A big focus of the class was learning how to take data, run the right statistical tests, and then use the results to make defensible, data-driven decisions.

Final Project – (Student Performance Analysis)
For the final project, my group and I analyzed student performance data from two subjects (Math and Portuguese). We wanted to see what factors influenced academic outcomes.

We used t-tests to compare grades between different groups and datasets.
Ran ANOVA tests to see how lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption and study time impacted final grades.
Looked at correlations between age and performance, finding weak negative relationships.
Built a linear regression model using age as a predictor for final grades in math, which showed a statistically significant but small effect.
One of our biggest takeaways was that more study time generally led to higher grades, while other factors (like weekend alcohol use) didn’t make as much of a difference.

Through this project, I got comfortable using R to clean and analyze data, check statistical assumptions (like normality and independence), and explain what the results actually mean in plain language. It gave me hands-on experience with real data and showed me how statistical methods can be applied to everyday problems in education and decision-making.

INST 377 - (Dynamic Web Applications)

This course introduced me to building dynamic, data-driven web applications. I learned how to set up and run web servers, work with both client- and server-side scripting, and develop single-page web applications. The main tools we focused on were HTML, CSS, JavaScript, with back-end support from Node.js and Supabase.

Final Project – ExchangeME
Our team built a fully functional web application hosted on Vercel: Website link

Front-End Development: Designed and implemented the user interface using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create an interactive, user-friendly experience.

Database Integration: Connected the front-end to a Supabase database, enabling users to store, retrieve, and update data dynamically.
Server-Side Functionality: Used Node.js for server-side operations, handling requests and ensuring smooth communication between the client and database.
Collaboration & Deployment: Worked in a team environment using GitHub for version control, tested features iteratively, and deployed the app on Vercel for public access.

Outcome:
This project gave me practical experience in full-stack web development, from designing the front-end to connecting with a live database and deploying the app. I also gained valuable teamwork and problem-solving skills while ensuring the app was functional, responsive, and accessible.