麻豆传媒映画

To improve safety for children walking or riding bicycles to school, 麻豆传媒映画 researchers combed through a decade of accident data in Chula Vista, pinpointing danger zones and creating a virtual reality video game to teach pedestrian safety.

The project, a 2022 partnership with Virginia Tech and Texas A&M, exemplifies the work of which seeks to localize the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals using a data-driven approach and embracing the UN concept of 鈥淟eave No One Behind.鈥� 

This Think Globally, Act Locally initiative is led by Gabriela Fernandez, 麻豆传媒映画 graduate student advisor in the Big Data Analytics master鈥檚 program at the College of Arts and Letters and 麻豆传媒映画 Global Campus.

Fernandez, an adjunct faculty member, is founding director of the 麻豆传媒映画 Metabolism of Cities Living Lab, hosted by  in 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 Geography department.

Metabolism of Cities Living Lab frames urban areas as living organisms that consume energy, water and other resources. Fernandez incorporated the UN sustainability benchmarks to build awareness of climate change and give a voice to vulnerable populations through data visualizations, campaigns, and events.

localizes three of the UN Sustainable Goals: Good Health & Well Being; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; and Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Nasser Mohieddin, an 麻豆传媒映画 graduate who was part of the Metabolism of Cities Living Lab while a student, worked to raise awareness of the growing  population in El Cajon.

These immigrants were mostly invisible to government officials, said Mohieddin. There was no  MENA category on the U.S. Census or on many other official documents. Working with a non-profit, Mohieddin conducted a survey to generate data and better understand this group.

鈥淢ost of the Middle Eastern population in the city are refugees,鈥� he said. 鈥淔rom my research, there is an insufficiency in these programs at this point to help these refugees settle in, assimilate to the new environment, and find jobs.鈥�

Through Mohieddin鈥檚 efforts, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors took steps in May to recognize the region鈥檚 Middle Eastern population on county documents, bringing increased visibility and resources to these communities, said Fernandez. 

鈥淲hat we do in the Metabolism of Cities Living Lab is we advocate for all those left behind,鈥� said Fernandez. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 localize the Sustainable Development Goals if you don鈥檛 consider everyone.鈥�

Mohieddin鈥檚 project localized UN Sustainable Development Goals including: No Poverty; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Reduce Inequalities; and Sustainable Cities and Communities. 

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Students in Fernandez鈥檚 lab have probed topics such as homelessness, ocean pollution, health care access, and social-media misinformation, among others at the intersection of big data and social advocacy.

For 麻豆传媒映画, this work aligns with the university鈥檚 Climate Action Plan and its overall ongoing Strategic Plan.

Fernanda Carrillo, a graduate student in the Big Data Analytics master鈥檚 program, researched health challenges faced by women along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of Metabolism of Cities Living Lab鈥檚 , a collaboration between 麻豆传媒映画, Universidad Aut贸noma de Baja California (UABC) in Mexico, a non-governmental organization in Venezuela, and Universidad Sim贸n Bol铆var in Colombia.

Carrillo developed a Chiara Project dashboard to spotlight shortages of healthcare facilities and infrastructure in some communities in the San Diego region. She also worked to pinpoint areas where poverty and language barriers limited health care access for women.

鈥淭he dashboard provides actionable insights to address these disparities by identifying where resources are most needed,鈥� said Carrillo. 鈥淚t also emphasizes the need for targeted interventions, such as increasing healthcare access in underserved areas, developing culturally sensitive outreach programs, and promoting economic empowerment for women.鈥�

Carrillo鈥檚 research ties to UN Sustainable Development Goals on Improving Health and Well-Being; Gender Equality; and Reducing Inequality. 

Many Metabolism of Cities projects rely on open-source data. But students also work with nonprofits to conduct surveys, as well as tap other data sources to gain additional insights.

鈥淒ata is fine at the national level, but when you look at the local level, where real policy making actually impacts people in their everyday lives, that data is sometimes missing in some areas,鈥� said Fernandez. 鈥淎s researchers, we have to be creative about how we can get that data.鈥�

In October, Stephanie Meza, a graduate student in 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 Global Campus online Big Data Analytics master鈥檚 program, presented her research with Fernandez in Athens, Greece on human trafficking along the U.S. southern border at the . The conference is organized by the Metabolism of Cities Living Lab and global partners. 

鈥淏y utilizing a data-driven approach, including the creation of interactive dashboards and visualizations, we identify hotspots for trafficking and related mental health issues,鈥� said Meza in an interview with 鈥淥ur goal is to inform and empower community leaders, policymakers and health care providers with actionable insights to combat these challenges effectively.鈥�