Page 14 - OIT Progress Report: 2024 Edition

Combating Human Trafficking
Another significant project involves the creation of a human trafficking dashboard designed to make data
on human trafficking more actionable for law enforcement and researchers. Compiling and visualizing data from various sources into a data mart helps this dashboard identify patterns and trends in human trafficking activities, providing critical insights that can aid in prevention and intervention efforts.
When asked about developing custom dashboards “ for researchers, Mateo Langston Smith, Research
Technology Developer, shared, “SMU is helping
to close the enormous gap that is data access for
researchers. Historically, human trafficking data is siloed in different locations, and a researcher has to spend the majority of their time and resources to gain access to the raw, unstructured, and messy data. Our team at SMU does the heavy lifting to make the data accessible by cleaning, structuring, securing, and visualizing the relevant data to
a particular research question or topic.” This project highlights OIT’s commitment to leveraging technology for social good and addressing pressing societal issues.
SMU is helping to close the enormous gap
that is data access for researchers... SMU does the heavy lifting to make the data accessible by cleaning, structuring, securing, and visualizing the relevant data.
MATEO LANGSTON SMITH
RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPER
As we look forward, we remain committed to exploring new technologies and supporting the university’s continued expectation of top-tier research capability through fostering innovation and providing robust resources for the academic community.
12 OIT PROGRESS REPORT 2024