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For the first part of my talent competency, I applied for and went through the GCSP Research Stipend. Over the semester of Spring 2023, I worked with Dr. Paulo Shakarian on studying global supply chain vulnerabilities, requiring applications of both Computer Science and Economics. At the conclusion of the semester, I presented at the FURI symposium with many other student researchers. Overall, this program was very rewarding, both in experience and skills learned.
In regard to the development of the project, I utilized Python with a REST API to develop a database of shipping location data of every ship in the world for a multiple-year span. From there, I used Tableau to develop a visualization of the data to depict a large-scale graph and attend to missing data points. At this point, it was clear that there was missing data, so I was able to utilize tensorflow with Python to fill in the missing gaps below. Using this library, I was able to predict the routes ships would take from prior historical data if location data was ever missing.
Visualization of global shipping routes
This experience relates to my theme of Security, as the research was focused on identifying vulnerabilities in the global supply chain, in order to predict future potential outcomes of supply disruptions from events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war. The security of supply chains are crucial, as vulnerabilities prevent commodities such as food, energy, water, and other vital resources from reaching countries that depend on them. Overall, this research sought to predict if such outcomes were to happen before they do, allowing for governmental and third-party intervention that softens the impact.
This experience helped further my career goals in two main ways: development of coding skills and experience in academia. By having to learn Python and knowing how to utilize it with a REST API, I was able to gain experience in a common industry practice of utilizing APIs to manipulate data. This was crucial, as my first internship also covered similar material. I also was exposed to academia and research for the first time, and now this is something I may consider as a career in the future.
Poster:
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