Kate Vavra-Musser

Kate Vavra-Musser

PhD Candidate in Population, Health, and Place at the University of Southern California Spatial Sciences Institute

Blog posts

2021

Appointed to the UCGIS Executive Board as the Communications Committee Co-Chair

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I’m so thankful to the University Consortium for GIS (UCGIS) for deciding to promote me to the UCGIS Executive Board as the Communications Co-Chair. Special thanks to Jennifer Bernstein, the other Co-Chair and my partner on the Communications Committee for recommending me for this promotion and for Diana Sinton the UCGIS Executive Director for her continued support of my involvement with UCGIS. I have been actively working on the UCGIS Communications Committee since December 2019 working to expand the UCGIS online presence and social media accounts. I am so excited for what we have already accomplished: the UCGIS Twitter account has expanded from 300 to 900 followers, we have launched a UCGIS LinkedIn account, and we are also working on a new Slack community coming soon. I’m very excited for this new role and my continued work with the UCGIS Communications Committee!

Coding it Forward Civic Digital Summer Fellowship

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Today I am so excited to report that I have been accepted as a member of the Coding it Forward Civic Digital Fellowship for the 2021 summer. The Coding it Forward Civic Digital Fellowship is a 10-week summer fellowship and each fellow is paired with a United States government with the goal of applying their technical skills to develop solutions that will serve everyday Americans. I am very excited to have been paired with the US Census Bureau on an amazing project working to restructure ambulatory health surveys using machine learning methods.

Data Science for All (DS4A) Empowerment Distinguished Scholar

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Thank you so much Correlation One for selecting me as a Distinguished Scholar for the 2020-2021 Data Science for All (DS4A) Empowerment program! As per Correlation One, this distinction is given to a subset of top-performing DS4A Fellows in recognition of outstanding personal qualities, professional promise, and demonstrated commitment to the Empowerment mission of equality in data. I am so honored and proud to be a part of this program and to be able to meet and get to know all my amazing classmates who have been with me on this journey.

Technology Education Grant Recepient

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Thank you so much to Serenze Global and Pluralsight for selecting me as one of the recipients of the 2021 Technology Education Grant! The grant incudes a year of free access to Pluralsight’s catalog of technology and data science courses as well as support, mentorship, and to the 2021 cohort community through Serenze Global. Serenze Global is an amazing organization whose mission is to promote diversity in the tech industry by providing free STEM education and support to under-represented groups within the tech industry. I am so excited to be a part of this community and to continue my data science and analysis skill development.

2020

Accepted to Present at the Los Angeles Geospatial Summit

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I am excited to share that I will be presenting two of my current research projects at the upcoming Los Angeles Geospatial Summit on Friday, February 26, 2021. I will be giving a paper presentation of my work on extreme heat and aging populations in the United States with my co-author Emily Serman as well as presenting a post of my work on the drivers of soil lead contamination levels in an urban setting. I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to share and receive feedback on these two projects!

Officially Admitted to the Data Science for All Empowerment Program!

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Today I am overjoyed and honored to share that I am one of only 6% of applicants selected to be a part of the inaugural cohort of Correlation One’s new Data Science for All (DS4A) Empowerment program. This 13-week data science program is specifically designed to empower and support underrepresented groups in technology fields gain data science skills, project development experience, build their network, and create and support an inclusive community. Not only am I excited for the opportunity to push my data science skills to the next level, but I am so glad just to be a part of a program rooted in promoting diversity, inclusion, and representation in science and technology. Our first session is coming up on Saturday, October 24, 2020!

New York Times Article on Gas Flares and Birth Outcomes

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I am excited to share that I will be presenting two of my current research projects at the upcoming Los Angeles Geospatial Summit on Friday, February 26, 2021. I will be giving a paper presentation of my work on extreme heat and aging populations in the United States with my co-author Emily Serman as well as presenting a post of my work on the drivers of soil lead contamination levels in an urban setting. I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to share and receive feedback on these two projects!