Skills:
Python
Data Analysis

Record and analyze user data for the Harvard SEAS Makerspace. Produce reports on data and note any significant findings.

The SEAS Makerspace required quantitative guidance in order to support its decision-making processes. As such, over the course of two semesters, data was collected on the users of the Makerspace. Total number of students and a breakdown of number of students per group in the space were recorded once per hour over the course of the 40-hour work week. This data made it possible to precisely map the usage of the Makerspace over the course of the semester. Functionalities in the code included categorical breakdowns, tool usage breakdowns, group breakdowns, as well as breakdowns by average usage per hour, weekday, week, and semester.

The data and graphs were used in meetings with the deans to clarify usage statistics as well as inform future projects and outreach. Three reports were written, one for the fall semester, one for the spring semester, and a final one as a proposal for the 2022 International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces. The contents of these reports were critical in determining the need for and shape of additional staffing, equipment, and marketing for the SEAS Makerspace.