February 3rd, 2010
The Population Council just launched a fantastic new Web site. The extensive redesign began with the user in mind. Staff conducted surveys and interviews to determine the needs of the Council’s various audiences. A dedicated team of IT, program, and publications staff took this information and went to work. Their efforts resulted in a great platform for showcasing the Council’s research.
In addition to a fresh new layout and cleaner interface, the site is built on a custom database that makes it more efficient, especially for searching Council publications. This should mean good things for users looking to get to the right information — fast. Updates will be made over time as people have an opportunity to provide feedback.
Great work!
February 3rd, 2010
Great data visualizations can tell a story that, for some, may be lost in tables and text. The New York Times seems to get this. They have a first rate graphics operation.
Here is a wonderful graphic of the President’s 2011 budget proposal. The big blocks for national defense, social security, medicare, and income security really show the nation’s priorities/obligations. You’ve got to visit the site to get the full effect.
As a side note, the President proposed a 9.4% increase in global health spending in 2011. There are also proposed increases of 18.1% for development assistance, 4.8% for USAID, and 15.8% for the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Explore the New York Times graphic.
Visit the NYT Visualization Lab.
Browse Smashing Magazine’s run down some of my favorite visualization blogs/sites.
February 3rd, 2010
You’re in luck. Marty Nemko at Kiplinger predicts that Program Evaluator will be one of the top careers in the next decade.
Criteria for selection included:
- Likelihood of sustaining at least a middle-class income
- Socially redeeming
- Quality of life
- Status
Oh, the status of a program evaluator!
Also on the list is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist and Health-Informatics Specialist. Is he right? I don’t know, but my tasks this week have included prepping for a public health informatics workshop that I will teach this weekend, studying for my psychology licensing exam, and helping to manage an impact evaluation in Uganda.
Judging by the comments on this article, I should not be too excited. The most common response is “Really?” and “WTF?” Marty, next time consider burying “Federal-Government Manger” around #10. Not a great lead in.
HT: @aeaweb
February 1st, 2010
I posted the syllabus for my upcoming Public Health Informatics II course: Health Mapping in a Digital Age. This workshop is for students in the NYU Master’s Program in Global Public Health.
This one-day workshop is designed to give students an overview of current trends in health mapping; knowledge of state-of-the-art tools, methods, and resources for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing geographic health data; and experience working with several web-based and desktop programs and spatial data resources. The objective is to frame health mapping as an accessible set of tools and methods that students can begin to use in their work, even without years of specialized training.
The Population Council just launched a fantastic new Web site. The extensive redesign began with the user in mind. Staff conducted surveys and interviews to determine the needs of the Council’s various audiences. A dedicated team of IT, program, and publications staff took this information and went to work. Their efforts resulted in a great platform for showcasing the Council’s research.
Rabbits Gone Wild
Photo: Robin Hammond for The New York Times
Robben Island, the famous sliver of land in South Africa’s Table Bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, has an animal control problem.
The news is (partial) vindication for South Carolina’s Lt. Governor Andre Bauer (and his grandmother) who told an audience last week about the consequences of poor resource management.
Human population control policies are under review.