Paula Buchanan: "American Girl"
This Week's Guest: Paula Buchanan
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Paula Buchanan, writer, researcher, and self-proclaimed data nerd, likes to pose the question “so what?” as she looks at how data should be presented and how tech should not be a gadget in search of a problem.
In this episode, Paula tells Melinda about being a woman of color from a middle-class upbringing and how her early years and education formed her motto: Never Stop Learning. Paula has combined her education from Tulane University and her experience with the Americorps program to improve the lives of others through data visualization. She has a passion for making data, specifically health information, more easily understood.
A supporter of Girls Who Code and the Southern Data Science Conference, Paula believes that combining science and tech allows for a unique opportunity to make complex ideas more accessible. “If you’re in health services research, you are, to a degree, a public servant...You have to think about, not the technology, but how the technology serves the people.”
For more gems from Paula, hear the extended version of this episode below.
Show Notes
ARTICLES AND ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
AmeriCorps places thousands of people into intensive service positions where they learn valuable skills, earn money for education, and develop a strong sense of civic responsibility.
The New Orleans Health Care for the Homeless operates a primary health care clinic in the central business district and an adolescent drop-in clinic in the French Quarter area.
Paula’s blog on attending the Southern Data Science Conference: a data science R&D conference that brings together experts and researchers from the top data science companies and institutes
Paula’s article: “Concepts and Uses for Open Data”
Paula’s Mego 2XL, a gift from her mom, an award-winning educator. Photos courtesy of Lara Pereira, LLC | https://www.larapereira.com
Paula’s family photos; Photos courtesy of Lara Pereira, LLC | https://www.larapereira.com
More About Paula Buchanan
Writer, Researcher, Data Nerd
Paula R. Buchanan is a researcher with years of experience in government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. As an independent consultant, Ms. Buchanan provides consulting services in the areas of data analytics and visualization techniques. A self-proclaimed data nerd, she is passionate about the effective communication of data analysis results to targeted audiences. Ms. Buchanan has a BS degree in biology and a BA degree in history with a minor in economics from Tulane University, master’s degrees in Public Health and Business Administration, and a variety of professional certifications.
