Project Screening Tool
NC Department of Transportation — ATLAS Program
Project description coming soon.
Overview
We design and build custom applications that put complex data directly into the hands of researchers, agency staff, and stakeholders — as tools they can actually use, not outputs they need to interpret. Our applications range from desktop analysis tools and hosted web dashboards to mobile-compatible data entry and reporting platforms. Every tool we build is purpose-designed around a specific decision or workflow: we start by understanding what users need to see and do, then build the technology around that. We specialize in R-based web applications (Shiny) and work across the stack from data architecture and automated pipelines through front-end interface design.
Selected Projects
Food Web Analysis Shiny Application
University of Nevada, Las Vegas — Dr. Carrie Tyler
We built two Shiny applications that enable students and researchers to analyze complex ecological food web structures using community detection algorithms. Our client had developed food web research scripts and workflows that she wished to share more broadly with non-coding users. Challenges included some compute-intensive algorithms which were scripted in Julia to run as a parallel process, precluding deployment as a simple Shiny app. As a potentially public-facing teaching tool, we also needed to be sure the delivered applications would gently correct user error and be robust against malicious use. We developed both applications in R Shiny, with the simpler teaching tool deployed on a Shiny Server and the more complex research application deployed as a Docker container. The final applications enable users to upload data with validation, apply and compare multiple network metrics and algorithms, and download results. The final products are now in use in classrooms and serve as quantifiable evidence of "dissemination and outreach" by the UNLV research team.
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Data Reporting
Michael Baker International
We designed and built an R Shiny application to streamline field data entry, automated calculation of biotic indices (NC Biotic Index, taxa richness, EPT richness), and formatted reporting for benthic macroinvertebrate surveys conducted under NC and TN standard operating procedures. The application replaced manual Excel-based workflows, providing a user interface for creating, reviewing, and updating site records with automated export to Excel, Word, and PowerPoint formats suitable for report production. Use of the application sped analysis, reduced errors, and enabled comparative analysis for better insights in border regions where state standards differ.
Water Quality Data Scraping & Reporting
US Fish & Wildlife Service — Inventory & Monitoring Branch
The USFWS National Wildlife Refuge staff must regularly research and report on water quality within their boundaries. Several websites provide the core information for these reports, but pulling and processing these data is complicated and time consuming. Given these sites offer API access, field staff with a small budget asked us to pilot an R Shiny app that would automate the download, tidying, and summary of water quality monitoring data. The desire was for an application where the data could be visualized and then exported as both cleanly formatted Excel data and a draft report template. To handle the complexity and variety of water measures available, we collaborated with water science experts to build lookup tables that would enable users to adjust the level of detail. The pilot, conducted across two refuges, replaced a manual data assembly process with automated scripts producing graphics, tables, and statistics directly formatted for inclusion in WRIA and CAP reports. By demonstrating the pilot, the USFWS staff were able to secure full funding to expand the application into a nationwide product.