Key outcomes
- Integrated datasets on deaths in custody at national scale
- Statistical analyses and national-scale visualizations
- Tools delivered for independent lab operation
- DataSquad students contributed directly to research outputs
Partner: BioCritical Studies Lab — Grace Sosa, Terence Keel Years: 2021–2024 partnership, with impacts emphasized in 2023–2025 review window
Overview
A lot of “data help” creates dependency. You build something for a research group, and then they need you forever to keep it running.
This partnership was structured from the start to reduce that dependency. The goal: deliver tools the lab could operate without ongoing staff involvement.
What we built
- Integrated datasets on deaths in custody at national scale
- Statistical analyses and national-scale visualizations
- Tools and workflows delivered in a form the lab could sustain independently
What changed
The project model explicitly aimed at independence from the start. We documented everything, built for maintainability, and trained lab members on the tools we delivered.
DataSquad students contributed directly to the work — pairing workforce development with real research outputs.
Why this matters
If research support creates dependency, it hasn’t succeeded. The measure of good infrastructure work is whether the research group can keep going without you.
That’s the kind of model I’m trying to normalize.