ICPSR Celebrates Recipient of the 2024 ICPSR Innovator Award
ICPSR is thrilled to announce that Senior Curator, Benjamin Dreyer, has been awarded the 2024 ICPSR Innovator Award for the groundbreaking creation of a Configurable Quality Control Interface.
Benjamin's initiative in developing the Quality Control Interface integrates numerous existing quality control scripts into a single, user-friendly, configurable Python program. This innovation allows Curators to select desired checks for a study, batch-run them, and review standardized outputs in one consolidated folder.
Previously, curators ran up to eight different self-QC scripts for each study, often needing to run one script multiple times on individual files. Benjamin's tool significantly streamlines this process by enabling all necessary scripts to be executed in the time required to run a single script. Moreover, it preserves a comprehensive record that is invaluable for the peer-QC process.
For more than two years, Benjamin developed 14+ files and wrote 2000+ lines of code to deliver this invaluable tool. Building on the foundational work of past employees and other Curation team members, Benjamin’s dedication has yielded a resource that has brought added efficiency to the Curation Unit. One curator expressed gratitude, noting, "The Self QC script made the process of Quality Checking my work and other Curators significantly easier. I have replaced my previous way of running the checks due to how convenient and user-friendly the script is for me. I am forever thankful to Benjamin for putting in the work to create this script!"
The ICPSR Innovator Award, established in 2014, honors a staff member or team who contributes innovative ideas and actions that enhance ICPSR's work environment and efficiency. The award is open to all permanent ICPSR staff and faculty. Projects that are nominated are reviewed by a committee of peers, who then choose a winner.
Congratulations to Benjamin Dreyer for this exemplary work and well-deserved recognition. This innovation not only advances the quality control process but also exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and continuous improvement that ICPSR values.
Jul 29, 2024