A Parkwood resident and student has helped build a new tool giving the University of Western Australia (UWA) a clearer picture of its activities across regional Western Australia.
Joel Kotturi, who is studying a Master of Business Analytics at UWA, recently completed an internship through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, working on a regional mapping and business intelligence project.
The project involved creating interactive dashboards and maps showing UWA’s activities across northern and regional WA, including hospitals, schools and Aboriginal health services.
Joel said he applied for the internship because he wanted to use his analytical skills in a way that could benefit communities.
“I wanted experience that went beyond just commercial data work,” he said.
“I liked the idea of using analytics in a way that actually mattered to people.”
During the placement, Joel built Power BI dashboards, mapped facilities using ArcGIS and developed a Python application to improve data collection and reporting.
He said seeing the final product come together was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
“Seeing the dashboard come together and knowing it would actually be used,” he said.
“It felt good to build something that has a real purpose beyond just a university project.”
The work also gave him a new perspective on regional Western Australia.
“I hadn’t really thought much about how invisible regional communities can be in planning and data systems,” Joel said.
“When there’s no clear picture of what services exist in a place, it’s very hard to improve things there.”
He said the dashboards and maps provide UWA with a better understanding of where it has a presence in regional WA and where opportunities may exist to expand programs and services.
“That helps the university make better decisions about where to invest in placements, health programs and research, which ultimately benefits the communities in those areas,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges was collecting information from regional organisations, many of which were already stretched for resources.
“Getting data from regional organisations was often slow,” Joel said.
“A lot of bodies were under-resourced and couldn’t always respond quickly, which meant parts of the dataset had gaps I couldn’t control.”
Despite the challenges, Joel said the internship helped him develop both technical and professional skills and influenced the way he thinks about his future career.
“It’s shifted the way I think about what I want to do with my career,” he said.
The McCusker Centre for Citizenship partners with more than 650 organisations, including community groups, not-for-profits, local governments and public sector agencies.
Centre representatives said many host organisations adopt the outcomes of student projects or use them to progress work into its next stage.
They said internships help students build confidence, gain practical experience and see how their studies can be applied to community challenges.
