Visualizing U.S. Border Crossings: Trends and Insights: This project uses nearly 30 years of U.S. border crossing data to explore how people and goods move across the northern and southern borders. By analyzing patterns over time, across transportation types, and by geographic region, the visualizations reveal the impact of major events, policy shifts, and seasonal trends. Through various interactive dashboards, this work makes complex data more understandable and engaging for a wide audience, including researchers, policymakers, and everyday citizens. It shows how border activity reflects broader changes in migration, trade, and global events. Technically, the project combines temporal, categorical, and geospatial analysis to uncover insights and trends that might otherwise go unnoticed. By turning raw data into clear visuals, the goal was to empower users to explore, ask questions, and better understand the forces that shape movement across borders. In a time of rapid change, this project highlights how data can spark conversation, awareness, and more informed decision-making.

Joel Rocha: “I’m a senior at San Jose State University majoring in Information Science and Data Analytics. I’m passionate about using data and technology to solve real-world problems, particularly in AI-driven product development. Through my studies at SJSU and hands-on experience at a SaaS startup, I’ve had the opportunity to explore Gen-AI in action and see how data can inform better, faster decision-making that drives impact across businesses, communities, and everyday lives.”