Phil d’Almada is an analytic programmer who has been working with CCFP since 2020. He works in the North Carolina Education Research Data Center (NCERDC), housed within CCFP, preparing data sets for public use by researchers.
Learn more about Phil's work in our CCFP Community Spotlight below.
Can you describe briefly your role and responsibilities at the North Carolina Education Research Data Center (NCERDC)?
Each year, we receive data files from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI). These files include information on multiple aspects of educating children across all grades and all schools in every county in the state. Some data files come to us as student-based, which include information such as attendance, courses taken, test scores, and behavior issues, while other data files come as teacher-based, which include information such as education, licensing, certification, and salary. Our primary job is to screen each file for multiple occurrences of the same individual and identify all occurrences of the same individual with a new ID number. Finally, after stripping identifying information such as names and original ID’s, we provide copies of the revised files for public use by researchers. In some cases, we accommodate researchers who may want us to create a customized data set consisting of various elements from many of the files we have placed for public use.
What are you most proud of in terms of your work and contributions at NCERDC?
Perhaps the biggest challenge is identifying a unique individual from multiple records pertaining to the same individual. For example, variation in the spelling of names, whether incomplete or incorrect, or name changes may be problematic. Changes in the data structure, whether intentional or accidental, are other issues that pose challenges to providing a highly accurate set of records in any one data file for public use by researchers.
What do you enjoy most about working at CCFP?
Everyone with whom I have interacted has been a source of support, whether directly or indirectly and whether work-related or socially within CCFP. There are various particular vignettes of interaction that may appear innocuous but contribute to an enlightening atmosphere in which to work. One example was Kara Bonneau’s responsibility to share a few words about me at the Service Anniversary Ceremony after I had been with CCFP only a few months and was being honored for 15 years at Duke. Surprisingly to me, she did such a good job that the audience exploded into laughter. Erika Layko’s help with my biographical note and photo selection for the website and Kathy Julian’s headshot photography—that was quite a bit of attention for someone who prefers to sit in the back when guest speakers come to visit. There are other episodes, stay tuned.
What was your first ever job?
Food service worker as an undergraduate (i.e., cleaning food off dishes after student dinner.)
What’s your favorite movie?
Lawrence of Arabia. Crucially, the historical depiction is highly accurate, albeit with some license taken to depart from pure historical fact. The sweeping landscapes have been a cinematic trademark of David Lean, and definitely draw the viewer into the scale and reality of the environment in that campaign against the Ottoman Empire. Peter O’Toole, with his 6’-plus stature, did cast an imposing portrayal of T.E. Lawrence who was not even 5’ 6”! Other actors, such as Omar Sharif as Sherif Ali, a composite character; Anthony Quinn as Auda Abu Tayi; and Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal, were all extremely well portrayed.
What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?
For my birthday, my sons gifted me an airline ticket to South Korea while my younger son was still posted there with the Army. We visited two beautifully restored, historic palaces in Seoul and one temple in Busan on the south coast. North of Seoul, we visited the Third Infiltration Tunnel and, being claustrophobic, I did not think I could make it very far down the interception tunnel, much less into the actual infiltration tunnel. Well, I made it down, all the way! I even made it back out! What a mental exercise that was!
What is your favorite local restaurant, and what is your favorite thing to order there?
Musamun Curry at Asian Harbour in Mebane.
What’s something that most people probably don’t know about you?
If most people don’t read this narrative, they probably won’t know that I’m claustrophobic.