Abstract: In data organization, proper structure can prevent redundancies and anomalies. In this teaching demonstration, I will invite participants to reconsider how relational data is structured and why it matters through the concept of Normalization. We will explore characteristics that define a “good” relational design, discuss the importance of preserving semantic dependencies, and ensure that information is not lost in the process.

Bio: Brian T. Nixon is a PhD Candidate (scheduled to defend his dissertation on April 29th) and Teaching Fellow in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh. He has more than eight years of teaching experience, serving as a teaching assistant across a variety of courses and as the primary instructor of the Database Management Systems course. Within these roles, he has received the Taulbee Award for Excellence in Computer Science twice. Brian’s research background is in Data Postdiction and Database Management Systems, with a focus on reducing the storage costs of decayed data.