Congratulations to Ruth Lilly Medical Library's Research Metrics Librarian, Mirian Ramirez, for winning first place in the Complex Visualization category of the 2024 NNLM Data Visualization Challenge! Her winning entry, "GLOBAL SNAPSHOT Physician Distribution and Density of Physicians per 1000 population - Worldwide 2021", offers a comprehensive visual analysis of global healthcare workforce distribution. Ramirez's visualization is now available on Zenodo, contributing valuable insights to the global health community. This recognition underscores the RLML commitment to advancing health information accessibility and understanding through cutting-edge data visualization.

Ramirez recommends that aspiring data visualization practitioners participate in contests like this by building upon previous work and seeking inspiration from successful visualizations. Ramirez also suggests keeping a Pinterest board to collect appealing infographics and charts as a source of ideas, experimenting with different tools (such as user-friendly and free options like RawGraphs, Datawrapper, and Scimago Graphica), soliciting feedback from colleagues, and most importantly, stepping out of one's comfort zone. Additionally, starting small and refining existing projects can be an effective approach. Participating in this kind of experience highlights the value of continuous learning, collaboration, and pushing creative boundaries in the field of data visualization.