Hi! I’m Miranda Dunlap.

I’m a versatile journalist currently based in northeast Wisconsin.

I work for Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. I write about education, pathways to employment and what stands between people and sustainable jobs. I report in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening higher education reporting across the country.

Previously, I covered Houston’s community colleges at the now-defunct Houston Landing. Despite roughly half of Houston’s higher education students attending two-year colleges, I was the only reporter dedicated to these institutions.

I also spent time writing about K-12 education across the Houston region. I covered school funding and budget cuts, the impact of culture war issues on students, the takeover of Houston ISD and the lack of school board representation in low-income communities.

My work has spurred a federal investigation, prompted residents to fight for change in their local communities and led to institutional policy changes.

A native Michigander, I studied political science pre-law and journalism at Michigan State University. In my free time, you can find me attempting to reach my Goodreads goal, making photos on film and constantly redecorating my home.

Creating boots-on-the-ground journalism continually reminds me that, at their core, people are good (if a bit quirky sometimes). I strive for that same sense of optimism to shine through in my stories.