Arjun Thakkar Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Urbana-Champaign Area

East Lansing, Michigan, United States

• Oversee daily reporting on local government news in mid-Michigan, with more than 300 published stories and an emphasis on city council meetings, education, housing and transportation initiatives• Implement election coverage plans to promote digital guides to voting as well as Greater Lansing candidates and ballot proposals• Submit weekly pieces on developments at Michigan State University and the legislature to support the Capitol bureau and share reports with close to 900,000 listeners across the state’s public radio network• Interview residents, policymakers and advocates to incorporate community perspectives in my content• Serve as an alternate on-air host for more than two dozen Morning Edition and All Things Considered shows and co-host to present local newscasts and promote WKAR's seasonal fundraising campaigns• Provided on-the-ground coverage for National Public Radio following a mass shooting at MSU, with breaking news coverage the night of the incident and follow-up reporting on the campus response and advocacy efforts

Detroit, Michigan, United States

• Updated data visualizations tracking weekly gas prices and COVID-19 cases to make trends accessible for readers• Analyzed state health reports to prepare charts and write about historical abortion rates in Michigan, including demographic characteristics and the impact a potential statewide ban would have on access to healthcare• Joined distinct table sets to support the investigations team• Scraped state historical weather data in Python to explain the impact of climate change on local temperatures• Reported on struggles to recover ridership on Detroit Department of Transportation fixed-route buses• Documented my data analysis process to limit statistical errors with calculations and data cleaning• Reviewed story analytics with supervisors to track website visitors and engagement metrics

• Fact-checked 100 biographies to support the release of a list of individuals innovating in global technology• Refined a database to maintain a logical structure and keep multimedia resources updated for the project team

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

• Reported weekly on the University of Michigan administration’s academic, financial, and legal decisions, with several stories monitoring the development of the school’s carbon neutrality measures• Authored a top-trending piece on energy consumption for campus lights to examine sustainability concerns• Examined challenges to an ordinance to clarify protections for renters during Ann Arbor’s leasing period

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Reported weekly on the University of Michigan administration through covering Board of Regents meetings and allegations of misconduct against officials to hold the institution accountable to the public

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Produce bi-weekly creative nonfiction columns using personal language to approach political issuesRevise pieces for conciseness and precision of language to maximize the clarity and effectiveness of the pieces

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

• Created explanatory pieces to explore state budget negotiations and new higher education policies• Produced 14 general assignment stories to support Bridge’s efforts to cultivate a statewide audience• Researched state COVID-19 restrictions to write about the pandemic’s impact on businesses, including community movie theaters and restaurants with expanded outdoor dining options

• Applied knowledge of global poverty policy to execute a coordinated nonpartisan advocacy campaign, utilizing phone calls, emails, letters, and constituent meetings to urge six congressional offices to support poverty-reduction legislation• Presented to over 70 peers as well as local organizations to challenge misconceptions about the causes of resource scarcity worldwide and possible solutions available through aid and investment directed by the U.S. Congress

Los Bancos Canton, Pichincha, Ecuador

• Operated technical equipment to document the history of the Ecuadorian rural community Unión Bolivarense• Directed a 30-minute documentary consisting of interviews and scenery to distribute to neighboring schools• Conversed with project team in Spanish to delegate responsibilities for executing film production and presentation

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, History, Minors In Computer Science And Spanish

Activities and Societies: Tutor at Proyecto Avance Latino Mentoring Association, President of Hindu Students Council

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: Opinion Editor of The New Trier News, Cross Country, Track and Field