Shannon Dooling

Shannon Dooling is an Associate Professor of the Practice in Investigative Reporting at Boston University. She is an investigative journalist based in Boston, contributing to WBUR (Boston’s NPR news station), ProPublica, and NPR with a focus on immigration and criminal justice.

• Education:
  • Master of Journalism, University of British Columbia
  • BA, Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Her groundbreaking reporting in 2019 exposed the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle a humanitarian immigration process for medical treatment, leading to its reinstatement after Congressional hearings. She also co-authored a series on civil asset forfeiture in Massachusetts, earning the National Headliner Award and AAJA Excellence in Investigative Reporting Award in 2022.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Edward R. Murrow Awards for continuing coverage and investigative reporting
  • National Headliner Award (2022)
  • AAJA Excellence in Investigative Reporting Award (2022)

Dooling collaborates with Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research on projects examining racial disparities in immigration detention. She mentors journalism and law students, including guiding BU students in immersive fieldwork in Tijuana, Mexico, to confront immigration realities firsthand.