Hi, I'm Alex
I’m a student, reporter, and researcher based in Detroit, Michigan. I’m currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies and Public History at Wayne State University and will graduate in spring 2025.
What I Do
I report on education and local government.
I cover K-12 schools in Detroit and Michigan education policy as a summer reporting intern at Chalkbeat Detroit.
I regularly live-tweet Detroit city meetings for Detroit Documenters, including agencies like the Board of Police Commissioners, the Planning and Development Department, the Regional Transit Authority, and city council.
I wrote about tuition and parking affordability struggles for The South End.
In March 2024, I was featured in Documenting the Documenters, a short film about the Detroit Documenters program.
I love researching and writing about history.
I wrote about the history of public safety in Detroit for Outlier Media's Streetlight Detroit newsletter.
In February 2024, I spoke about the history of 'Red Squads' and political surveillance in Michigan on Michigan Public's Stateside show. My interview begins at the 31-minute mark.
In May 2023, I received an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) grant to research slavery abolition and early Black settlement in two rural midwest communities. I will publish my findings in April 2024.
I presented this research at Wayne State's Warrior Scholar's Conference for Undergraduate Research on March 29th, 2024, and Oakland University's Political Science Research Symposium on April 16th, 2024.
Other Work History
From January to May 2021, I worked as a media relations intern for the Drug Policy Alliance. Here, I wrote about how the drug war impacts people with mental illness.
From September 2021 to April 2022, I worked as a media relations manager at the Carceral State Project where I started the organization's Medium page and wrote several articles about the history of policing in Detroit.
In January 2022, I worked as a Mitigation intern for the State Appellate Defender Office’s Juvenile Lifer Unit for one year. This internship solidified my interest in researching and writing about history.
What I Write
The South End
Students react to new block tuition structure
With fall tuition bills due soon, Wayne State students are learning how they qualify under the new tuition structure. While most students will qualify for the new block tuition model, part-time students are struggling to manage unreasonable course loads or increased tuition payments.
Students navigate parking struggles as rates rise
For the first time in four years, Wayne State’s Board of Governors has voted to raise university parking rates, while students report affordability and maintenance concerns at garages across campus.
A historical look at Pride Month and WSU’s LGBTQ+ community
Members of the Wayne State community are celebrating Pride Month in a variety of ways, as members of the LGBTQ+ community immerse themselves in its long and important history.
July 17, 2023
May 25, 2023
Historical Research
Alex HIS 3000 final, fixed version (1).pdfWhere I learn
I started college at Central Michigan University studying Integrative Public Relations in the fall of 2019.
I transferred to Washtenaw Community College in the fall of 2020, where I stayed for two years.
I transferred to Wayne State University in the fall of 2022.
Get in touch at alexrklaus [at] gmail [DOT] com
