ProPublica announced Tuesday that Vernal Coleman will join its Midwest newsroom staff as a reporter.

Coleman comes to ProPublica from the Boston Globe, where he has been a member of the newsroom’s strike investigations team, specializing in data analysis for quick turnaround investigations. Before joining the Globe, Coleman was a watchdog reporter with the Seattle Times’ Project Homeless initiative, where he wrote stories about the intersection of housing, mental health and local efforts to combat homelessness. Prior to joining the Seattle Times, in 2014, Coleman covered policing and public safety in Newark, New Jersey, for the Star-Ledger and NJ.com. Coleman began his career as a fellow with Northwestern University’s Academy of Alternative Journalism, where he produced multiple news articles for various Chicago-based publications, including the Chicago Reader.

“We’re delighted to welcome Vernal back to Chicago,” said ProPublica Illinois Editor-in-Chief Louise Kiernan. “With his experience covering subjects that range from housing to criminal justice to transportation, he will be a powerful addition to our team as we expand our reporting to a broader swath of the Midwest.”

"After cutting my teeth as a journalist in Chicago years ago, I'm thrilled to return to the city and join ProPublica's newsroom,” Coleman said. “ProPublica produces some of the most probing and revelatory journalism in the country, and I look forward to bringing that work to all corners of the Midwest."