Vimal Patel,

Vimal Patel is a reporter for The New York Times, focusing on higher education and campus culture and free expression. They cover debates on sensitive topics like free speech, academic freedom, race, gender and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the context of college campuses and their implications for American society. Vimal began their journalism career in 2008 at the Bryan-College Station Eagle in Texas before joining The Chronicle of Higher Education where they wrote about campus speech, doctoral education, graduate-student labor relations and student success. They also managed the newspaper's internship program for several years. Vimal joined The Times in 2021 as a breaking news reporter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Vimal holds a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University. As a Times journalist, they are committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in the Ethical Journalism Handbook and strive for accuracy, sensitivity and fairness in their work. They can be contacted at vimal.patel@nytimes.com.