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Ruby Topalian on Muck Rack

Ruby Topalian

(She/Her)
Berlin, Germany, East Coast United States
As seen in: The Guardian, NBC News, KFOR-TV (Oklahoma City, OK), Columbia Daily Spectator, Oklahoma Watch, Trinity News
Covers:  International and U.S. politics, U.S. criminal justice, U.S. education, Irish and U.S. college campus issues.
Fulbright Journalism Fellow, Geopolitics @DeutscheWelle | was @nbcinvestigates @POLITICO @OklahomaWatch | Tips? ruby.topalian@dw.com |🇦🇲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Ruby Topalian’s Biography

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Hello! My name is Ruby and I am a freelance reporter and student journalist with a background in investigative reporting and long-form journalism. I have covered everything from extortion in Oklahoma prisons to students' union elections at Trinity College Dublin.

After graduating from Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin in May 2026, I aim to cover foreign affairs, criminal justice, and/or U.S. politics.

Ruby Topalian’s Journalist Portfolio

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For $50 million, a College of Dental Medicine building could've been named after Jeffrey Epstein....

For $50 million, a College of Dental Medicine building could've been named after Jeffrey Epstein....

For $50 million, a College of Dental Medicine building could've been named after Jeffrey Epstein. Columbia of…

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Fundraisers warn of 'catastrophic' drop in donations to Gaza since ceasefire

Fundraisers warn of 'catastrophic' drop in donations to Gaza since ceasefire

'The world thinks Palestinians don't need help any more,' aid organiser says, despite desperate need as winte…

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Pay or Your Son Dies: Oklahoma inmates’ families extorted by inside gangs

Pay or Your Son Dies: Oklahoma inmates’ families extorted by inside gangs

This investigation was the first in the country to uncover the extortion of families across Oklahoma by gangs…

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Report: Families extorted by gangs inside Oklahoma prisons

Report: Families extorted by gangs inside Oklahoma prisons

This is a televised interview I appeared in to discuss my investigation that uncovered an extortion scheme in…

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Ex-prison guard, shot six times, hails FCC push to allow cellphone jamming behind bars

Ex-prison guard, shot six times, hails FCC push to allow cellphone jamming behind bars

Robert Johnson, a former South Carolina prison officer, was shot six times in a hit ordered through an inmate…

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'Power corrupts': Mahmood Mamdani on Politics, Power, and the Making of the Ugandan State - Colum...

'Power corrupts': Mahmood Mamdani on Politics, Power, and the Making of the Ugandan State - Colum...

This was Columbia Daily Spectator's first interview with Mahmood Mamdani.

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Articles

Democratic senators, joined by Mahdawi, renew campaign against contentious immigration provision

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By Joe Newman, Ruby Topalian
| Columbia Daily Spectator Verified
Mahdawi joined the senators for a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, days after his legal team appealed a final deportation order to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Mahdawi joined the senators for a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, days after his legal team appealed a final deportation order to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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For $50 million, a College of Dental Medicine building could’ve been named after Jeffrey Epstein. University officials said no.

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By Ruby Topalian
| Columbia Daily Spectator Verified
The College of Dental Medicine does not have its own building. It exists on several floors within a shared building on the Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus. The lack of space was an issue that had long concerned Dr. Ira Lamster, who was dean of the College of Dental Medicine from 2001 to June 2012: “I had often thought from the time I was dean the first day, we needed a building,” Lamster told Spectator. Early in 2012, the opportunity to realize that vision presented itself.
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Columbia removes University officials, donates funds over ties between Jeffrey Epstein and College of Dental Medicine officials

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By Pippa Tsuki Carlson, Ushoshi Indira Das, Ruby Topalian
| Columbia Daily Spectator Verified
Karyna Shuliak, Epstein’s girlfriend, was admitted to the College of Dental Medicine via an “irregular process,” according to a statement released by the University. Karyna Shuliak, Epstein’s girlfriend, was admitted to the College of Dental Medicine via an “irregular process,” according to a statement released by the University. College of Dental Medicine administrators had also solicited donations from Epstein. On Aug.
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