Pepper Purpura is a reporter/multimedia journalist joining KCCI 8 News from the University of Oklahoma.

Pepper is a Texas native who launched her career in the Sooner State. At OU, Pepper mastered nearly every role the student newscast offered in the newsroom, web team and on production.

In 2022, Pepper was selected to report for the Gaylord College of Journalism's Gaylord News Washington Bureau. In the nation's capital, she localized national stories for Oklahoma audiences and reported extensively at the Supreme Court on indigenous issues.

Pepper continued reporting on tribes when they returned to Oklahoma to complete her degree. She reported part-time for a newsroom in Lawton, Oklahoma during their senior year.

Pepper is new to the Midwest, but excited to discover Iowa one story at a time. If you have a story idea, tips to survive Iowa winters or a cute pet photo you just have to share, email pepper.purpura@hearst.com.