Andrea Dukakis

Colorado Matters Reporter / Producer / Host

@adukakis[email protected]

Andrea Dukakis is a producer/reporter/host for Colorado Matters on CPR News. She has produced and reported for CPR for nearly two decades. Prior to joining CPR, Andrea worked at NPR and ABC News.

Education:
Bachelor's degree in English, Princeton University; Master's degree in journalism, Columbia University.

Professional background:
Andrea Dukakisreports, produces and hosts stories for Colorado Public Radio and has been at CPR for nearly two decades.Prior to coming to Colorado, she spent three years at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C. Andrea has also worked at ABC News in New York. She's reported national stories for several NPR programs, including "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered," "Justice Talking" and "Living on Earth," as well as for BBC's "The World."

Awards:
Andrea has received awards from PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Incorporated),Colorado Broadcasters Association, Associated Press and the Colorado Community Health Network.


Q & AWhy I became a journalist:
I have always been fascinated by people and their unique experiences, and I love the news. So, it was a perfect fit. I grew up in a political family, and we always talked about issues and politics at the dinner table. But I never wanted to work in politics – I always preferred understanding issues from different perspectives. I think the most powerful stories are the ones told by those who are affected, whether it be health care reform, welfare, education, justice issues or the economy. And, I enjoy telling those stories.

Why I got into radio:
While I was in journalism school, I was offered the chance to help out at WBAI – a public radio station in New York City. I had written a story for school on Amerasian children who moved here from Vietnam after the war. The folks at WBAI let me turn it into a radio story – and I was hooked. I liked it better than print because radio adds a special texture to a story. And I preferred radio to television because I think people being interviewed are more honest when they talk into a microphone, rather than a camera.

How I ended up at CPR:
I was newly married, and my husband wanted to move to the mountains. At the time, I was at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C. We moved to Denver, and I began talking to people at Colorado Public Radio. It was really the only place I wanted to work – and the rest is history.

Denver doctor returns to Ethiopia to make childbirth safer

As a young girl growing up in rural Ethiopia, Dr. Migs Muldrow helped out at a village health clinic. Muldrow, who lives in Denver, remembers being struck by how many women died or were severely injured while giving birth. Decades later, she’s working in Ethiopia to make labor and delivery safer. Dr. Muldrow is being honored today for her work at the International Women’s Day event in Denver.
happiness class

Students give rave reviews to CU Boulder’s ‘happiness class’

Colleges and universities across the country are exploring the research behind happiness: how to achieve it and how striving for it too much can backfire. This was the inaugural year of CU Boulder’s class “Science of Happiness,” taught by June Gruber, an associate professor of psychology. The homework consisted of exercises, including a gratitude journal students kept.
211216-UCHEALTH-COVID-CHAPLAIN-ICU

Some of Colorado’s top docs share their advice as COVID enters new chapter

Just three years ago, the word “pandemic” was a distant concept, but it’s now become part of our vocabulary and our lives. We speak with three doctors who’ve been at the front lines of the COVID pandemic about how the virus continues to affect our lives, leading to hospitalizations and deaths. At the same time, most experts agree we’re in a new phase of COVID-19 where the most stringent measures are no longer necessary.

Homelessness among Boulder youth linked to Marshall Fire, evictions

The 2021 Marshall Fire upended the lives of people who lived and worked in the areas in and around Boulder county. That’s reflected in the number of students in the Boulder Valley School District who’ve recently faced housing instability and homelessness, which have been higher than at any time since the Great Recession. Reporter John Herrick wrote a story about it for the Boulder Reporting Lab.
pediatric-obesity

How to treat childhood obesity depends on who you ask

Experts disagree on the best way to treat kids diagnosed as overweight or obese. Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidance on treatments. The most controversial of the recommendations favor physicians taking a proactive approach to weight loss, including medication for children 12 and older and an evaluation for metabolic and bariatric surgery for teens 13 and older.