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.

Voters on Election Day in Aurora

Colorado and national politics trend in opposite directions

The pundits and pollsters told us to be patient but the results of the 2024 Presidential election came quickly. By early Wednesday morning, Donald Trump had clinched the race to be the 47th president of the United States. In Colorado, a very different picture emerged as the state ovewhelmingly chose Kamala Harris. We reached out to Seth Masket, professor of political science and director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, who has been tracking the Republican party over the past four years for a forthcoming book.
Homes are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Far from the ocean, Colorado is a center for hurricane forecasts

Colorado is nearly 2000 miles from cities and towns upended by the recent hurricanes in the southeastern part of the country but the state has been a center for hurricane forecasts in the Atlantic basin since 1984, when scientists at Colorado State University began issuing them annually. This year’s forecast called for an active hurricane season and for the most part, that’s what happened.
Man removes bottle from liquor store wine display.

Colorado doctor says rise in heavy drinking means more demand for liver transplants

People are drinking more than they did a decade ago and the pandemic only added fuel to the fire, according to one Colorado doctor who treats patients with advanced liver disease. He says physicians are seeing a growing number of patients who need liver transplants due to excessive drinking. And he says, part of the problem is people aren’t always aware they’re drinking too much.
Colonel James Harvey, 101, sits with a baseball cap that identifies his Tuskegee team as winners of the first-ever Top Gun competion in 1949.

Oct. 16, 2024: Alcohol and liver disease; A Colorado centenarian on persevering and life’s lessons

In the last five years, doctors have seen a growing number of patients who need liver transplants because of alcohol use, and sometimes people aren’t even aware they’re drinking too much. Then, how an indie movie could help Colorado’s film industry rebound. Also, stories from a Colorado centenarian about the obstacles he’s overcome in his life — and the rules he lives by. And Colorado Wonders about election security.