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.

Colorado Matters

Colorado Lends Firefighters And Engines To California; Asking Tourists To ‘Leave No Trace’; Legal Battle In The Film Industry

Colorado’s lending dozens of firefighters and engines to California; mental health workers to Puerto Rico; and medical examiners to Las Vegas. States often help each other out, but is the West prepared for a future with more natural disasters? Then, hikers aren’t supposed to leave garbage — or anything else — behind on trails, but Coloradans and visitors here still do. What the state’s doing to teach not just locals, but also tourists, to ‘leave no trace.’ And, the movies are big business, especially when it comes to where certain films get shown. It’s led to a legal battle based in Denver. Plus, on the first pages of a new novel, a high school student is murdered, and her body is discovered in a playground in the fictional town of Broomsville, Colorado.
By Andrea Dukakis
Colorado Matters

Puerto Rican Hurricane Refugee In Colorado; The Stars Aren’t Just Twinkling, They’re ‘Quaking’

Eight months ago, Rebecca Gutierrez and her husband bought a home in Puerto Rico, a dream that finally came true. Now, she’s living a nightmare. After two massive storms and nearly two weeks without power and clean water, Gutierrez left the island. She’s staying in Colorado with her niece. Then, the Colorado-built Kepler Space Telescope is giving an unexpected boost to the study of quakes in stars, or “asteroseismology.” Yes, that’s a thing. And later in the show, new chimes are ringing at the City and County building in Denver.
By Andrea Dukakis
Colorado Matters

Boulder’s Renegade Lunch Lady; Animating Van Gogh Paintings

Tater tots and nachos are out at Boulder schools. Roast chicken and brown rice are in. Chef Ann Cooper was once known as the Renegade Lunch Lady for transforming what kids eat. Now her videos teach others how to make the switch. Then, a startup that’s found a market for food that would have been thrown out. And, a film that pays tribute to Vincent Van Gogh is animated entirely by thousands of oil paintings.
By Andrea Dukakis
Colorado Matters

Did ‘The Jetsons’ Lie? Fuel Companies’ Impact on Climate Change; Floodwaters And Antibiotic Resistance; Defying Zero Gravity

Some of the new technology at people’s homes now seems right out of “The Jetsons.” Denver Startup Week explains what domestic convenience will look like in the future. Then, new research into exactly how much oil and gas companies are responsible for rising sea levels. And, floodwaters, like those in Colorado four years ago, are connected to the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Also, scientists may have figured out a way to get around around zero gravity. Then, Curious Theater’s 20th season begins with a play tackling racism.
By Andrea Dukakis
Colorado Matters

Deadly Heroin Overdoses Rise; Colorado’s Shortage of Skilled Laborers; Biennial of the Americas Returns; A Musical Portrait of 9/11

Deadly heroin overdoses are on the rise in Colorado. As far back as the 1980s, dealers from a small town in Mexico saw Denver as a land of opportunity. Also, amid a shortage of construction workers there’s a rush to train recruits. Plus, Denver’s Biennial of the Americas returns this week with some big events during the five-day festival but with a significant cut to smaller arts events held in past years. Then, a witness to 9/11 and her musical portrait of the tragedy.
By Andrea Dukakis