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.

cannabis-dispensary-livwell-20230811
Colorado Matters

Ten years after the first sale of legal recreational cannabis in Colorado, the federal government considers big changes

Last week, the Biden Administration proposed reclassifying cannabis as a less-dangerous drug. We discuss the federal government’s move to ease restrictions on marijuana as well as Colorado’s decade-old cannabis law with Ricardo Baca, the first-ever cannabis editor of the Denver Post and Sam Kamin, a professor at the University of Denver law school.
By Andrea Dukakis
Colorado Matters

Long Haulers want their voices heard

There are still many mysteries about Long COVID, but what is clear, is that about 200,000 Coloradans have the condition. A recent book called “The Long COVID Reader,” edited by Mary Ladd, features essays and poems by long-haulers, including two from Colorado.
By Andrea Dukakis
Colorado Matters

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.
By Andrea Dukakis
happiness class
Colorado Matters

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.
By Andrea Dukakis