Alec Cowan
Producer, Soundside
About
Alec Cowan is a producer for Soundside. His interests have brought many eclectic stories to the program, and his segments gravitate toward history, technology, arts and culture, and the environment. Proud to be KUOW's unofficial "boat guy."
Prior to joining Soundside, Alec wore many hats at KUOW. He was a producer for The Record with Bill Radke and Primed seasons two and three . He also reported an episode of SoundQs detailing how prohibition forever changed Seattle policing and assisted with reporting a breakthrough cold case solved with the use of genetic genealogy.
Before joining KUOW Alec worked in NPR's Story Lab, where he helped pilot the Louder Than a Riot podcast, about hip-hop and mass incarceration, and assisted in producing a story on volunteerism in Iraq for Rough Translation. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, his roots in the Northwest begin in Eugene, where he studied English and philosophy at the University of Oregon and worked as a news reporter for NPR member station KLCC. He is likely neglecting his saxophone, growing book collection, and expanding personal project list in favor of boosting his online Xbox ranking.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Podcasts
Stories
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Environment
Wildfire season in Washington state: How prescribed burns could reduce danger
With wildfire smoke blanketing the entire state, Soundside host Libby Denkmann looks at the state of fires burning near Spokane, and how prescribed burns could help mitigate the issues we face every year.
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Government
Seattle area scientist leads U.S. efforts toward 'holistic picture' of the climate crisis
To understand the widespread effects of climate change on the domestic level, the Biden administration announced in April that it was creating a new study, sold as the most ambitious, all-encompassing review ever of the United States' natural world. The administration tapped conservation scientist and University of Washington professor Phil Levin to lead that research.
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Environment
Fires are burning down forests meant for carbon offsets. What happens after?
In 2021 Oregon’s Bootleg fire burned over 400,000 acres in the southern part of the state. A good chunk of that forest area is managed by the Green Diamond timber company. But the Bootleg fire didn’t just mean a reduction in the amount of lumber Green Diamond could harvest; in recent years the company, like many other landowners and forest managers, has begun designating land for carbon offsets.
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Environment
'The most dense and consolidated damage I've seen': A WA firefighter's dispatches from Maui
As western Maui begins to heal after deadly wildfires, first responders are searching destroyed homes, assisting displaced people, and distributing supplies. Personnel from Washington state are on the ground for that effort.
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Business
Washington state serves up solidarity, relief for Maui wildfire victims
The Puget Sound region is home to one of the largest populations of Hawaiians outside of the islands, and many more people here have developed a connection with Hawaii while visiting the islands. Over the weekend, networks of Hawaiians and supporters, communicating on social media, sprang into action to organize Seattle-area relief efforts.
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Sports
What can the past tell us about the future of the PAC-12?
Pour one out for the PAC-12. Or... the PAC-4. Who knows, by the end of the day it may be the PAC-2. The prestigious west coast college athletics conference imploded last week as two pacific northwest schools jumped ship for bigger rivals and even bigger paychecks. Washington and Oregon will join the Big Ten starting in 2024. But while realignment of this scale is seismic, it isn't unprecedented.
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Government
Cyclists bring lawsuit over injuries on the Burke-Gilman's "missing link"
The Burke Gilman’s missing link has been a consistent problem for cyclists and the city of Seattle alike. The missing link is a stretch of road bikers are pushed onto because of a gap in the protected bike route on The Burke Gilman Trail. This gap pushes riders into regular traffic and includes a tricky railroad crossing that can catch riders' tires and cause an accident.
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Arts & Life
Hear it Again: An ode to the 'makers' of Washington state
Soundside is looking back on stories "made in Washington." Well, technically, all Soundside stories are “made” in Washington. But we're talking about the art and artisanship that’s made — and inspired by — our state.
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Technology
Hear it Again: Are we approaching a post-social media future?
Since tech mogul Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion last October, one of social media's biggest giants has gone through an eye-popping overhaul. This week, Musk announced the next domino to fall: Twitter has a new name -- the letter "X."
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Health
RadioActive alum explores the lasting impacts of concussions
According to the CDC, in 2020, approximately 12% of teenagers showed symptoms from experiencing a concussion. Conor Gormally was one of those kids -- in fact, he experienced multiple concussions throughout his teenage years, all of which led to differing kinds of symptoms.