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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

  • caption: Monkeyshines are glass floats, a traditional style of glass orb. These include an emblem for the lunar new year sign.
    Arts & Life

    The hunt is on for 'Monkeyshines' in Tacoma

    Every lunar new year, a group of volunteer artists sneak through Tacoma in the dead of night. They hide thousands of colorful glass “floats” – 5- to 10-inch orbs, with an insignia stamped on the top. If you’ve been in Tacoma sometime over the past month and seen people shaking bushes, climbing trees, or turning up rocks, you’ve likely seen a collector of what are locally called “Monkeyshines.”

  • caption: The upgraded greenhouse includes four rooms, one for arid plants, two for warm and cooler tropical plants, and called the "Tree of Life" room with plants like coffee and banana.
    Environment

    Hear it again: Where the wild things grow — a visit to the new UW greenhouse

    If you’re riding your bike down the Burke-Gilman Trail through the University of Washington campus, you’ll cruise by a long row of glass buildings. Over the last three years, the University of Washington has been moving its extensive plant collection from its Botany Greenhouse in Redmond to this new 20,000-foot greenhouse on campus.

  • social media facebook instagram twitter phone
    Technology

    The 'chatbot' race is on. How should we use them?

    Late last year, ChatGPT took the internet by storm. Many have heralded the large language model (LLM) as a new era of technology. Since ChatGPT's parent company, OpenAI, released it to the public, other tech giants are jumping in. Bing, Microsoft's search engine, debuted a limited release of its helpful AI. Google is also working out the kinks in its version, named "Bard." But what's going on under the hood?
  • caption: On the drive to Malden, dry grass and metal roof barns along the road.
    Health

    Rural communities desperately need more pharmacists. A new initiative aims to help

    Around the country, many rural communities are dealing with the issue of “pharmacy deserts.” A combination of widespread retirements and high operating costs is leading to a shortage of pharmacists and pharmacies. In rural communities across Washington state, those in the profession are usually the first person residents see for medical care.

  • caption: The brown marmorated stink bug is native to south Asia, but since the 1970s, its made its way to more than a dozen states in the U.S.
    Environment

    The Abstract: Stink bugs, penguins, and climate change, oh my

    In this first episode of a new segment on scientific research in Washington state that we're calling "The Abstract," we’re exploring new revelations about how animals adapt to climate change and what that tells us about the future of ecosystems, including an unwelcome and foul-smelling new neighbor here in the Pacific Northwest, and an adorable Patagonian predator.

  • caption: The first free-standing tsunami refuge in North America is now open in Tokeland in Pacific County, Washington.
    Government

    Ocean Shores school officials remain wary of new tsunami tower

    When a tsunami forms, some coastal communities can see rising water in as little as 20 minutes. In preparation, those communities have begun building tsunami evacuation towers. But building these towers is expensive, and some small coastal communities are wary of signing onto their construction.

  • caption: In this photo provided by the Bootleg Fire Incident Command, trees burn at the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, Sunday, July 25, 2021.
    Health

    Is climate trauma rewiring our brain?

    In 2020, an unprecedented wildfire nearly burned down the entire towns of Malden and Pine City. In 2021, severe flooding in Whatcom County submerged 75% of homes in Sumas. That same year, a heat dome brought record breaking triple digit temperatures to the Pacific Northwest. These climate events forever change the communities that survive them, and the changes go beyond the visible damage. Climate trauma may also be impacting people’s brains.