Alec Cowan
Senior Podcast Producer
About
Alec Cowan is a senior podcast producer at KUOW, where he works on Booming and other podcast projects.
Alec has worn many hats at KUOW. He helped launch Soundside and brought many eclectic stories to the program, from a late-night patrol with real life superheroes to the sewing machine sounds of an artisanal sail loft. Additionally, he was previously a producer for The Record with Bill Radke and the Primed podcast.
Before joining KUOW, Alec worked in NPR's Story Lab, where he helped pilot the Louder Than a Riot podcast 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.
He's proud to be KUOW's unofficial "boat guy."
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Podcasts
Stories
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Hear it again: A picture is worth a thousand words
This Thanksgiving week we’re revisiting some of our best stories of the year so far. Today, we’re looking back on our favorite segments about images and the stories they tell about us.
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Hear it again: How technology is mapping the unheard conversations of the natural world
When you step into a forest, or walk along a beach, there's a lot to take in – the sound of waves crashing against the sand, birds chirping to each other in the trees. But there's a lot we don't hear, and thanks to new technology, researchers are closer than ever to translating our natural world.
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As tech companies announce layoffs, the clock is ticking for immigrant workers
As the global economy begins to slow, companies are dialing down the risk factor, which means more layoffs. And many of those workers in the Puget Sound area are in the U.S. thanks to one document: an H-1B visa.
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New Seattle council district maps will reunify some neighborhoods, split others
Every ten years, political district maps are reshaped based on the latest census data. Since 2013, that includes new district maps for Seattle City Council members. Growth throughout the city wasn't even, and in the case of Magnolia, some district lines won't fall evenly over traditional neighborhood lines.
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As Washington transitions off of fossil fuels, where will new power come from?
Our energy infrastructure is increasingly stressed by growing demand, extreme weather and aging parts. In the Puget Sound area utilities are also ramping up to comply with a state law that will require all electricity to come from clean sources. Those demands are setting up a massive transition in where our energy comes from, and where it will go in the future.
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Spokane declares an emergency over its largest homeless encampment
At one point this summer, Camp Hope swelled to more than 600 people. Today, it's shrunk to around 450 people living in tents, RVs and makeshift shelter on a dirt lot by I-90. Local and state officials agree the camp should be cleared eventually. But just how soon, and where residents will go, is at the center of a months long battle.
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Remembering D'Vonne Pickett Jr., a pillar of Seattle's Central District
D’Vonne Pickett Jr. and his wife Keanna are familiar faces throughout the Central District community. When the USPS closed its office in the CD, the two founded The Postman, a shipping and mailing business.
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Hear it again: This AI learned to be ethical. Sort of.
University of Washington professor Yejin Choi was recently named one of this year's MacArthur Fellows. This honor is commonly known as the "Genius Grant" and awards an $800,000 stipend for recipients to use on new research. Choi works on artificial intelligence, and earlier this year Soundside spoke with her about an AI she helped build called "Delphi."
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Rising from the deep: How the Kraken broke the ice on hockey in Seattle
In 2018 the National Hockey League approved an expansion team for Seattle. Early on there were several ideas for a name, from the Totems to the Metropolitans, before eventually settling on The Kraken. The Kraken's first season left a lot to be desired – they won just 27 games. But the fact that Seattle now hosts the NHL's 32nd franchise marks the end of a long road that took decades of planning.
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As elections near, Spokane sees growing interest in ballot systems
Certified election observers from political parties are not new. But the appearance of self-deputized election watchers seems to be a growing trend. That includes Spokane County, where local Republican politicians have called for audits of the previous election and activists are training citizens to become ballot box observers.