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
'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.
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Government
Yakima Valley residents may get a reset on their legislative district lines
Washington’s 15th Legislative District stretches through five counties in the south-central part of the state — including Yakima and the Tri Cities — and pretty much no one thinks its borders have been mapped correctly. After numerous legal challenges, those lines could very well change ahead of the 2024 election season.
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Environment
Hear it Again: Finding hope amidst the dread of climate change
Flip on the news and you'll see it: record flooding in New England, record heat waves around the world. It can be hard in 2023 to look at climate issues and not feel despair. But across the country, communities are persevering through our new climate reality.
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Education
From Civil Rights to campus change: Black student activism in Washington state
Seattle isn't widely recognized as an epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. But through the mid 20th-century, individuals and organizations were making national waves in a fight for recognition and equality. Those actions percolated to university life in Seattle and Pullman. The foundation of Black Studies came from the efforts of Black Students and Black Student Unions to create a space for talking about history, organizing, and black power.