Erin O'Toole
Host & Senior Producer, In the NoCoEmail: erin.otoole@kunc.org
As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and fast-growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation spots. It’s a privilege to find and share the stories and voices that reflect why NoCo is such an extraordinary place to live.
One of the things I love most about public radio is that it embodies and encourages many of the values I hold dear: integrity, civility and curiosity. I’ve been with KUNC since 2009, minus a brief break where I focused exclusively on a Denver-based podcast. I’ve served in a number of roles here: Morning Edition Host, Assistant News Director, and as host and senior producer for Colorado Edition. My work has been recognized by the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association, PRNDI, RTNDA, and the Society for Professional Journalists.
I began my career at a country radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I was a traffic reporter, newscaster, sidekick, and finally a morning show host (yes, it’s true that my name was Coyote Kim!). I later relocated to southern California where I served as Morning Edition host and reporter for KVCR in San Bernardino. I was selected as a USC/Annenberg Health Journalism fellow in 2008.
When I'm not at work, you can usually find me hiking with my two dogs, noodling around on my bass, cooking, or enjoying the sunshine and a cold brew on a patio somewhere.
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Over the past few years, a group of zoos and aquariums have teamed up for an unusual rescue project: They work together to save and grow threatened coral from an underwater zone off the coast of Florida. A marine biologist in Colorado is leading an important part of that preservation work, even though she’s hundreds of miles from the ocean. -
A tiny nuclear reactor could be a reality soon at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora. The Pentagon has proposed installing a “microreactor” there to power the base. We talk with an expert on nuclear materials to learn more about how a microreactor would work, and whether it’s a safety concern. -
E-bikes and e-scooters are popping up on more streets and bike trails lately. But traumatic injuries from e-bike crashes are also on the rise – a trend that has doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado concerned. We dig into the statistics, and why it’s happening. -
TikTok and other short-form social videos are a major news source for young people. A new study by a CU Boulder professor found that TikTok might not change their political views, but it does leave them feeling angry and sad. We dig into the research, and what it might mean for elections. -
Melissa Strong was a rock climber about to open a restaurant in Estes Park, when a devastating accident left her hands badly damaged. The months that followed were filled with pain and uncertainty as doctors worked to help her regain use of her hands. Today, she can climb again – and she credits rock climbing with giving her the tenacity to bounce back. -
Colorado voters comb through a glut of ballot questions during election season. How did we get here?Colorado is one of two dozen states where residents can collect signatures to put questions directly onto ballots. But some political observers worry that the cost of gathering those signatures puts special interest groups with deep funding ahead of grassroots organizations. -
A new study by an archaeologist at Colorado State University looked at dice first used by Native American hunter-gatherers more than 12,000 years ago. The games were a way for tribes to connect with each other and trade goods, even without speaking the same language. -
Wind or solar? A CU economist set out to determine which type of renewable energy is most beneficialAn economist at CU who studies energy recently set out to look at interesting question: Which type of renewable energy has the greatest benefit? -
Recent rainstorms have brought some needed relief to the Front Range. But because of dismal snowpack last winter, the storms are not enough to pull Colorado out of the lingering drought. -
Researchers point to some striking differences in how aspens fare during a wildland blaze. A CSU researcher who led a recent study explains what makes them different.
