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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The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs says thousands of Indigenous American and Alaska Native women have been missing or murdered in recent years, and many of those cases remain unsolved. A Berthoud writer set out to raise awareness about this real-life crisis using fiction. -
Colorado writer X. Ho Yen remembers loving science fiction as a child. He’s autistic – and he liked science fiction that depicted a futuristic society where people like him were treated equally. Now he's a published author who just released his third book. -
A Loveland kindergarten teacher has published more than 20 children’s books. They teach life lessons for young kids and aim to get them thinking about how their actions impact other people. She talks about her newest book — and how she’s still writing and teaching at the age of 87. -
During World War II, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes and live in camps. For one Colorado writer, the story of his own family’s incarceration inspired him to look at the legacy of those camps. Hear more about the new book those events inspired. -
Check out In The NoCo's look back at author interviews from 2025. We covered everything from biographies to science fiction. -
Around the world, venomous snakebites kill tens of thousands of people each year. Antivenom can be an effective treatment, but it’s expensive and difficult to produce. A biologist at the University of Northern Colorado hopes to change that, with a new type of antivenom that’s cheaper to produce in large amounts. He discusses his research and recent breakthrough. -
A group of Democratic state lawmakers is facing an investigation by Colorado’s independent ethics commission. They’re alleged to have violated the state’s gift ban after they met and stayed at a swanky resort in Vail. It was paid for by a group that doesn’t disclose its donors. And the incident raises questions about how dark money influences state politics. -
An unusual art project is headed for the moon next year. It’s an 80-page book that’s roughly the size of your thumbnail, filled with contributions from artists and writers around the world. The Colorado artist who helped create the book shares the challenges of making it – and why he thinks art deserves a home on the moon. -
Steam powers a lot of industry around the world. But the traditional way of creating steam relies on burning fossil fuels. Which is why a CSU professor and cofounder of a Colorado startup company decided the old method needed an upgrade. He hopes to transform industries from pharmaceuticals to beer brewing. -
Colorado’s program to restore gray wolves hit some snags recently. One of the biggest concerns is that state wildlife officials don’t know where the next set of wolves to be released here will come from. It’s a serious challenge at a moment when survival rates for the wolves are lower than Colorado officials had hoped.
