Rachel Hopkin
KGOU Host-ProducerRachel is a British-born and U.S.-based radio producer and folklorist. She began her career as a radio producer in various music departments at the BBC in the United Kingdom. She then moved to Argentina and continued to work on an independent basis for broadcasters around the world.
In 2010 she settled in the U.S. and in 2013 was awarded a rare “National Interest Waiver” Green Card in recognition of her work as a folklorist/radio producer with a special focus on U.S. traditional culture. She became a naturalized American citizen in 2019. Rachel has earned an M.A. in Folk Studies from Western Kentucky University, and a doctorate in English and Folklore from The Ohio State University.
Rachel is passionate about sound and storytelling and how one can be harnessed to enhance the power of the other. At KGOU, she brings her talents and passion to the How Curious podcast; she’s also responsible for initiating and overseeing various special projects.
Send Rachel your questions and curiosities about anything related to Oklahoma at curious@kgou.org.
-
Every year, the Asthma and Allergies Foundation of America puts out an Allergy Capital report which ranks the top 100 large US cities if you suffer from pollen-based seasonal allergies. Oklahoma City and Tulsa regularly make the top ten. In this episode, Rachel Hopkin looks into what makes the Sooner State so challenging for the seasonal allergy afflicted. -
Nestled in the heart of Bricktown is a remarkable tribute to some of the most innovative and influential figures -- and instruments -- in music history. Join How Curious host and producer Rachel Hopkin in her exploration of the world-class American Banjo Museum. -
How Curious host/producer Rachel Hopkin the world's largest institution that’s solely dedicated to revealing and exploring the form and function of the skeletal system and which is based right here in OKC. -
Which Oklahoman Got a Hippopotamus for Christmas? Today’s story features a local girl with a belter of a voice, several hippopotamuses, some zoo history, and a hit song. -
Kendall’s Restaurant in downtown Noble, Okla., is famous for chicken-fried steaks, cinnamon rolls, and GHOSTS. Rachel Hopkin explores some strange goings-on under its roof. -
The Morgan Horse is the earliest surviving breed of American horse. But it's from Vermont. So why is it so important to Oklahoma? -
Which of Oklahoma's cities was designated "America's Model City" in 1951? And how did the diminutive Shetland pony help that city to grow? -
Many settlers in Oklahoma are of German descent but had ancestors who lived as Germans in Russia for a century or more. Who are these “other Germans?” -
Did you know that the Tulsa Oktoberfest played an important role in fueling the craze for the Chicken Dance? Find out how in this episode of How Curious. -
Does a massive man-hunting octopus inhabit Oklahoma’s lakes? Rachel Hopkin looks into one of the Sooner State’s unique legendary monsters, the Oklahoma Octopus.
