Andy Uhler

Journalist Andy Uhler is knee deep in the Mexico/U.S border wall dispute. An alumnus of Metcalf Institute’s 2016 Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists and reporter for American Public Media’s Marketplace, Uhler has been looking at the proposed wall from all angles.

“Having an understanding of what’s actually happening for the people there is the biggest hurdle for me,” says Uhler, who grew up in Texas, not far from the Mexico border. “I didn’t realize how little I understood the economics of the border.”

Uhler’s “Border Life” series has explored everything from the free flow of commerce across the border, the housing market and employment to the potential environmental impact of the wall.

One story in particular, Border Life: Butterflies vs. walls along the Rio Grande, gave Uhler an opportunity to utilize his Metcalf training to help him better explain the science behind the some of the border-wall issues. “This is one of the most unique and pristine ecological reserves in North America that happens to be located on the Mexican border,” explains Uhler.

The piece explores the effect of the proposed wall on the National Butterfly Center, an outdoor conservatory near the Rio Grande where more than 200 species of butterflies have been observed along with 500 different types of birds, some of which are listed as endangered species. In the story, Uhler explains how a permanent barrier would not only cut off 70 acres of the center for staff and guests, but it could also impact the Rio Grande valley ecosystem and eradicate an enormous area of native habitat, including host plants for butterflies. “The staff gave us a lot of science on why it’s not just a border wall,” says Uhler. “Metcalf’s science immersion workshop gave me the ability to ask the right questions and dig deeper.”

Uhler holds a B.A. in English and humanities from the University of Texas and a Master’s degree in global policy studies, specializing in energy and environmental policy, from the university’s LBJ School of Public Affairs.

His career path veered towards journalism after Uhler, an undergrad at the time, heard a story on KUT, Austin’s NPR station, that piqued his interest. He signed up to volunteer during the station’s pledge drive. “One of the other volunteers at the radio station said KUT is starting a newsroom and ‘I’m going to introduce you to the news director.’”

Ten years later, Uhler landed a reporting job at Marketplace where he covers a wide range of issues including business, energy, agriculture, and most recently, immigration. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he says. “It’s honestly thinking about ‘what really smart people am I going to get to talk to today, and who’s going to tell me something I didn’t know?’”

It didn’t take long for Uhler to realize he needed to strengthen his ability to cover environmental issues with greater accuracy and context. That’s when a Metcalf alum encouraged him to apply for the annual workshop. “My editor was looking for anything that could help reporters better understand the science behind the things we were reporting on.”

Uhler says one of the most valuable aspects of the workshop was the opportunity to interact with other reporters and scientists in an informal setting. “What the program specifically taught me is that scientists are equally intimidated by journalists,” says Uhler. In fact, he recently enrolled in a data journalism class at the University of Texas. “I’m trying to get better at taking raw data and thinking about numbers and data as a story.”

As Uhler ponders future career moves, there’s one thing he’s certain of: he’s currently engaged in a labor of love. “I just really, really like reporting.”