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Bryan West Headshot

A public health analyst learned valuable skills at WOUB


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Bryan West graduated in 1972

ATHENS, OH – Bryan West came to Ohio University in 1970 to study political science. But he had a passion for radio and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to volunteer at WOUB Public Media.

“I had an interest in radio from a very young age,” said West. “I loved to listen to radio stations from far distances late at night. I got a Ham Radio (amateur radio operator) License in 1964. So, I couldn’t wait to work at WOUB.”

West grew up in McLean, Virginia near Washington D.C. He did his first two years of college at a small school in West Virginia, but knew he wanted an experience at a larger university in a college town. He thought Ohio University and Athens was the perfect fit.

“I worked at WOUB during my senior year. At the time, it had more of a country format,” said West. “I worked in the newsroom and did radio newscasts. I worked the weekends and did police beat calls. It was a pleasure.”

West never studied journalism or broadcasting. He was a government major with a focus on Latin American Studies. But he says the experience he got at WOUB was invaluable.

“I developed an appreciation for journalism, television and radio,” said West. “When you hear something over the air, I have an appreciation for what went into that. I learned that having the right sources was important. I learned how to evaluate the quality of journalism.”

West went on to get a master’s degree in management and supervision from Central Michigan University and had a 35-year career as a public health analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services before retiring.

“I applied what I learned at WOUB to that job because I had to make sure hospitals and clinics were providing the care needed for patients that were indigent,” said West. “I was seeking the truth and finding out what information was right and what was wrong. I learned all about how to seek the truth working at WOUB.”