Doualy Xaykaothao

Though she was born in Vientiane, Laos, Doualy Xaykaothao grew up in France and Texas. After studying television, radio, political science, and ethnic studies at Ithaca College and Empire State College, she first worked as a radio journalist at Harlem community station WHCR, then at Pacifica Radio's WBAI. In 1999 she joined NPR where she has since worked as a producer, editor, director, and reporter. Based in Asia, she covers breaking news from the region including events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the SARS epidemic, the 2009 Sumatra earthquakes, and North Korea’s 2010 attacks on a South Korean warship. She was the first NPR reporter to arrive in Fukushima Japan to report on the disasters there in 2011. Updated 2013