Lucas Willard
Assistant News Director, Host/Producer, The Best of Our Knowledge and WAMC Listening Party/ReporterLucas Willard graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. He also attended the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in 2010, where he studied audio and multimedia storytelling.
Prior to joining WAMC in 2011, Lucas worked with the Sound and Story Project of the Hudson Valley, the Big Shed Audio Documentary Podcast, the Albany Broadcasting Company, WDVL & WCVF-FM Fredonia, and WSUC-FM Cortland.
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In June, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced opioid overdose-related deaths in the Commonwealth had fallen below 1,000 for the first time since 2013. Citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an annual death toll that had risen to almost 2,400 in 2022 was tallied at 978 in 2025. WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes visited a Pittsfield support center recently and found a more complicated picture of how addiction is impacting Massachusetts. -
Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed eliminating the so-called "pay to play" rule. The anti-corruption rule prevents private equity firms from buying access to multi-billion-dollar public pension funds. The rule, which has been in place since 2010, was created after a series of political scandals — including in New York.To explain the proposed change and how corruption in the Empire State led to the creation of the rule in the first place, Lucas Willard spoke with Hannah Levintova, a reporter for Mother Jones. -
As the trade war between the U.S. and Canada drags on, Northern New York is taking an economic hit.Newsday reporter Keshia Clukey, a native of Plattsburgh, recently published an article that details the impacts of tariffs and strained political relations on workers and business owners from a variety of sectors.WAMC's Lucas Willard spoke with Keshia to learn more about the fallout between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. -
A team of researchers around the world probed the anomaly detected at the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment, which is located deep underground in South Dakota. Two UAlbany physicists involved in the study spoke with WAMC’s Lucas Willard. -
This year, the autumn tourism season may face some challenges, like high gas prices and strained relations between the U.S. and Canada. WAMC's Lucas Willard asked Pat Bradley for a foliage update. -
Times Union reporter Larry Rulison has followed the Schoharie limo crash closer than any reporter. WAMC's Lucas Willard spoke with him about the tragedy and its legacy. -
Playlist as aired on Saturday, August 22nd, 2026 -
Playlist as aired on Saturday, August 15th, 2026
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As the Democrat runs for a second full term, WAMC's Lucas Willard spoke with Times Union reporter and Capitol Confidential author Dan Clark about how Hochul has carved her own political path. -
The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education, and research.Scientists investigating the origins of life on Earth have made new discoveries about the earliest split in the tree of life.And we’ll learn about common backyard birds cheating on their mates.
