Promotional graphic for MSU Denver’s BirdTalk podcast. The design features a smiling man, Andrew Dole. The background shows a stylized blue city skyline. Text reads: “BirdTalk – An MSU Denver Podcast about Alumni Careers and Lives hosted by Jamie Hurst ’21. Episode 28: Andrew Dole ’06 & ’13.” The MSU Denver roadrunner logo is in the top right corner
Promotional graphic for MSU Denver’s BirdTalk podcast. The design features a smiling man, Andrew Dole. The background shows a stylized blue city skyline. Text reads: “BirdTalk – An MSU Denver Podcast about Alumni Careers and Lives hosted by Jamie Hurst ’21. Episode 28: Andrew Dole ’06 & ’13.” The MSU Denver roadrunner logo is in the top right corner

The latest episode of BirdTalk: An MSU Denver Alumni Podcast takes listeners inside the extraordinary journey of Dr. Andrew Dole (’06, ’13), a two-time Roadrunner graduate whose career has taken him from Denver kitchens to Olympic rugby fields — and now to the NFL sidelines with the Arizona Cardinals.

Hosted by MSU Denver alumna Jamie Hurst (’21), Episode 28 highlights Dole’s unconventional path through hospitality, nutrition, and human performance. What began with a culinary degree and a passion for endurance sports led Dole to pursue human nutrition and dietetics at MSU Denver, eventually earning advanced degrees in dietetics and human performance in New Zealand.

While abroad, Dole served as a performance dietitian for the world-renowned All Blacks and Black Ferns Sevens rugby teams, contributing to their Olympic and international success. Today, he applies that expertise with the Arizona Cardinals, shaping nutrition and performance strategies for athletes at the highest level of professional sports.

Throughout the conversation, Dole credits MSU Denver’s accessibility, hands-on faculty, and industry-connected programs as pivotal to his success. “Metro provided opportunity more than once,” Dole reflects. “It was affordable, flexible, and had the exact programs I needed at the exact right time. Twice, actually.”

From reflecting on his early struggles in computer science classes to finding a calling that blended food, science, and sport, Dole’s story underscores the Roadrunner spirit: resilience, lifelong learning, and transforming opportunity into impact.

Listeners will also hear Dole’s candid take on the sports nutrition industry, his experiences training world-class athletes, and advice for students about persistence and daily progress. “Do something every day,” he shares — a motto that carried him through multiple degrees and careers.

The episode is now available on all major podcast platforms and here.

BirdTalk is MSU Denver’s official alumni podcast, sharing the stories of Roadrunners making their mark across industries and around the globe. For more information on BirdTalk or to listen to the episode, visit: https://www.msudenver.edu/alumni/birdtalk/