Alicia Barber, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer, historian, and founder of the historical consulting firm Stories in Place. Specializing in the cultural history and built environment of Nevada and the American West, she writes and speaks about the intersections of public memory, cultural landscapes, and community identity, and collaborates frequently with government agencies, museums, artists, architects, and community groups to create dynamic public history projects about Nevada and its people. She appears frequently in local, state, and national media as an expert on the history, development, and culture of Reno and Nevada.
Editor and co-founder of Reno Historical, a smart phone app and website dedicated to Reno’s history, Dr. Barber is the author of Reno’s Big Gamble: Image and Reputation in the Biggest Little City as well as numerous chapters and articles for scholarly and popular publications including regular columns for RENO and edible Reno-Tahoe magazines, and The Barber Brief, an e-newsletter focusing on urban development in Reno. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Silver Pen Award from the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. Dr. Barber has served on the Nevada State Board of Museums and History, on the board of Directors of Preserve Nevada, and on the City of Reno’s Historical Resources Commission. She hosted the regular feature Time & Place with Alicia Barber on Reno Public Radio (KUNR-88.7FM) and “House with a History” on PBS Reno. She holds a BA in English from Stanford University, an MA in American Studies from the University of Utah, and a PhD in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
A common thread running through all her work–from books, public talks, and museum exhibits to digital and oral history projects–is the belief that places become more meaningful when we learn and engage with the stories of those around us, both past and present. In the process, we enrich and strengthen our communities by finding connections in the spaces and experiences we share.
Follow Alicia on Twitter @aliciambarber http://twitter.com/aliciambarber
In the News:
Regular history segment on KUNR-88.7 FM: “Time & Place with Alicia Barber”
Northern Nevada Business Weekly, 9/3/17: “ROADWAY remake”
Reno News & Review “Best of 2017,” 8/10/17: “Best ‘Hood Defenders”
This is Reno podcast 10/28/15: “The History of Reno with Dr. Alicia Barber”
KNPB video of “A Conversation: Nevada’s Top 2014 Writers”
Nevada Today 10/30/14, Nevada Writers Hall of Fame
Reno News & Review 7/10/14, Mapped Out.
Reno Public Radio 5/9/14, Audio of interview about the launch of Reno Historical.
Nevada Today 5/1/13, University Professor Recognized as 2013 W. Clark Santini Cup Recipient.
Reno News and Review 3/14/13, 15 Minutes: Urban Historian.
Reno News and Review 8/9/12, Editor’s Choice, Best Way Not to Repeat the Mistakes of the Past, Best of Northern Nevada.
New York Times 7/14/12, With Gambling in Decline, a Faded Reno Tries to Reinvent Itself.
USA Today 2/23/12, Nevada Officials to Rewrite Insensitive Historical Markers.