Alicia Barber, Ph.D., is a writer, historian, educator, and founder of the historical consulting firm Stories in Place. Specializing in the cultural history and built environment of Nevada & the U.S. West, she works at 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.

Dr. Barber 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. From 2003-2013, she taught Core Humanities and History at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she directed the University of Nevada Oral History Program from 2009-2013. For several years, she taught Nonfiction Writing for Historians for the Arizona State University online Master’s Program in History.

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.

Best Local Author in the Reno News & Review‘s Best of Northern Nevada Reader’s Poll, 2024.

Distinguished Service Award from the City of Reno Historical Resources Commission, 2023.

Preservation Advocate Award from the City of Reno Historical Resources Commission, 2022.

Collaborative Effort Award, Public Media Journalists Association for “Time & Place with Alicia Barber” KUNR radio feature, 2020.

Historic Preservation Award, Historical Project, for “Reno at the Crossroads, 1868-2018: A Sesquicentennial Exhibit” from the City of Reno Historical Resources Commission, 2018.

Individual Excellence in Consulting Award, National Council on Public History, 2017.Best Local Column, Magazines (“Edible Traditions” column for Edible Reno-Tahoe), 2016.

“Outstanding Cultural or Environmental Plan,” American Planning Association Nevada for the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County’s 4th Street-Prater Way Corridor Plan, 2015.

Silver Pen Award, Nevada Writers Hall of Fame, Friends of the University Libraries, 2014.

W. Clark Santini Cup for Community Service through Effective Oral Communication, 2013.

For more information on historical exhibits & installations, digital projects, oral histories, walking tours, and other collaborative work, please visit the Stories in Place website.

Follow Alicia on Twitter @aliciambarber http://twitter.com/aliciambarber