What sparks a community’s love for its own story? In this episode of The Women Who Saved History, Claytee White and Su Kim Chung sit down with Alicia Barber, a public historian, writer, and founder of Stories in Place, to find out how she has redefined what it means to preserve Nevada’s past. Alicia shares how childhood road trips across America ignited her passion for place and how her fascination with Reno led her to turn the city into both a doctoral focus and a lifelong mission. From launching digital platforms like Reno Historical and Reno Divorce History to collaborating with local agencies to fund and share overlooked narratives, Alicia has made public history both accessible and vital. She also opens up about her transition from academia to independent historical work, the creative ways she’s navigated funding challenges, and what makes preserving Nevada’s stories so personally meaningful. Tune in to discover how Alicia is helping Nevadans connect more deeply with their places (and each other) through history!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Founding Stories in Place: Bringing history into the public sphere.
• Childhood road trips that sparked a lifelong love of place for Alicia.
• Finding Reno and making it the focus of her doctoral work.
• Discovering public history and oral history through mentorship.
• Working with the National Park Service on storytelling for sites.
• Becoming an independent public historian through necessity and passion.
• Preserving history through creative, collaborative funding.
• Creating digital tools like Reno Historical and Reno Divorce History.
• Making local history accessible to students, residents, and policymakers.
• Challenges of funding and the undervaluing of historic preservation.
• Growing public interest and progress in Reno’s preservation efforts.
• Significant historical locations in Reno that are close to Alicia’s heart.
• What makes public history in Nevada so rewarding for Alicia.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Alicia Barber

Stories in Place

Reno’s Big Gamble

The Barber Brief on Substack

Alicia Barber on LinkedIn

Alicia Barber on X

Nevada Writers Hall of Fame

UNR Special Collections

Nevada Historical Society

Historic Reno Preservation Society

Reno Historical

Reno Divorce History

'Time & Place with Alicia Barber' on KUNR

University of Nevada Oral History Program Transcripts

Nevada Museum of Art: Essay - A Legacy Revered

‘Through the Lens: Honoring the Architectural Legacy of Paul Revere Williams’

4th Street-Prater Way History Project

Our Story, Inc.

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What does it take to ensure women’s stories and accomplishments aren’t lost to history? In this powerful episode of The Women Who Saved History, we explore the legacy of Marlene Adrian, an athlete, scholar, and visionary who devoted the last three decades of her life to documenting and championing the contributions of Nevada women. Hosts Claytee White and Su Kim Chung are joined by Denise Duarte, an artist, graphic designer, author, activist, and President of Women of Diversity Productions Inc. (WOD), to reflect on Marlene’s leadership of WOD, a nonprofit that evolved from publishing academic journals to producing exhibits, oral histories, and documentaries. From providing for women’s recognition in the Las Vegas Centennial to creating the Nevada Women’s Legacy Project, Marlene’s story is a powerful example of how one woman’s vision can reshape public memory. Tune in to discover why preserving women’s history is essential for building a more inclusive future!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Marlene’s unexpected journey into historical preservation.
• The mission and evolution of Women of Diversity Productions.
• An inside look at the launch of the Las Vegas Centennial “Wall of Women.”
• Fighting for women’s inclusion in the city’s narrative.
• What went into creating the Nevada Women’s Legacy Project.
• First Ladies First: honoring Nevada’s living first ladies.
• Preserving women’s stories through documentaries and interviews.
• The importance of accessible archives and education.
• Marlene’s Milwaukee upbringing and early awareness of gender inequity.
• How her academic career in kinesiology and biomechanics shaped her historical work.
• Founding an academic journal to elevate women’s research.
• Insight into Marlene’s deep admiration for Nevada’s women leaders.
• Marlene’s personal drive, athletic achievements, and impact on women’s fencing.
• Challenges of running a volunteer-based nonprofit.
• The emotional and social value of documenting women’s lives and contributions.
• Remembering Marlene’s passion, warmth, humility, and ability to inspire others.
• Timing, mindset, and other distinct factors that fueled her success in Nevada.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Denise Duarte
Denise Duarte on LinkedIn
Women of Diversity Productions Inc.

WOD Board of Directors and Advisory Board
Marlene Joan Adrian
'A Tribute to Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal Founder Marlene Adrian'
'Marlene Adrian, Phys. Ed.'
The Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal (WSPAJ)

Nevada Women YouTube Channel

Gaming Gender Equality Index

Las Vegas Centennial Project

Nevada Women's Legacy Project

Claytee White

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Much of our history risks being lost if it isn’t recorded. In this episode, Su Kim Chung speaks with nuclear historian Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados about her vital work preserving Nevada’s history. We begin by exploring Dr. Palevsky Granados’s rich cultural heritage and the profound influence of her family history. From there, we dive into her career path, entrepreneurial spirit, and research journey. Our conversation highlights how her efforts have advanced historical documentation across Nevada and the key factors behind the success of her project. We also delve into the new research her work has inspired, what she found most compelling about gathering personal histories through interviews, and how her students played a pivotal role in the project’s success. Dr. Palevsky Granados is undoubtedly one of the most influential women working to safeguard Nevada’s past. Don’t miss this compelling conversation on her life, legacy, and research!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into Dr. Palevsky Granados’s role in preserving the history of Nevada.
• Her early life as the child of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.
• The impact of her mother and father’s work and her grandmother’s activism in Russia.
• How her entrepreneurial work prepared her for success in research.
• Gathering data via oral history and the stories of local Nevadans.
• The Nevada Desert Experience’s work and peace protests by religious folk.
• An interview between peace activists Corbin Harney and Rosemary Lynch in 2005.
• How Dr. Palevsky Granados’s work has been used by historians and residents.
• The role of test site workers in the building of the city of Las Vegas.
• Different perspectives on Nevada and Dr. Palevsky Granados’s insights on her native students.
• Challenges of the subject matter and process she faced while doing her research.
• Interviews and experiences with miners.
• Major stories that facilitated Dr. Palevsky Granados’s success in Nevada.
• Why she attributes so much of her success to her students.
• One of the research endeavors that emerged from this project.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados UNLV Special Collections Portal

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados Email

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados on C-SPAN Networks
Nevada Test Site Oral History Project
'Cold War Technoscience in Nevada'
The Size of the Risk
Atomic Fragments: A Daughter’s Questions

'Daughter of Atomic Bomb Builders to Discuss Moral Issues Confronted by Manhattan Project Scientists'
Interview with Corbin Harney and Rosemary Lynch
Nevada Desert Experience

Claytee White
Su Kim Chung

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