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Mariana Brandman

Sophia Smith Collection Archivist

Contact

413-585-2981
Neilson Library 206C

As the Sophia Smith Collection Archivist, Mari (she/her) oversees collection development for the Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History, one of the most substantial, interconnected, and diverse repositories of women’s history in the world. She identifies historically significant records within the scope of the SSC’s collection development strategy and works collaboratively with donors to bring these collections to Smith. She also partners with faculty across Smith and the Five Colleges Consortium to engage students with the wide array of materials in the Sophia Smith Collection and to grow students’ research skills and archival literacy.

Prior to joining the Smith College Libraries, Mari was a historian and curator for the Massachusetts Women’s History Center, a project archivist for the New-York Historical Society, and a predoctoral fellow for the National Women’s History Museum. Besides history and archives, she’s always happy to discuss anything related to dogs, women’s basketball, and the New York Times Games section. 

Committees

SCL Teaching Team

Research Interests

U.S. women’s history, public history, and popular culture

Professional Affiliations

American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, Berkshire Conference of Women Historians, National Council on Public History, Grassroots Public History Award Committee co-chair (2024-2025)

Office Hours

Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Education

Ph.D., History, University of Chicago
B.A., History, Yale University

Social Media

LinkedIn