Why do we save historic places, and for whom? Who decides what’s worth saving? How can heritage conservation advance racial equity and social justice, address climate change, and foster healthy communities?
Save As explores these and other issues through interviews with graduate students in the University of Southern California’s Heritage Conservation Program.
From sites of racial violence to acoustic heritage, these students are tackling some of the most innovative issues in the field. We’re bringing their groundbreaking work to you!
Every other week, we interview a student or alum about a research topic that fuels their passion, pushes the boundaries of the field, and has very real consequences for the built environment.
Join us for a glimpse into the future of heritage conservation, straight from the people who will shape it.
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Awards
Thanks to our dozens of amazing guests and our growing listenership, we’ve been honored with four awards!
American Association for State and Local History
California Preservation Foundation
Governor’s Historic Preservation Award
Los Angeles Conservancy
Thanks to these organizations for the recognition, and many thanks to everyone who makes Save As possible and worth doing!
Learn More
“Save As Unplugged: The Story of the Award-Winning Podcast, Save As: NextGen Heritage Conservation” (video)
“USC Architecture’s New Podcast Looks to the Future,” USC Architecture News, 10/26/20
Show Credits
Save As logo designed by Fern Vargas, formerly of the USC Architecture Communications team
Original theme music by Stephen Conley, stephenconleymusic@gmail.com
Many thanks to Tom Davies for original music for specific episodes and his ongoing sound engineering, technical, and moral support
See episode pages for episode-specific credits.
Meet the Team
Trudi Sandmeier, Co-Creator and Co-Host
Trudi Sandmeier is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Director of Graduate Programs in Heritage Conservation, and Professor of Practice at the USC School of Architecture. Her work centers on the conservation of the recent past and the impact of underrepresented communities on the historic built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Cindy Olnick, Co-Creator and Co-Host
Cindy Olnick serves as both Associate Director of Heritage Conservation at USC and a communications consultant for heritage conservation, historic preservation, and the built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Willa Seidenberg, Co-Creator and Producer
Willa Seidenberg taught audio journalism and podcasting at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, while pursuing a USC Master of Heritage Conservation degree. She retired from teaching and earned her degree in 2023.
A 20-year broadcast journalist and an inaugural fellow with USC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Willa founded Annenberg Radio News, the university’s radio news operation; and Intersections South LA, a reporting lab and community website for South Los Angeles.
With photographer William Short, Willa created two oral history/photo projects: A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War and Memories of the American War: Stories From Viet Nam.