OLLI at CSU Spring 2025 Catalog

JANUARY 27 - MAY 16

Spring 2025

Spring 2025 Director’s Message

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) team at Colorado State University enthusiastically welcomes all returning, new, and potential members into our dynamic learning community. This new year and spring term promises to offer another season full of intellectual exploration, social connections, and the joy of lifelong learning from over 150 engaging lectures, courses, and experiences all designed for learners aged 50 and above.

After receiving a one million-dollar endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation in 2006, OLLI is approaching its 20th year serving northern Colorado thanks to the support of CSU and the CSU Office of Engagement and Extension. The strength of our community lies in the vibrant energy of our members, who bring diverse backgrounds and a shared enthusiasm for growth and discovery. Here, learning is a joyful journey free from the stress (for learners and instructors) of tests, homework, and grades. You’ll quickly find that OLLI is more than just a catalog of classes – it’s a welcoming community of curious minds who share a passion for creativity, connection, and lifelong discovery.

This spring 2025 catalog offers a wide selection of in-person, online, and experiential courses, spanning topics like the arts, global and cultural studies, history, literature, nature and technology, wellness, and beyond. OLLI members enjoy an environment that encourages intellectual stimulation, curiosity, and the desire to embrace the joy of learning. Within a friendly atmosphere, members are welcomed and inspired to participate in discussions on topics that generate new questions and ways of seeing the world. OLLI simply has something for everyone.

Our OLLI community is one-of-a-kind, and I’m continuously grateful for the profound connections our members inspire, the exceptional curriculum our instructors provide, and the dedication to service and positivity our OLLI staff demonstrates every day. We look forward to seeing you in a class soon!

Warmly, Meredith Naughton

OLLI at a Glance

1,200+

150+ 90+ 6 classes and lectures members

member bonus lectures instructors

"OLLI makes learning a joy, no matter your age!"

Diverse in-person and online program offerings:

Art and Design

Cultural, Domestic, and Global Affairs

Health and Wellness

History, Psychology, and Philosophy

Literature and Communication

Music, Theatre, and Film

Nature, Science, and Technology

"OLLI is a post-

retirement party!"

"A

refreshing, enlivening experience."

What Our Members Say

"This program is too good to miss!"

"Try

any of the courses. You never know what is going to light a spark!"

Spring 2025 Announcements

Your Choice: OLLI In-Person or Online

With 160+ multiweek courses, OLLI Talks, experiential tours, and OLLI member bonus activities, we think you’ll find there is something of interest for everyone. We are excited to continue offering 75% of the spring curriculum in-person at Drake Hall, with another 12% online, and 13% at offsite locations around Fort Collins.

Hybrid Courses!

Ten hybrid courses are available in-person at Drake Hall OR online via Zoom this term. With a limited in-person classroom capacity, it is very important to register for your preferred format (online OR inperson) and to check your enrollment confirmations to ensure you are correctly registered. Unfortunately, it is not possible to register for the online section and then attend in-person. Since our zoom capacity is much larger, once the in-person section is full, the online section will automatically become available for registration.

Online Registration Encouraged

We encourage members to continue using online registration and ask that you email OLLI@colostate.edu if you need help with this process. The OLLI team will be available for limited in-person registration on a drop-in basis and at the Spring Open House at CSU Drake Hall on January 15 from 2-4 p.m.

OLLI Monthly Email Newsletter

To receive the OLLI Monthly Newsletter, please complete the OLLI Newsletter Request Form, found on the OLLI website, or email OLLI@colostate.edu and request to be included in the email list to receive program highlights and learn about upcoming events.

Complimentary Member Bonus Courses

OLLI is pleased to continue offering the extremely popular series of complimentary bonus lectures for our members. This spring, members can enjoy six Drake Hall presentations on a variety of topics, two of which are available online. These bonus lectures are made possible thanks to your generous donations and are free to spring term OLLI members. Space is limited, however, and registration is required.

How to Zoom

Are you new to Zoom or would you like a Zoom refresher? Please contact the OLLI Team at OLLI@colostate.edu to set up a personal tutorial session with one of our helpful OLLI team members.

How to Register

Jan 7 at 9 a.m. Registration opens online

Jan. 15 at 2–4 p.m. In-person registration at Drake Hall

There are two ways to register online:

1

2

Go to www.osher.colostate.edu, select “Courses” at the top of the page, and browse the course list OR

Browse the interactive online catalog and select the “Click to Register” button next to the desired course.

To complete your registration:

• Click the “Add to Cart” button on each course detail page.

• After making all your course selections go to your cart and click the “Checkout” button.

• Login to your account with your email and password to complete the transaction. If you do not have an OLLI account, you will be prompted to create one.

• Your Zoom access link(s) for online classes will be sent to you in your receipt confirmation email.

If you have difficulty with the online registration process, you may contact our OLLI team by email at OLLI@colostate.edu, by phone at 970-491-7753, or in-person by appointment or attending the Spring Open House at Drake Hall.

"A truly awesome experience for learning and meeting people."

"Expand your horizons with courses designed just for you!"

Membership Info and Policies

About the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

The San Francisco–based Bernard Osher Foundation was started in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a respected businessperson and community leader. The Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life by supporting higher education and the arts. In partnership with the Bernard Osher Foundation, over 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes are located on the campuses of colleges and universities in every state. Each institute provides a diverse array of noncredit courses and activities specifically developed for intellectually curious adults of all ages, with special attention to “seasoned adults” ages 50 or better.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Colorado State University was established in 2006 through an endowment by the Bernard Osher Foundation. OLLI at CSU is a membership-based program committed to fostering lifelong learning and enriching lives. Join us today to take part in OLLI’s growing community of learners and wide educational opportunities.

Why Become a Member?

Indulge your curiosity! People who are active, engaged in their communities, and enjoy learning throughout their lives feel more productive and purposeful and are healthier and happier. At OLLI there are no admission requirements, no grades, no tests, and no pressure. Instead, OLLI offers the opportunity to constantly learn more about the world, spark new curiosities, and join a community of inquisitive minds.

Who Belongs to OLLI?

Our members are people like you from all professions, educational backgrounds, and places. We welcome adults of all ages – with special consideration of those fifty and better – with a desire to learn, engage, build new friendships, and actively discover more about the world around us.

Become a Reciprocal Member of OLLI at DU

Membership with OLLI at CSU also provides the opportunity to become a Reciprocal Member at the University of Denver (DU) OLLI for $20/ year. This reciprocal membership provides access to online webinars, fitness classes, and a joint OLLI travel program. Email OLLI@colostate.edu for more information.

Why Membership Fees?

OLLI at CSU is a member-based, member-driven program. Each term, a current membership is required to participate in our many exciting multi-week courses, OLLI Talks lectures, and OLLI Experiences. OLLI non-refundable membership fees include complimentary member bonus lectures and are critical to our institute’s success and sustainability. Along with course tuition and donations, membership fees provide support for affordable, quality programming and the cultivation of an active lifelong learner community.

OLLI Membership

• OLLI offers two membership terms each year: Fall (August-December) and Spring (January-June).

• The $25 membership fee each term allows access to registration for all in-person and online courses and lectures.

• Enjoy complimentary member-only bonus activities included with your paid membership each term.

• If you are unsure of your membership status, visit the OLLI homepage and go to “My Account” and select “My Profile.” Scroll to the bottom to find your membership information. If you do not have a current membership, one will automatically be added to your checkout cart when you register for classes.

Multi-Week Courses, OLLI Talk Lectures, and Special Program Fees

• A paid membership is required to register for all courses, lectures, and special programs.

• Tuition for each course and special program varies based on the length of the course.

• Registration for each 2-hour OLLI Talks lecture is $10.

• Registration for multiple courses is encouraged.

• All courses, OLLI Talks lectures, and special programs enroll on a first come basis, subject to space availability. Waitlists are always available and highly encouraged.

• Registration continues throughout the term until the day a class or lecture begins.

Tuition Assistance

Thanks to the generosity of the Oltjenbruns Tuition Assistance Fund and the Cathy Stawarski Fund, scholarships are available to any new or returning member experiencing financial difficulty. If financial challenges prohibit you from enrolling in OLLI courses, you are invited and encouraged to apply for tuition assistance to help with course fees by filling out a simple Tuition Assistance Application, which can be found under the FAQs on the OLLI website.

Course Waitlists

If an online or in-person course reaches capacity, a waitlist will become available. If you register online, you will have the opportunity to directly add your name to the waitlist of any course at capacity. If a course does not show up in your search, the class and the waitlist are both full. If space in a waitlisted class becomes available, you will receive an email notification and will have 48 hours to accept the invitation to register for that class. If you do not register for the class within the 48-hour window, the automated system will offer the space to the next person on the waitlist.

Drop, Transfer, and Refund Appeal Policy

OLLI course and membership fees are critical to our institute’s sustainability and are non-refundable. If you need to drop a class, please visit the OLLI website to find a suitable transfer course that might better fit your schedule or needs. To arrange for a course transfer, email OLLI at OLLI@colostate.edu. A full or partial refund will only be considered on a case-by-case basis and for unusual extenuating circumstances. If you feel you have a unique situation requiring a refund, please complete a Refund Appeal Form, which can be found under the FAQs on the OLLI website. Members will be asked to provide written information detailing the reason for the refund request and will be notified once a determination is reached.

Unable to Attend

If you register for a class and cannot attend, please notify our office via email or phone. Do not offer your class seat to someone not registered for the class since we will reach out to members on the waitlist to fill the vacancy. Attendance is taken during each class period and unregistered visitors will not be allowed to remain in the class.

Class Cancellations

If a course or lecture is canceled, OLLI staff will reach out to all affected class members by email or phone as soon as possible. Members will have a 48-hour window to request a transfer to another course. Please check the OLLI website for alternative class options. After 48 hours, a full refund will be processed. Credit card refunds require ten business days.

Inclement Weather Days

If Colorado State University announces a weather-related closure, OLLI classes are also canceled that day, including online classes. In the event of a snow day or emergency cancellation of a single class, OLLI staff will notify all class members as soon as possible and will coordinate with the instructor regarding a makeup date. To guarantee we can contact you in case of a cancellation, please ensure your contact information is current. Email OLLI@colostate.edu if you need help updating your personal information.

Participant Guidelines

The mission of education is to promote intellectual, personal and social development and to provide an environment that encourages reasoned discourse, intellectual honesty, openness, and respect for the rights, opinions, and needs of all class participants without divisive, or polarizing comments. Thank you for keeping our virtual and in-person classrooms a positive learning space for all!

Support Your OLLI at CSU

Your tax-deductible contributions are essential to support and maintain a high-quality OLLI program, allowing us to keep membership and course fees low. As a self-supporting program, OLLI depends on your membership and tuition fees as well as contributions to sustain our program. Every dollar you give makes a difference. With your contributions, we can enhance and grow our engaging and thoughtful learning environment. Please consider making a valued donation by emailing giftplanning@colostate.edu or donate directly at give.colostate.edu/campaigns/44680.

Art and Design

OSHR 2023 Online Monday Register

Beginning Digital Photography

Dates: 1/27-2/10 | Instructor: Eli Vega

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 15 | Cost: $35

In this highly interactive course, students will learn the basics, like those dials on the camera, those mysterious menu items, composition, f/stops, shutter speeds, the exposure meter and how they all work together, ISO and white balance, different types of lenses, the #1 solution to the #1 problem in photography, and more!

OSHR 2014 Monday Register

Drawing FUNdamentals–Bringing Out Your Inner Artist!

Dates: 1/27 -3/3 | Instructor: Carol Marander

Time: 9 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $100

"I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing." –Vincent van Gogh

Take your drawing skills to the next level with this fun drawing class. Participants will learn various drawing techniques using graphite pencils, pen and ink, and various other drawing implements. Learn how to draw what you see. Enhance your knowledge of using line, value, shape, pattern, and repetition in your drawings. Gain skill with composition, perspective and proportion. Examples of drawings through the ages will be presented. This class is suitable for all skill levels. The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

OSHR 2070 Tuesday Register

Hands-On Contemporary Mosaic Art Class

Dates: 2/4 -2/11 | Instructor: Renee Walkup

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $35

Learn the classic art of mosaic making with a contemporary approach as you stimulate your active brain with creativity. Mosaic design techniques require touch, sight, spatial reasoning, color decisions, and more. This class uses three-dimensional materials in new and different ways to explore the unexpected with your own spin, creating a functional mosaic piece.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

OSHR 2072 Thursday Register

Art Journaling 2

Dates: 2/6-2/27 | Instructor: Patty Pyrz

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $40

Express yourself and create your own unique art journal entries using various mediums in this fun and relaxing class! Learn specific techniques using different mediums to apply to your journal and use prompts to create without self-judgment. Make marks through expressive art practices and create by arranging color, words, images, and various ephemera in your art journal. Learn easy art and mindful activities to unwind at home and creative art practices for self-care. This class will be an extension of Art Journaling 1. However, you DO NOT need to have taken Art Journaling 1 to participate in Art Journaling 2.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

Art and Design

OSHR 2079 Monday Register

Introduction to Watercolor

Dates: 2/10-2/24 | Instructor: Karen Ramsay

Time: 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 15 | Cost: $55

Karen will help start your "watercolor journey" during these three classes. You will learn the fundamentals of the watercolor medium and the exciting way of applying paint in a fresh and vibrant way. Class time will be spent setting up our palette of paints, learning and painting varied techniques, and applying them in a simple painting. This information will be the jump-start you need to become a watercolor artist indoors and out in nature!

Perfect for the beginner and the intermediate student wanting a refresher in watercolor.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

OSHR 3267 OLLI Talks Monday Register

1000 Paper Cranes—Learning to Fold for Peace and Hope

Date: 2/17 | Instructor: Alyssa Golinvaux

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $10

Learn the steps to the contemplative practice of folding a paper crane. We’ll use the book Senbazuru to walk us through the process step-bystep, with bite-size lessons in mindfulness with each fold. We’ll also learn about the origins of origami and the significance of the paper crane for global peace. In this workshop-style class, origami paper will be provided to create 2-3 paper cranes for each student.

"A great opportunity for senior folks in this area to stay engaged and curious!"

OSHR 1008 OLLI Experience Wednesday Register

So, You Think YOU Have a Big

Walk-In ClosetTour of the Avenir Museum

Date: 2/19 | Instructor: Sarah Lillis

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Avenir Museum

Class size: 15 | Cost: $10

The Avenir Museum tells stories of dress and textiles that inspire respectful curiosity and connection across peoples, places, and cultures. Visit the home of CSU’s renowned collection of historic clothing and textiles, with an impressive facility at the University Center for the Arts-East that serves as a tremendous research and teaching resource for CSU students and scholars. The galleries feature changing exhibitions that are free and open to the public. And, lucky you — this tour includes a guided glimpse into that 5,000 sq. ft. ‘closet’ that is otherwise inaccessible to visitors!

OSHR 2076 OLLI Experience

Friday Register

Paint a Grand Lake Sailboat with Watercolor

Date: 3/14 | Instructor: Steve Griggs

Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $125

Join Steve for this 'Paint Along' class, where he will construct a Grand Lake sailboat painting from start to finish while you paint along with him. Steve will take you through the process step-by-step. He will demonstrate how he moves through the steps to create a loose, moving, and evocative painting. Plan to have fun, try some new painting techniques, and see what you can do when you paint with a loose watercolor style!

Steve's unique painting style is appropriate for both beginner and intermediate watercolor artists.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

Art and Design

OSHR 2074 Friday Register

Art, Film, Cookies, and Conversation Part 1

Dates: 3/28-4/11 | Instructor: Margaret Sharkoffmadrid

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $30

Participants will view and discuss highly acclaimed films addressing issues related to the visual arts. The three films planned for Part 1 of this course involve varied approaches to art patronage.

Herb and Dorothy documents the unassuming, charming couple who amassed an important contemporary art collection, eventually leaving it to the National Gallery of Art.

The Price of Everything provides a peak into the exorbitant art auction prices that can make us question, “What’s going on?”

Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by the anonymous artist Banksy, presents a behind-the-scenes, thought-provoking view of contemporary street art.

OSHR 3076 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Introduction to Oriental Carpets

Date: 3/28 | Instructor: Harry Mueller

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Participants will be introduced to the materials used in oriental carpets, techniques for making oriental carpets, basic design elements, different carpet types, and the different countries from which oriental carpets come. They will also have the opportunity to see, feel, and walk on various oriental carpets.

OSHR 2010 Wednesday Register

Perspective Drawing for Artists

Dates: 4/2-5/7 | Instructor: Joe Osmann

Time: 9 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $100

Learn the principles of perspective by drawing views of three dimensions so believable that you will feel you can step into your own drawing. Whether you draw or paint a still life or landscape or render architectural forms, a deeper understanding of one, two, and threepoint perspective can take the guesswork out of the creative process. Perspective is also helpful when creating works of the human figure. By establishing a horizon line and vanishing point or points, figures and faces can be foreshortened without the chance processes of trial and error. This class will provide brief demonstrations followed by individual instruction as you draw a series of projects that will help you develop the skills to turn two dimensions into three.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

OSHR 2069 Monday Register

Insider Tips for Designing Your Home Like the Pros

Dates: 4/7-4/28 | Instructor: Denise Koenigs

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $40

This class will cover the process professional designers use to create a stylish room. Scale, room layout, understanding paint color, and trends in paint will be discussed. Choosing the correct fabrics for furniture and drapery and learning how to mix patterns will be discussed. The rule of 3, lighting, and many other design principles will be covered.

Art and Design

OSHR 2078 Thursday Register

Beginner Printmaking with Gelli Pads

Dates: 4/10-4/17 | Instructor: Patty Pyrz

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 14 | Cost: $30

Are you interested in printmaking? What is it exactly? Gelli printing is a form of mono-printing that utilizes a flexible gel plate and acrylic paint to create textures and layers of color. Learn about this fun technique and how to transfer images onto another surface. For this workshop, we will use our Gelli (gelatin) Pads to create images using acrylic paints/ ink to press onto paper. After exploring stamps and other items, we will create monoprints, which permit unique, freeform printed images every time. Engage in playful experimentation and have some fun! You do not have to be an artist to take this class.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

OSHR 2036 Thursday Register

Art for the “Non-Artist” Uncovering Your Inner Creative

Dates: 4/10-5/1 | Instructor: Paula Watson-Lakamp

Time: 9 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 25 | Cost: $70

Have you always believed you were a creative person, but somewhere along the way, your inner critic decided you weren’t? “I can’t even draw a straight line” is a quote I hear a lot from my students, and I say, “Great, straight lines are boring!”. Join other like-minded people as we explore the wonderful world of creativity and art-making. We will begin by making an art journal to hold all your creative ideas and then work with TWO different art media and techniques each week. From watercolor pencils to ink, we will bring out your inner creativity and set you up for success in art practice. There is a little something for everyone, with no straight lines or stick figures required! Creating art can bring amazing things into your life! Not only can it reduce stress, help with mental focus, and bring joy, it will also give you a new, exciting chapter in your life and a new way of observing and expressing feelings and thoughts. Come with an open mind, nimble fingers, and a curiosity to learn and grow. This class will be similar to the Fall 2024 session. Supplies are provided.

OSHR 2077 OLLI Experience Friday Register

Paint Downtown Fort Collins in Watercolor

Date: 4/11 | Instructor: Steve Griggs

Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $125

Join Steve for this 'Paint Along' class, where he will construct a downtown Fort Collins watercolor painting from start to finish while you paint along with him. Steve will take you through the process step-by-step. He will demonstrate how he moves through the steps to create a loose, moving, and evocative painting. Plan to have fun, try some new painting techniques, and see what you can do when you paint with a loose watercolor style!

Steve's unique painting style is appropriate for both beginner and intermediate watercolor artists.

The required supply list for this class is available online at www.osher.colostate.edu. Select the courses tab at the top of the page and enter this course number into the course number field.

OSHR 2080 Friday Register

Art, Film, Cookies, and Conversation Part 2

Dates: 4/18-5/2 | Instructor: Margaret Sharkoffmadrid

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $30

Participants will view and discuss highly acclaimed films addressing issues related to the visual arts. The three films planned for Part 2 of this course address controversies - and resolutions - that have occurred in the visual art world. Participants do not have to have taken Part 1 of this course before enrolling in Part 2.

Christos in Paris details the ten-year political and aesthetic debate resulting in the wrapping of the Pont-Neuf Bridge in Paris.

The Monuments Men, a drama based on true events during WWII, raises the need to protect our world’s cultural heritage during times of conflict.

Finally, Maya Lin: A Strong, Clear Vision shares her story as the architect of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial and how what once was criticized as a radical design has become one of our country’s most admired memorials.

Art and Design

OSHR 3272 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Domes: A Defining Element in Architectural History

Date: 4/25 | Instructor: Jim Rose

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Domes have been a central aspect of thousands of buildings throughout human history. This class will examine examples of domed architecture throughout time to explore the technological, aesthetic, and cultural aspects of the dome and its prominent place in architectural history.

OSHR 2071 Thursday Register

Hidden Garden Concertina Journal

Dates: 5/8-5/15 | Instructor: Paula Watson-Lakamp Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 25 | Cost: $25

Let's explore nature in black and white using art journaling techniques that anyone can do! We will begin by making our journal and then fill it with whimsical nature patterns and mark-making techniques using a plethora of fun supplies! This is a great "next step" class into the world of art making. We will get messy! Please wear an apron or your painting clothes. Supplies are included with tuition.

"OLLI classes are taught by professionals who are passionate about sharing their knowledge."

Cultural, Domestic & Global Affairs

OSHR 5089 Wednesday Register

The Evolution of Money: Past, Present and Future

Dates: 1/29-2/5 | Instructor: John Olienyk

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

The earliest forms of money appeared about 5,000 years ago when the direct exchange of goods and services between individuals proved to be too inefficient. Since then, money has taken many forms including commodity money (salt, grain, precious metals, etc.), paper money (the $5 bill from grandma for your birthday), and now bits and bytes in computers (electronic banking, cryptocurrency, etc.). With the pace of this evolution increasing dramatically in recent years, we will review this progression with emphasis on recent and possible future developments.

OSHR 5023 Wednesday Register

Characters in the Hebrew Bible

Dates: 1/29-3/5 | Instructor: Rabbi Hillel Katzir

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

People who appear in the stories of the Hebrew Bible are all flawed characters who are trying to do better. The class will examine some of their stories and how they strove to make a better world for themselves and those around them.

Cultural, Domestic & Global Affairs

OSHR 5005 Thursday Register

Great Decisions 2025 Part 1

Dates: 1/30-3/13 (every other week)

Instructors: Jerry Dauth and Karen Heckman

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $70 (includes book)

Great Decisions is America’s most extensive discussion program on World Affairs and is part of the Foreign Policy Association. This course aims to introduce participants to critical foreign policy issues and to have open, respectful discussions on our collective future in this interdependent world. We will watch a video presentation covering this session’s topics:

• American Foreign Policy at a Crossroads

• The Evolution of U.S. Leadership in the Global Economy

• U.S.-China Relations

• India: Between China, the West, and the Global South

Then, we will discuss the issue presented. Participants will be encouraged to prepare by reading the assigned chapter from the Great Decisions 2025 Briefing Book, which will be provided and included in the course fees. Great Decisions Part 2 will be offered in the fall of 2025 and will cover the remaining topics in Great Decisions 2025.

Participants should pick up the Great Decisions 2025 Briefing Book and familiarize themselves with the first chapter before the first class.

OSHR 5090 Wednesday Register Globalization Reconsidered

Dates: 2/12-2/19 | Instructor: John Olienyk

Time: 10 a.m.–noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

The international order in place since the end of WWII is coming under growing pressure. Protectionist policies that grew out of the 2008 global financial crisis have been fueled by the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Global instability has caused the disruption of supply chains and has led some governments to adopt a more insular approach to trade and international relations. Some international alliances and coalitions have strengthened while others have weakened, and new ones have been created. We will examine the economic and geopolitical implications of these tectonic forces as they play out in an increasingly uncertain environment.

OSHR 5087 Wednesday Register

Supreme Court Shatters 40-Year Precedent: Landmark Ruling Ends Agency Deference in Chevron vs. NRDC

Dates: 2/26-3/12 | Instructors: Richard Alper and Devin Odell

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 35 | Cost: $30

The course will explore the meaning and pervasiveness of administrative agency regulation in the everyday life of US citizens. It will discuss the context, meaning, and consequence of the seminal 1984 Supreme Court decision in Chevron v. National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where the court held that courts would give deference to agency decisions. Then, it will discuss the meaning and implications of the Court's new decision in Loper Bright Enterprise v. Raimondo, which reversed Chevron in June of 2024. Exploring the Loper decision would include its constitutional implications for checks and balances between the three branches of the US government.

OSHR 5086 Wednesday Register

The New Presidency and Public Policy Options –Realistic versus Imagined Possibilities

Dates: 3/5-3/12 | Instructor: David Caputo

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

With the 2024 Presidential election behind us, the new administration will be advancing its public policy agenda. This course reviews the proposals, the chances of their being passed by Congress, and their significance if implemented. In addition, the other ways public policy can be made (executive order, administrative decisions, the courts, etc.) will also be considered. Analysis of the various proposals will include budgetary and political realities. Policies likely to be included in the new administration's proposals will center on immigration, tax policy, trade policy, social security, Medicare, and climate/ energy issues. Others will be covered if they are under discussion. An assessment will be made about the likelihood of each being adopted. The course is non-partisan, and class participation is encouraged.

Cultural, Domestic & Global Affairs

OSHR 5088 Tuesday Register

Understanding Trump vs. US Presidential Immunity Litigation

Dates: 3/11-4/8 | Instructor: Richard Alper

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $40

This course will focus on the issue of presidential immunity as litigated and decided in the case of Trump v. US, filed 8/1/23. It will consider prior case precedents, including relevant Federalist papers. It will review current and past indictments in the case and the respective decisions in the same case by the D.C. Circuit (2/6/24) and the US Supreme Court (7/1/24). It will look at subsequent litigation in Trump v US, such as the US motion for immunity determination (10/2/24), the impact of the 11/5/24 election on the case, and the constitutional implications of the Court's decision on checks and balances of the president's immunity and liability within the system of three branches of the federal government.

OSHR 3031 OLLI Talks Wednesday Register

A Middle East Update

Date: 3/12 | Instructor: Rabbi Hillel Katzir

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Rabbi Hillel Katzir has taught a six-week course about the current Middle East conflicts three times in the last year. For this spring term, he will offer an update. The class will include some historical background, political contexts, and the current situation as of the date of the class. Taking the previous classes is NOT a prerequisite to this update session.

OSHR 5060 Thursday Register

The Squeeze on the Average American

Dates: 3/27-4/3 | Instructor: Mike O’Connell

Time: 1-3 p.m.| Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

"Squeeze on the Average American" is a long-term data-driven overview of how the US government is performing for its citizens in key areas such as healthcare, education, infrastructure investment, fiscal and tax policy, and more. We'll compare how the US performs in these areas vs other industrialized countries with whom we compete. The material will be presented primarily via PowerPoint, with lots of discussion.

OSHR 5092 Thursday Register

Escape From War: A Personal Story of Escape and Survival

Dates: 3/13-4/3 | Instructor: Tetiana Sherman

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

Leaving her home and friends in the middle of a cold winter night was not her plan when she went to bed the evening before, but neither were missiles raining down on the city of Kyiv a few hours later. Tetiana, a chef instructor and business owner from Kyiv, shares her escape from the war in Ukraine to safety in European countries and eventually her arrival in the US. She will share vivid personal stories of spending 66 hours without food and water and the luxury of heating her car in single-digit temperatures to travel less than 2 miles to cross the Polish border on the final leg of her journey. She will share how the war has divided her life into two chapters and how she finally found freedom and safety along with romance in the US. Her story of escape and survival has been featured on Colorado Public Radio, PBS, and on Voice of America.

OSHR 5084 Tuesday Register

Genesis Through Different Lenses

Dates: 3/25-4/29 | Instructors: Rabbi Hillel Katzir and Fr Michael Seavey

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

The biblical Book of Genesis can be seen through different lenses, which often complement each other and sometimes disagree while remaining valid for those viewing through those different lenses. In this course, a Rabbi and a Roman Catholic priest discuss the similarities and differences as seen through their respective lenses.

"Absolutely love the range of subjects covered. There’s something for everyone!"

Cultural, Domestic & Global Affairs

OSHR 3269 Hybrid OLLI Talks Wednesday Register

Update on the War in Ukraine

Date: 4/2 | Instructor: John Olienyk

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine now in its fourth year there is as yet no clear path toward an end to the war. War fatigue is growing in both Ukraine and Russia as well as with Ukraine’s allies in the west, but the fighting rages on. We will trace the path of the war beginning with the initial invasion, focusing on matters such as the levels of support from Ukraine’s allies, the ways in which the Ukrainian military has adapted to warfare while being overwhelmingly outnumbered in terms of personnel and weaponry, the key elements of President Zelensky’s victory plan, the impact of policy changes made by the new American president and Congress, and other relevant factors.

OSHR 3148 OLLI Talks Thursday Register

Model Passover Seder: A Feast of Freedom

Date: 4/10 | Instructors: Rabbi Hillel Katzir and Nina Rubin

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $15

The Jewish Festival of Passover celebrates freedom, not only for the biblical Israelites but for all of us who find ourselves not wholly free from ideas and habits that keep us from being all we can be. The Model Passover Seder is being offered for the third time. Unlike the real Passover Seders in Jewish homes, no meal will be served!

OSHR 5091 Tuesday Register

Ukrainian Culinary Traditions: A Rich Gastronomic Heritage

Dates: 4/15-4/22 | Instructor: Tetiana Sherman

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

Nourish your curiosity and dive into a culinary course that explores rich Ukrainian culinary traditions and past and present Ukrainian cuisine. It delves into the interwoven relationship between food that nourishes our bodies and our souls. Ukrainian signature dishes, traditionally served only once a year, will be discussed in the context of centuries-old family holiday traditions.

OSHR 1267 OLLI Experience Tuesday or Wednesday

Curatorial Tour of "Maya Guatemala and US: Divergent Convergences" at the Allicar Museum

Dates: 4/15 OR 4/23 | Instructor: Bob Hoffert

Time: 10 a.m.-noon OR 2–4 p.m. | Location: Allicar Museum

Class size: 20 | Cost: $10

A curatorial visit to an exhibit that joins images and words to tell a story. Vibrant images bring to life a tale of pre-Columbian stability interrupted by unexpected conquest and spiritual displacement, legitimized by a Doctrine of Discovery and resulting in mass repressions, civil war, and distorted perceptions. Yet, perhaps even more unexpectedly, it created bridges – points of interaction and integration – that, paradoxically, gave expression to grievances and birth to hope.

OSHR 3165 Hybrid OLLI Bonus Friday Register

Building Empathy in a Divided World: A Decent Meal and More!

Date: 5/2 | Instructor: Michael Carolan

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

Join author and sociology professor Michael Carolan in discussing the sociological roots of cognition, humility, and care. Author of the book A Decent Meal: Building Empathy in a Divided America (Stanford University Press, 2021), Michael draws from not only this text but more than 25 years of research investigating how we think about the world and why we so often disagree profoundly with each other over things of immense importance.

Health & Wellness

OSHR 9063 Online Monday Register

The Longevity Path

Dates: 1/27-2/17 | Instructor: Katherine Robinson

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $40

Learn about a new perspective on aging that incorporates wisdom and practices from the East and the West.

In this four-week series, you will learn information and practice meditation, breathwork, seated movement, and energy techniques from the East and the West that will help to transform your perspective on aging.

Turn greater life expectancy into a gift and not a curse.

OSHR 9004 Tuesday and/or Thursday Register

ESSENTRICS® Aging Backwards

Dates: (1/28–2/18), (1/30–2/20), (3/4–4/1), (3/6–4/3)

Instructor: Terry Nolan

Time: 10-11 a.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 13 | Cost: $35

ESSENTRICS® is an age-reversing workout that encourages mobility and flexibility, relieves pain, and stimulates cells to boost energy, vibrancy, and the immune system. Using music to cue movement, it's a dynamic full-body stretch and strengthening program created by Miranda Esmonde-White, author of Forever Painless and the New York Time bestseller Aging Backwards. This class is for OLLI members who are moderately fit and whose doctors approve of their exercising. Each session will include a 45-minute workout along with a discussion about how ESSENTRICS® keeps our minds and bodies active.

OSHR 3268 OLLI Talks

Master the Art of Packing: Your Ultimate Carry-On Guide

Date: 1/28 | Instructor: Alyssa Golinvaux

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $10

Have you ever wanted to travel lighter or been envious of those people who never have to worry about a lost checked bag? This 2-hour workshop-style class will teach you the basics of packing basic. We’ll discuss “capsule” outfits, toiletry solutions, and the use of packing cubes and special folding techniques to maximize your space. If you took the “Spark Joy/KonMari®” OLLI talk last session and wanted a more practical hands-on application, we will use that method to fold carry-on clothing. Once you have a tried-and-true system for packing, it becomes less daunting and easier to prepare for a trip - let one piece of pre-travel stress go! This system can also translate to create a super tidy checked bag.

OSHR 3170 OLLI Talks

Finishing Strong: The Good Life, Role to Soul, and Who You Are Matters!

Date: 1/28 | Instructor: Rich Feller

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Finishing Strong: The Good Life, Role to Soul, and Who You Are Matters! Aging well requires practicing “tiny habits,” making connections, and embracing life as "a challenge in search of joy." Age doesn't dictate the way we live, and we're learning much about life design, HEROICgps Mindsets (Hope, Self-Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, Intentional Exploration, Clarity/Curiosity, growth, purpose and support), and the 3I'sUA Formula. Translating research and lived experiences while exploring powerful questions can "nudge" us to focus on "what's next" possibilities in daily living and beyond. Uplifting mini-lectures, video clips, and short, fun, and experiential activities will remind us how we all matter!

Health & Wellness

OSHR 9037 Thursday Register

Nuts and Bolts of Death and Dying

Dates: 1/30-2/13 | Instructor: Nina Rubin

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $30

We are told that all that is guaranteed in life are death and taxes. Sadly, despite the inevitable fact of death, most people remain woefully unprepared when the time comes, leaving their surviving loved ones to make decisions under the worst possible conditions. This class will address your questions and concerns and help prepare you with the necessary information to make informed decisions. The course will cover end-of-life concerns, advanced directives, options for final disposition, costs, and laws and consumer protections in place.

OSHR 9053 Tuesday Register

Tai Chi – Yang Style

Dates: 2/4-3/11 | Instructor: Deidre Hand

Time: 10-11 a.m. | Location: Empire Grange Building

Class size: 20 | Cost: $40

This course will introduce you to the traditional Yang-style Tai Chi 24 form. Tai Chi is a traditional martial art originating in China around 1100 AD. Various Qigong movements will also be explored in this course. Both Tai Chi and Qigong are rooted in Chinese culture, traditional Chinese medicine, and Taoist philosophy. Qigong and Tai Chi allow for the cultivation of Chi – or life energy through breathing practices, posture, and body movements. They integrate the self, body, mind, and spirit. Both are considered low-impact exercises and appropriate for all ages and abilities.

OSHR 9069 Wednesday Register

Remarkable

Stories at the End of Life

Dates: 2/5-2/19 | Instructor: Nina Rubin

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $30

When loved ones pass, we are left in an emotionally and spiritually vulnerable state. Many experience encounters with their loved ones either in dreams, signs, or visitations. These experiences serve as a delivery system for meaning. Join Nina Rubin, LCSW, and learn how sharing end-of-life stories can bring healing and new perspectives. Many people have stories that carry wisdom that can be useful in better understanding our lives and our relationships. Share your stories and experiences in a safe place and find the wisdom hidden there.

OSHR 3263 Hybrid OLLI Talks Wednesday Register

Emerging Scholar-Aging Muscles: The Good, the Bad, and the Workarounds

Date: 2/5 | Instructor: Shelby Osburn

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

The loss of skeletal muscle mass is a common consequence of aging, impacting both quality of life and longevity. This lecture will explore the fundamentals of muscle biology, the changes that occur with age, and strategies to counteract these effects for improved quality of life (e.g., exercise and nutrition). The goal? Aging gracefully with strength and science.

OSHR 9066 Thursday Register

Cultivating Compassion

Dates: 2/6-2/13 | Instructor: Sue Schneider

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

Research shows that we are most joyful when we are kind, generous, and compassionate. Yet many barriers can stand in our way. Author Oscar Miro-Quesada writes, “The largest voyage you will ever take is the seventeen inches from your head to your heart.” This series will explore ancient technologies, heart-centered practices for cultivating compassion, and how to skillfully work with barriers by strengthening our capacity for mindful awareness and self-compassion. We will discover how bringing kindness to ourselves can ultimately lead to deeper compassion for others.

Health & Wellness

OSHR 9073 OLLI Experience Monday Register

Flavors of the Mediterranean: A Cooking Studio Classic

Date: 2/17 | Instructor: Cooking Studio Chefs

Time: 1-4 p.m. | Location: The Cooking Studio

Class size: 16 | Cost: $100

Are you ready to cook a delicious meal with professional chefs guiding you? Come in and learn cooking skills as you prepare a delicious meal, and after you eat, someone else does the dishes! The menu includes Chicken Tajine, Persian Cucumber and Date Salad, Handmade Naan, and Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Chai Spiced Ganache.

A very talented group of Chef Instructors teach at The Cooking Studio. All Chef Instructors are highly skilled in their topic area and bring that skill, passion, and personality to class.

OSHR 3192 OLLI Talks Tuesday Register

Reframing Retirement: Using Time, Building Community, Finding Awe

Date: 2/18 | Instructor: Rich Feller

Time: 9:30 a.m.–noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Personally defining, intentionally exploring, and finding joy in retirement seems wise and healthy. Retiring to relax and gain flexibility is a great goal while getting through retirement requires working on “tiny habits” and prosocial behaviors. For those seeking or within retirement, this session provides fun activities and safe discussions to explore the relationship among (1) time usage and joyful activities (2) community support and navigating life role (identity) transitions, and (3) being present to experience the 8 wonders of Awe. You’ll complete the Leisure/Retirement Card Sort and match personality tendencies to retirement activities. This content does not replicate other courses taught by this instructor.

OSHR 3265 OLLI Talks Thursday Register

Cultivate Your Garden: The Best Places to Shop

Date: 2/20 | Instructor: Bev Shaw

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Winter is the time to make your wish list for plants, tools, and garden accessories so you're ready for a beautiful, thriving garden in the spring. But it's a big world out there! If you're unsure where to start, this workshop has solutions. Join this session to learn how to make the most of what many garden centers and plant sales in our region can offer. Find out who is known for various plants... or pottery... or prices! Uncover some little-known shopping destinations. Then, get pointers to reputable mail-order sources to help you fill in any gaps. Be prepared for your best gardening year yet!

OSHR 9044 Monday Register

Climate Resilience: Empowering Your Health and Wellbeing

Dates: 2/24-3/10 | Instructor: Tamara Yakaboski

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $30

Engage in this 3-part workshop series designed for folks eager to make a meaningful impact on climate resilience and personal wellbeing. Over three sessions, we'll explore the cognitive, physical, and psychological dimensions of climate resilience, empowering you to support your health and uplift those around you. Each session will focus on a specific mental, emotional, or physical area, providing actionable steps to enhance resilience and foster hope and agency. You'll engage in reflective practices and research-backed strategies to effectively manage climate stress and its health impacts. Through dynamic group discussions and interactive Q and A, you’ll build valuable social connections and enhance communication on the pressing climate issues that matter most. This is your opportunity to take proactive steps toward a healthier, more resilient future for yourself and your community. Join us and be part of the solution!

Health & Wellness

OSHR 9070 Tuesday Register

Expanding Potentials: Gaining the Mental Edge through Mindful Visualization and Other Stress Management Skills (Expanded Edition)

Dates: 2/25-3/25 | Instructor: Jo Locricchio

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $40

Gain the Mental edge for “In the moment” focus, accuracy, and better problem-solving! This class will help you discover the skills of mindful visualization and other stress-reducing skills to enhance any mental performance outcomes you desire for not only sports but business success, creative endeavors, communication, and relationships, or any other scenarios when it is imperative to be at our best.

Through a mindful approach to stress management, participants will learn how to regulate their minds, emotions, and bodies (including pivoting their inner critic into their inner coach and ally) so they can access and utilize their best skills and proficiencies.

This four-week class will cover the basic principles of mindfulness, visualization, and other stress-reducing techniques. These techniques can increase the frequency of the elusive “zone” and enhance any performance-based activity.

OSHR 3262 OLLI Talks Thursday Register

Learning from Past Transitions and Intentions to Finish Strong

Date: 2/27 | Instructor: Rich Feller

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Thanks to experience and longevity, self-knowledge and wisdom are hard-won rewards for aging. How we’ve navigated transitions can clarify future intentions to seek possibilities for ourselves, express gratitude, choose forgiveness, be understood, and grow during change. Using highly structured and safe questions and “deep listening” to be heard (no advice given), we’ll reflect individually and translate our experience within small groups. This interactive session (always free to pass) does not replicate content from other classes taught by this instructor. The experience includes an informal and popular “no agenda” social for participants at the instructor’s home one month later.

OSHR 3264 OLLI Talks

Thursday Register

Gear up for Gardening

Date: 2/27 | Instructor: Bev Shaw

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

From hand tools to hoses and hacks from the farm store to finds from the thrift store– which tools genuinely help you in the garden? And which decidedly do not? Learn about garden gear and gadgets– then spend your money wisely! Bev will bring plenty of equipment into the classroom so you can see how it feels in your hands, compare trowels and see why some of them are inferior, and learn the truth about landscape fabric.

OSHR 3258 Online OLLI

Talks

Monday Register

Timeless Treasures: Sights and Tastes of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Date: 3/3 | Instructor: Larry Canepa

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Embark on a journey to discover some of the world’s most extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These locations, recognized for their cultural, historical, culinary or scientific significance, offer more than just stunning visuals; they are a celebration of our planet’s diverse heritage and history. Each site tells a unique story of the world’s civilizations, tastes, and natural history, from ancient ruins to natural wonders. This presentation delves into these remarkable sites, providing insights for an enriching travel and culinary experience.

"Engaging, inspiring, and always interesting—OLLI is where it’s at."

Health & Wellness

Who You Are Matters! Experience Boardgame

Date: 3/5 | Instructor: Rich Feller

Time: 9:30 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 36 | Cost: $0

A series of seven conversations with three to five peers about your personal qualities, strengths, desires, other people’s influence, assets, natural interests, and possibilities are played as a discovery experience board game. Holding a “talking stick,” participants tell 30-second stories, receive affirmative feedback, and create a “clarification statement” about their “what’s next” possibility. This highly structured and safe approach is used in 3000+ organizations and 19 countries, both in-person and virtually. Participants say how quickly they get to know and enjoy tablemates because of the “deep listening” (no advice giving), empathy, and laughter. Research shows gains in curiosity, exploration, hope, self-efficacy, resiliency, optimism, and organized thinking. The experience includes an informal and popular “no agenda” social for participants at the instructor’s home one month later. OSHR 3259 Online OLLI

Southwest, the Beautiful

Date: 3/7 | Instructor: Chef Larry Canepa

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Rugged. Beautiful and Delicious. The Southwest is the ultimate playground, luring adventurers with red-rock canyons, Wild West legends, and culinary delights. The region is home to a beautiful and vibrant mix of Anglo, Latino, Hispanic, and American Indian traditions, making it one of the most diverse and interesting corners of America with fascinating history, awe-inspiring landscapes, and exciting culture. The defining characteristics of Southwestern cuisine are a mystery to most Americans. Southwestern cooking has a vibrant mestizo heritage and includes some of the most intensely spiced dishes in the Americas.

OSHR 9075 OLLI Experience Monday Register

A Wine Tour of Spain & Portugal

Dates: 3/24 -4/21 | Instructor: Christopher Hensey

Time: 4-6 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $160

Wine enthusiasts are invited to join sommelier Chris Hensey for a fiveweek survey of the wines of Spain and Portugal. Bottles from Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Vinho Verde, Duoro, and other regions will be sampled while their unique aspects are presented and discussed in an informal atmosphere. Cheese and crackers will be provided. One class will be dedicated to a structured, step-by-step analysis of wine. Please bring four wine glasses to each session and come prepared with a sense of oeno-adventure.

OSHR 9046 Monday Register

Manage Stress with Techniques to Harmonize Your Brain, Heart, Gut, and Fascia

Dates: 3/31-4/14 | Instructor: Christine O’Brien

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

Chronic inflammation is identified as the root cause of all disease states. Our body has immense healing potential if the internal environment of the brain, the heart, the gut, and the fascia are optimized. Class 1: Explore the powerful brain-heart connection by living and breathing feelings of Love, Care, and Appreciation to improve insight and social engagement. Class 2: Gut health is crucial to the management of inflammation and immune function. Understand why restricted diets, probiotics, and organic foods only partially address constipation, irritable bowel symptoms, and leaky gut. Class 3: Fascia is the saran wrap suit that supports the structure and function of our entire being, even at the cellular level. Strategies that release fascia lead to an increased flow of neurotransmitters and hormones while releasing the stress and trauma stored in the body.

Health & Wellness

OSHR 3244 OLLI Bonus Thursday Register

Estate Planning

Date: 4/3 | Instructor: John Blair

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

During our session, John Blair will discuss the whys and hows of estate planning. Come prepared to learn and ask questions during this interactive session!

• Why do estate planning?

• How does property pass at death?

• Issues to consider regarding wills?

• What about trusts?

• What about taxes?

• What about charitable giving?

• How should I allocate my assets?

OSHR 1266 OLLI Bonus Monday Register

Volunteer... Who me?

Date: 4/7 | Instructor: Lynette Reiling

Time: 10 a.m.–noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 40 | Cost: $0

Looking for a way to round out your life portfolio as you move into life’s second half? Volunteering is a magnificent way to continue utilizing your talents, skills, and interests while promoting a sense of purpose. It also affords the opportunity to connect with the community, which is hugely important in aging well. Finding the “right” fit requires rolling up your sleeves and doing some detective work. What is in your tool chest that you want to continue using, and what new skills would you like to learn? What are your values? What issues fire your passion? This course will aid you in answering “Who am I?” questions and provide some criteria for how to evaluate volunteer positions and organizations to ensure a good match. Class participants will also be invited to share resources regarding where to search for volunteer positions.

OSHR 9067 Tuesday Register

The Perils and Pleasures of Parenting Your Adult Children

Dates: 4/8-5/13 | Instructor: Nancy Buck

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Ah, parenting. The most important job of your life. But when does it end? You made it past the terrible twos, the challenging teens, and into their leap for freedom and independence. Or perhaps your adult child still hasn't made that leap, leaving you with a different challenge. Parents, even though your children are adults, you may still have some words of wisdom, some opinions, and important points you want to teach and recommend to them. "No, thank you," they say. They are not interested. This class focuses on developing and maintaining the continuing positive and healthy relationship between parents and their adult children. We will focus on and take a deep look at the developmental ages and stages of adult children and their parents as they age. We will discuss underlying and unspoken values and beliefs that may create friction or distance between you. Learning about and putting Choice Theory psychology principles into practice is the heart of this class. The goal is to help learners grow, develop, and maintain positive relationships with the important people in their lives, including their adult children.

OSHR 9071 Thursday Register

Unlocking the Power of Sleep

Dates: 4/17-5/01 | Instructor: Robert Lawrence

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

Sleep has been a mystery that has challenged mankind's understanding for thousands of years. Only in recent decades have the nature, health implications, and disorders of sleep begun to be unraveled. Dr Lawrence is a retired psychiatrist who made sleep a central focus of his 45-year practice in Fort Collins, especially concerning the risk of dementia.

Health & Wellness

OSHR 9072 Wednesday Register

Becoming Your Best Self in Retirement Through Discovering Core Strengths

Dates: 4/30-5/14 | Instructors: George Angelopoulos and Bert Robinson

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

Retirement can be daunting to some and liberating to others. You’re invited to participate in three interactive sessions to help you define and explore what is important, identify your core strengths, and learn how to apply them to make this next chapter as fulfilling as possible. The first session will focus on challenges and opportunities in retirement, delving into defining areas of importance and identifying and gaining clarity on personal values. The 2nd session will focus on how core strengths can contribute to individual success in retirement. Prior to the 2nd session participants will need to complete the Clifton Strengths® online assessment to determine their top 5 talents. The fee for the assessment is $25 and can be accessed at the Gallup Store online. In this session, a certified strengths specialist will provide insights on your top natural productivity talents and how to best leverage them in your retirement journey. The 3rd session will focus on defining categories of personal values, identifying the important areas within each category, and creating a roadmap to get you started on pursuing your path forward.

OSHR 9074 OLLI Experience Monday Register

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Cooking Studio

Dates: 5/5 | Instructor: Cooking Studio Chefs

Time: 1-4 p.m. | Location: The Cooking Studio

Class size: 16 | Cost: $100

Are you ready to cook a delicious meal with professional chefs guiding you? Come in and learn cooking skills as you prepare a delicious meal, and after you eat, someone else does the dishes! The menu includes Rajas con Crema, Chicken Tamales with Mole Negro, and Churro Cake with Chili-Chocolate Glaze.

A very talented group of Chef Instructors teach at The Cooking Studio. All Chef Instructors are highly skilled in their topic area and bring that skill, passion, and personality to class.

OSHR 9012 Friday Register

Staying Healthy in Every Season

Dates: 5/09-5/16 | Instructor: Madeline Marchell

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

My years of training with Qi Gong teachers and Macrobiotic Chefs have led me to create an informative series for you. It will give you information on how to stay healthy in every season. The course will cover:

• Why is food medicine, and what are healing foods

• How are we affected by season and weather

• How do they affect our organs

• Comprehensive food list for each season and cooking methods

• Guided Meditation for every season

• Nutritional Gems

• Herbs for stress, anxiety, depression, and immunity

• Acupoints for Digestion

OSHR 1260 OLLI Experience Thursday Register

Beyond 55 and Finishing Strong: Embracing the Good Life, Awe and Possibilities

Dates: 6/5 | Instructor: Rich Feller

Time: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | Location: Tamasag Retreat Center

Class size: 30 | Cost: $65

When younger, we were asked, “WHAT do you want to be?” Beyond 55, reflecting on WHO and HOW we want to be is liberating. Moving beyond an achievement identity, many adopt a “growing” and "experimenting" lifestyle. Join us at Tamasag’s “in nature” setting for this very popular day of reflection and safe and structured group conversations. We'll experience "deep listening", community, and a chance to explore possibilities by 1. Clarifying your personal “Good Life” (personalized definition of success) 2. Finding moments of Awe (savor their impact) 3. Clarifying intentions (create a Purpose and Life Design Statement) 4. Reflecting on 5 “Ultimate Questions” (about living and dying with grace, dignity and some mischief) 5. Exploring “What’s Next” possibilities (with affirmative peer feedback) 6. Crafting your list of “Tiny Habits” to “Finish Strong”. Plan to bring your own lunch.

History, Psychology & Philosophy

OSHR 6083 Tuesday Register

Evolution of U.S. Policies with Native Americans:

An American Elegy

Dates: 1/28-3/4 | Instructor: Brian Carroll

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Brian Carroll will look broadly at the historical relationship between Euro-Americans and Native Americans, including the evolution of policies and actions influencing the relationship between the two. Along the way, a deep look at the backgrounds of "Reverend" Colonel John Chivington of Sand Creek Massacre fame and Attorney Lt. Colonel William O. Collins, our city's namesake, may provide answers as to why two of the officers charged with prosecuting American policies regarding Native Americans in the Civil War period west, had two different approaches to their responsibilities.

OSHR 6142 Online Wednesday Register

Gender and the Law

Dates: 1/29-2/19 | Instructor: Lauren Andersen

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $40

This course will explore the legal history of gender and the law, understanding gender in its broadest sense, including sex, sexuality, and gender identity. We will discuss sex discrimination doctrines under the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution and federal laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. By focusing on US Supreme Court decisions and gender equality advocates, we will explore the relationship between law and justice in many areas that affect gender minority lives, including employment, schools, health care, family, and beyond. The work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Brenda Feigen, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Pauli Murray will be discussed. Some film clips will be used in class.

OSHR 6140 Thursday Register

Natural Origins of Morality

Dates: 1/30-3/06 | Instructor: David Barone

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Morality is often introduced as having religious or philosophical origins. However, since the Enlightenment, its origins have been sought in human nature. This course will cover this research program by psychologists, anthropologists, biologists, and other social sciences. What evidence is there of internalization of social customs in social animals? Is there evidence of genetic selection for moral reactions in social animals and human babies? Do modern adults exhibit continued evidence of inherited moral reactions? Can these reactions be modified, especially if they are non-optimal in modern culture? Videos of research will be shown. Discussion will be encouraged.

OSHR 6136 Friday Register

Investigating Gregorian Chant, Europe’s Historic Sacred Music

Dates: 1/31-2/14 | Instructor: Elaine Hild

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $30

This course takes a deep dive into Gregorian chant, the sacred music of historic Europe. The first traces of Gregorian chant melodies appear in ninth-century manuscripts. By the tenth century, music notation was used to document music for church services, processions, classroom lessons, plays, deathbed rites, and special events like the consecrations of kings and queens. The course’s three sessions will focus on individual chants, including the contexts in which they were sung and the documents and music notation that preserve them. Rather than a lecture format, the sessions will consist of “close readings” of chants and shared considerations of the material. Participant questions and observations will guide the discussions. No musical knowledge is necessary! The course sessions are designed to offer meaningful engagements with individual examples from a fascinating and beautiful repertory—a repertory that formed the religious soundscapes of Europe and continues to intrigue, move, and soothe listeners to our day.

History, Psychology & Philosophy

OSHR 6127 Friday Register

Emotions

Dates: 1/31-3/07 | Instructor: Nina Azari

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

In this course, we will explore the topic of emotions. Questions to be addressed include: What makes an emotional experience what it is, versus something else? How can we differentiate one emotion from another emotion? How can we account for individual differences in emotions? Are we born with a basic set of emotions, or are emotions learned? Are emotions culturally specific or universal? Do other animals and babies experience emotions or are emotions uniquely human and rely on sophisticated language abilities? Can we control our emotions? Are emotions always conscious?

OSHR 3102 OLLI Talks Monday Register

Grant and Lee Compared

Date: 2/3 | Instructor: Henry Weisser

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

The American Civil War produced many outstanding generals, but two of them, Ulysses Grant and Robert E. Lee, came to symbolize the military strength of each side. How were they different? How were they similar? Which was the more effective leader? What were their greatest achievements and their greatest failures?

OSHR 3278 OLLI Talks Tuesday Register

History and Memory

Date: 2/4 | Instructor: Terri Crocker

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

History is more than just dates and facts – it is a constructed narrative of the past. The cultural influences, such as films, books, documentaries, and TV series that go into creating our collective historical “memories” often lead to conflict over the meaning of our shared history. This talk will analyze a historical event – the famous 1914 Christmas Truce of the First World War – and use it as a means of examining how historical narratives are formed and how events and culture influence those narratives.

OSHR 6134 Online Tuesday Register

Echoes of Genius: Unveiling German Musical Legacies

Dates: 2/4-3/4 | Instructor: Anette Issacs

Time: 3:30-5:30 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $50

Delve into the lives and personalities behind the music in this fivepart lecture series on Richard Wagner, Clara Schumann, Ludwig van Beethoven, and the Mendelssohn siblings Felix and Fanny. German Historian Anette Isaacs will uncover the fascinating stories, struggles, and creative passions that shaped these influential musicians, providing a deeper understanding of the human spirit that resonates through their masterpieces and performances.

OSHR 6128 Monday Register

Zoroastrianism

Dates: 2/10-2/24 | Instructor: Nina Azari

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

In this course, we will explore what several scholars consider to be the world’s first monotheism—Zoroastrianism. We will discuss its ancient roots in Central Asia, Persia (modern-day Iran), and India and consider its practices and beliefs. We will also compare and contrast Zoroastrianism with Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

OSHR 6131 Tuesday Register

War and Memory

Dates: 2/11-3/25 | Instructor: Terri Crocker

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Have you ever watched a film such as 1917, Dunkirk, or Saving Private Ryan and wondered how accurate they were? WWI and WWII were two of the most formative events of the 20th century. Learning about what happened during those wars and how our views of those wars have been shaped by cultural influences such as films and books presents a unique opportunity to not only expand your knowledge about those wars – and what they were like for the soldiers who fought in them –but also to understand how historical narratives are formed and how different remembrances of wars can unite or divide a society. This course will explore not only the critical events of the two world wars but also competing memories of these wars and how remembrance and commemoration of them changed over time.

History, Psychology & Philosophy

OSHR 6135 Online Wednesday Register

Growing Up Western: Myths, Legends, and the American Dream

Dates: 2/12-3/26 | Instructor: James Pagliasotti

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Growing up in the American West is an adventure steeped in mythology, the gilded lore of cowboys and Indians, the rugged individualist, tall in the saddle, taming the wilderness, prying a living from the land. That's the legacy. The West was always just west of wherever we were at the time. Kentucky was way west when Daniel Boone carved the Wilderness Road out of the Cumberland Gap. In that sense, we all are a product of the mythologies of the modern West. This is a study of the conflict between that romantic notion and the practical outcomes of "settling" the region, of trying to come to terms with the iconic images that inspire us and the disquieting realizations that come our way. This class looks at both the legendary and the practical worlds of the Modern West, the real people and their fictional counterparts, the cowboys and Indians, ordinary and extraordinary, both met along the way, living with the Blackfeet people and buying movie star Gary Cooper's home. The story of a city boy finding his way in the contemporary West is presented via lecture and multimedia with discussion.

OSHR 3253 Hybrid OLLI Talks Monday Register

The Rise of Hitler and the Nazis

Date: 3/3 | Instructor: Henry Weisser

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

The rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis in Germany, a country noted for its cultural achievements, is one of the greatest tragedies in history. How and why did it come about? Why was Hitler appeased? What was the role of anti-Semitism? What created his popularity in Germany while he ruled ruthlessly and dictatorially? What can we learn from this tragedy?

OSHR 6133 Monday Register

80th Anniversary of the "Battle of Miracles,

Gothic Line, Italy"

Dates: 3/3-3/24 | Instructor: Stuart Hirai

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

After being declared "combat ineffective" due to battle casualties sustained in Northeastern France in October/November 1944 while attached to the 36th Infantry Division, this segregated unit of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) was recalled to Italy to take part in a diversionary attack at the western anchor of the Gothic Line in April 1945. If this unit can successfully engage opposing forces in this deception against a determined foe, this action will be called the "Battle of Miracles" by the officers of the 100th/442nd RCT.

OSHR 6109 Thursday Register

Sailing Through the Tao: An Introduction to the Writings of Alan Watts

Dates: 3/6-3/13 | Instructor: Kate Lyn Reiter

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

Never calling himself a guru or teacher but rather a “spiritual entertainer,” Alan Watts nevertheless was an influential 20th-century teacher/philosopher instrumental in bringing the spiritual ways of the East to the Western World. He insisted on teaching the Eastern philosophies (which he did not call “religions” but rather “ways of liberation”) with a light and humorous touch, in keeping with the spirit of Zen. Kate Lyn Reiter is a humorist and actor who follows up her popular OLLI talk on “The Spirituality of Humor” with this lighthearted introduction to the Spiritual Ways of Tao, the foundational perspective of Zen. This course will draw from Alan Watts' book TAO: The Watercourse Way and his many radio lectures and Zen stories. And, of course, the “Tao te Ching” by Lao Tzu.

History, Psychology & Philosophy

OSHR 6137 Monday Register

The Great Depression in the United States

Dates: 3/10-4/21 | Instructor: David Danbom

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

The Great Depression shaped the lives of our grandparents and, in some cases, our parents, giving them anxieties and expectations that often lasted a lifetime. It also changed the federal government's role in our lives, as it took on responsibilities in the economy and society that had previously been left to private individuals and enterprises. In the process, it changed our expectations for the roles it should play in our lives.

OSHR 6132 Tuesday Register

The Streets of Fort Collins and Their History

Dates: 3/11-4/15 | Instructor: Brian Carroll

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $50

Travel on Fort Collins Streets will not be the same after this course. Names are important, but even more so when memorialized. Remington, Mason, and Stover are just a few that we travel on daily, but with little regard for how the street name came about. Knowing their origin will be a lesson in our early history.

OSHR 6129 Online Thursday Register

Meet Nevada - It's More Than Las Vegas and Reno!

Dates: 3/13-4/3 | Instructor: Stephenie Slahor

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

While most people might think of Nevada as Las Vegas or Reno, the "Silver State" has a rich geology, pioneer history, and modern development, making it one of America's most unique states. We'll learn its unusual geology found nowhere else in the US, its tiny towns and villages where unusual celebrations and festivals occur, and explore its "Area 51," Great Basin, the "Loneliest Road in America," and other sites to gain an understanding of its history, mineral resources, agriculture, and, of course, its tourism industry.

OSHR 6138 Wednesday Register

What is the Sound of One Zen Class Clapping?:

Alan Watts and Zen

Dates: 3/26-4/2 | Instructor: Kate Lyn Reiter

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

Never calling himself a guru or teacher but rather a “spiritual entertainer,” Alan Watts nevertheless was an influential 20th-century teacher/philosopher instrumental in bringing the spiritual ways of the East to the Western World. Zen is not a religion nor even a philosophy. It is best understood as a way of action, a way of being. This course will touch on Zen’s philosophical foundation and offer creative exercises to experience “wu wei” or “effortless action.” Kate Lyn Reiter is a humorist and actor who approaches these teachings in the light-hearted spirit of Alan Watts’ “spiritual entertainer". (This course is a follow-up to Kate’s “Sailing Through the Tao” for those who have already taken it, but it can easily stand alone, and no prerequisite course is needed.)

OSHR 6143 Hybrid Wednesday Register

One Hundred Years of Surrealism

Dates: 4/2-5/7 | Instructor: Joe Osmann

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

What began as a literary movement in 1924 has evolved into one of the most influential forms of expression in the visual arts, photography, film, and theater. Surrealism is a concept that combines elements of dreams, the subconscious, and the irrational to explore a world beyond what we experience in conventional reality. Inspired by Sigmund Freud's search for how the unconscious drives human behavior, poet Andre' Breton promoted free association and automatic writing as methods toward unblocking creativity. Visual artists Joan Miró, Max Ernst, Giorgio De Chirico, Jean Arp and Pablo Picasso were participants in the Surrealist movement. This course will explore the history and lasting influences of Surrealism.

History, Psychology & Philosophy

OSHR

6130

Wednesday Register

Northern Exposure – Frontier Alaska

Dates: 4/9-4/23 | Instructor: Kenneth Jessen

Time: 10 a.m. - noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

Alaska’s history spans over 12,000 years, beginning with human migration from Asia into North America. These early settlers, divided into tribes and clans, brought distinct customs and languages to the region. Russian colonization efforts were thwarted by the Tlingit, and in 1868, the US purchased Alaska from Russia, expanding the nation's territory by over half a million square miles.

Join this class to learn about the impact of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands during WWII, and the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1977. Today, Alaska continues to draw visitors to its natural wonders, from Denali National Park to the state’s majestic glaciers. Each town across Alaska is rich with its own unique history, waiting to be discovered.

OSHR 6039 OLLI Experience Wednesday Register

White Gold – The Great Western Sugar Company

Dates: 4/9-4/30 | Instructor: Kenneth Jessen

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall / Loveland Museum

Class size: 30 | Cost: $40

The sugar beet industry once dominated northern Colorado’s economy, transforming a humble crop into pure white sugar. Thousands of workers contributed across fields, factories, distribution centers, and transportation networks. Colorado Agricultural College, now known as Colorado State University, played a pivotal role in kickstarting this industry by conducting experimental sugar beet plots. Chemists then developed a process to convert the beets into granular sugar, attracting investors and leading to the construction of the first factory in Grand Junction.

Join this class to learn more about how farmers embraced sugar beet cultivation and production expanded to give rise to the Great Western Sugar Company. For over 50 years, the sugar beet industry thrived, but competition from cane sugar and mismanagement ultimately led to its decline, with the last major operations ceasing in 1985. While many factories closed, the Fort Morgan factory and the railroad still operate. The final class meeting will be held at the Loveland Museum, with an exhibit focused on the early history of the Colorado Sugar Beet industry.

OSHR 6139 Thursday Register

Humor and Awe and the Amateur

Science of Kate Lyn Reiter

Dates: 4/10-4/17 | Instructor: Kate Lyn Reiter

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

This course is a light-hearted, inconclusive, and incomplete exploration of some of the scientific findings and theories of the last century. More humor than fact, it will nonetheless be exhaustively researched. We will look at these books:

• Ed Yong’s two best-selling books, An Immense World and I Contain Multitudes.

• Carlo Rovelli’s There are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important than Kindness,

• Various books on Fractals and Chaos - author James Gleick et al.

Sections of this course will be 1) ourselves and our cells, 2) ourselves and our environment, and 3) ourselves and the universe.

Full disclosure: Kate Lyn Reiter is not a scientist. She is a humorist, actor, and former college instructor who approaches all subjects with a philosophical pinch of salt. Come for fun, joy, and wonder.

OSHR 3271 OLLI Talks Thursday Register

A History of Witches

Date: 4/24 | Instructor: Holly Manley

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

The word "witch" is a somewhat vague term with references going back to the Bible, Greek mythology, Salem, and the Wicked Witch of the West. And what is a witch—a shapeshifter, a healer, a spellcasting hag, a diviner or fortune teller, or another person who uses magic to cause chaos? This class will explore these questions and look at the history of witches.

History, Psychology & Philosophy

OSHR 6087 Monday Register

Colorado Towns That Have Vanished

Dates: 4/28-5/12 | Instructor: Kenneth Jessen

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $30

With over 1,600 abandoned towns across Colorado, how does this happen in a state experiencing rapid growth? This class explores the diverse reasons behind these dramatic demographic shifts. Some causes, like mining towns abandoned after ore depletion, are straightforward. Residents often left suddenly, sometimes with dishes still on the table. Other cases involve displacement due to new reservoirs or shifts in land ownership. Many towns were left behind as people sought better economic opportunities or as improved roads bypassed them. Prairie towns faced hardships from sustained drought, the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl. Through personal stories and rich illustrations, this course uncovers the unique history behind each vanished town.

OSHR 3254 Hybrid OLLI Talks Monday Register

The British Victorian Empire

Dates: 4/28 | Instructor: Henry Weisser

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

The British Empire was at its height in the Victorian Era, 1837-1901. A quarter of the world's surface and one-quarter of its people were involved with it somehow. Some parts of it, such as Canada, were selfgoverning, and other parts were ruled by British colonial officials. The key to establishing and maintaining the empire was the strength of the British navy. Britannia did rule the waves. The impact of this imperial experience still lives on today all around the world.

"A wonderful opportunity for learning with people who share your interests."

Literature & Communication

OSHR 4080 Monday Register

British Classics Book Club: Celebrating Jane Austen

Dates: 1/27, 2/24, 3/31, 4/28 (last Monday for 4 months)

Instructor: Abigayil Wernsman

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $40

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person wishing to call themselves “well-read” must be familiar with Jane Austen. Her charm, wit, and humor captured the attention of readers and have stood the test of centuries, as modern readers find her just as enchanting as her earliest audiences. Austen’s nuanced depictions of social life, her sharp caricatures of those around her, and her clear mirror of life all continue to delight audiences the world over. This course will read three novels by Austen: Sense and Sensibility (2/24), Emma (3/31), and her most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice (4/28), in a book club format, meeting once a month for four months to discuss each text in depth. With some historical context about the author and her era to enrich our understanding of the novels, this class will luxuriate in the richness of Austen’s language and the brilliance of her observations.

OSHR 4078 Tuesday Register

Poetry, Story, and Inventory

Dates: 1/28-2/18 | Instructor: Veronica Patterson

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $45

How does a poem or prose poem (story) come alive? By becoming an extraordinary piece of writing that moves within itself and presents a delightful or distracting surprise or two! Included are exciting list poems. In these four two-hour classes, you will receive writing prompts and word lists. New writers welcome.

Literature & Communication

OSHR 4079 Wednesday Register

Despair or Delight: A Practice in Poetry

Dates: 1/29-3/5 | Instructor: Chloé Leisure

Time: 1-3:30 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $90

"It didn’t take me long to learn that the discipline or practice of writing these essays occasioned a kind of delight radar. Or maybe it was more like the development of a delight muscle. Something that implies that the more you study delight, the more delight there is to study.” –Ross Gay, The Book of Delights

In this class, we will engage with the ideas of despair and delight given current cultural and political challenges. Through observation and reflection, we’ll aim to develop a “delight muscle.” Supported by readings, guided writing exercises, and discussions, we will endeavor to write poems and mini-lyric essays in an effort to resist or turn from despair and perhaps deepen our connections to self and community. New writers welcome.

OSHR 4063 Tuesday Register

Historical Fiction: Times of Sorrow

Dates: 2/11, 2/25, 3/11 (every other week) | Instructor: Sara Hoffman

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $30

The Civil War ended 160 years ago, but the horrific accounts of the enslaved still reverberate. Class members will read three novels about life for the enslaved during the Civil War era. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks’ latest book, Horse, braids a story ranging from 1850 Kentucky to 2019 Washington, D.C. about a Black groom who trains the record-breaking racehorse, Lexington. Percival Everett’s new novel, James, is loosely based on Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, but told from the perspective of the slave Jim. The Known World, by Edward P. Jones, was recently listed by the New York Times as the 4th-best book of the 21st century. Jones writes about a Black farmer who becomes the owner of a plantation — along with its slaves. The instructor will provide in-depth presentations about each book, followed by classroom discussions.

Reading List to be completed before the corresponding class session:

• Horse by Geraldine Brooks, 2/11

• James by Percival Everett, 2/25

• The Known World by Edward P. Jones, 3/11

OSHR 4071 Tuesday Register

Pulitzer Prize Book Club: Demon Copperhead, Night Watch, and Wednesday’s Child: Stories

Dates: 3/4, 4/1, 5/6 (first Tuesday for 3 months) | Instructor: Sarah Olson

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 35 | Cost: $30

The Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, which recognizes distinguished work by an American author, is arguably the most prestigious award an American novelist might win. Among the Pulitzer Prize Winners are some of the best authors our nation has produced, including Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Toni Morrison. In terms of their artistic merit and what they reveal about the human condition, Pulitzer-winning novels have much to teach us. Together we’ll read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, the 2023 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips, the 2024 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, and Wednesday’s Child: Stories by Yinyun Li, a finalist for the 2024 prize. We’ll meet once a month for a guided discussion and to examine each book in terms of its artistic achievement and what it reveals to us about what it is to be human.

Reading List to be completed before the corresponding class session:

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, 3/4

• Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips, 4/1

• Wednesday's Child: Stories by Yinyun Li, 5/6

OSHR 4036 Thursday Register

Red Herring Book Club

Dates: 3/6-5/1 (first Thursday for 3 months) | Instructor: John Blair

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 35 | Cost: $30

Crime fiction lovers are invited to discuss three assigned mystery books. The titles cover a wide variety of authors. The class meets once a month for two hours. Two weeks before each session, participants are emailed five questions to consider regarding the month's novel.

Reading List to be completed before the corresponding class session:

• Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke – March 6

• In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware – April 3

• Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekula – May 1

Literature & Communication

OSHR 4081 Friday Register

Old English Heroines

Dates: 3/7-3/28 | Instructor: Abigayil Wernsman

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $30

The chronicles and poems of early medieval England are filled with wise scholars, mighty warriors, and the exploits of powerful kings. Far too often, this period of history is presented as decidedly maleochromatic. Were the ladies of the time truly content to stay at home, tending to their children, practicing needlework, and sighing out the window? Far from it. This class will survey the histories, poems, and legends celebrating medieval women. We will read and discuss old English texts that give glimpses into their daily lives and their epic exploits with historical context. From the piety of St. Aethethryth, the longing of the unnamed wife, to Judith’s mighty victory over Holofernes, the women of early England survive in Old English legend and poetry.

OSHR

4082 Wednesday Register

Subject Matter: What Lies Beneath

Dates: 4/9-5/14 | Instructor: Chloé Leisure

Time: 1-3:30 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $90

"The best use of literature bends not toward the narrow and the absolute but to the extravagant and the possible.” –Mary Oliver on Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The possible's slow fuse is lit by the Imagination.” –Emily Dickinson

In this class, we will merge “lyric research” (a term coined by Ross Gay) and several poetic forms to push our poetic interests and writing into new territories. With the help of guided exercises, model poems, and group discussion, we’ll wonder, look deeply, and write, welcoming whatever emerges from the curious paths we discover along the way. New writers welcome.

OSHR 4074 Thursday Register

Reclaiming

Family History Through Creative Fiction

Dates: 4/10-5/1 | Instructor: Ann Lowry

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $40

Ancestry research can lead us to exciting discoveries. Some of these findings can be interesting and make us proud to be an ancestor, but some may startle and even sadden us. This course will provide a step-by-step process for writing a family history incorporating real and fictional elements into the story. The process of re-writing can be healing and emotionally freeing. Students may decide to begin work on a short story, novella, or even a novel. Topics include ancestry research, storytelling (character, plot, style), forms of fiction (short story, novella, novel), routines, and habits for writing.

OSHR 4068 Friday Register

Creative Writing Workshop

Dates: 4/11-5/16 | Instructor: Abigayil Wernsman

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $60

Stories and storytelling: powerful tools to inhabit the experiences and feelings of others. Stories can make people laugh; they can break down prejudices, and they can confront limitations. This workshop will focus on helping writers unlock their own inner muse to get words on paper. Welcoming both fiction and nonfiction, this class will focus on the craft of short story writing, honing narrative, word choice, voice, and many other technical aspects. Classes will include in-class writing prompts and lectures designed to enhance writers’ understanding of craft, sharing work in large and small groups, and constructive feedback to help writers meet their goals.

"A great organization with great instructors. What more could you want?"

Literature & Communication

OSHR 3135 Online OLLI Talks Thursday Register

Writing a 'Legacy Letter'

Dates: 4/17 | Instructor: Jay Sherwin

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 20 | Cost: $10

A legacy letter (also called an “ethical will”) is a written document that allows you to share your life lessons, express your values, and transmit your blessings to future generations. A legacy letter is shorter than a memoir, typically just a few pages. Writing one is a rewarding experience that creates an enduring gift for your family and friends. This online workshop includes discussion and brief writing exercises to help you examine your life history, explore your values, and capture important insights. It offers advice, encouragement, and a model structure to help you draft and complete your own legacy letter.

OSHR 4083 Tuesday Register

The Parables of Jesus

Dates: 5/6-5/13 | Instructor: Jeff Wright

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $ 20

The things Jesus did moved the Church to worship him, and the things he said still confound believers and skeptics alike. Jesus was a storyteller. His parables lend themselves not to doctrine but to exploration, self-examination, and conversation. From this perspective, the class will explore the value of stories and focus on Jesus’ parables of the kingdom, grace, and judgment. All are welcome.

Music, Theatre & Film

OSHR 7047 Wednesday Register

Film Music Masters: John Williams

Dates: 1/29-2/12 | Instructor: Michael Morrison

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 40 | Cost: $30

John Williams is the world’s most celebrated living film composer. The range of films he has scored includes dramas, adventure, science fiction, romance, historical drama, horror, suspense, and comedy. His 124 scores include films as diverse as Saving Private Ryan, Jane Eyre, Home Alone, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars films. He also wrote fanfares for the Olympics in 1984, 1996, and 2002, for Barack Obama's inauguration, and for the centennial of the Red Sox and Fenway Park. This course will introduce you to Williams, his music, and controversies surrounding his 13-year term as conductor of the Boston Pops. Drawing on interviews and extended film clips, we'll look closely at scores for such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dracula, and Jaws. We'll conclude with his collaboration with Steven Spielberg, which to date has spanned ~50 years and ~31 films, including E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Munich, and Lincoln. For more information, please contact mamorrison@ou.edu.

OSHR 3260 OLLI Bonus Wednesday Register

ACT Film Festival: Learn the Inner Workings of a Local Film Festival

Date: 1/29 | Instructor: Beth Seymour

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

Outside of the megaplex movie markets and streaming services, film festivals offer audiences and filmmakers spaces to connect and celebrate the art of cinema. Many festival screen films that are not widely available bring the artists and participants to theatres to answer questions. This course will share insights into the film festival industry and offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the operations and programming of CSU's ACT Human Rights Film Festival. The class will show a couple of short films and offer OLLI students the chance to consider what ends up on the big screen.

Music, Theatre & Film

OSHR 7049 Thursday Register

Learning to Play the Guitar Through the Beatles' Repertoire

Dates: 1/30 -3/6 | Instructor: Deb Singer

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 15 | Cost: $60

This class will introduce guitar chord strumming techniques using songs drawn exclusively from The Beatles’ repertoire. Each session will feature 2-4 Beatles songs. The chords needed to play the song will be taught, with each new session building on the chords taught in previous weeks. No prior guitar-playing experience is required, but seasoned players are welcome and will have the opportunity to play more advanced versions of the songs. Historical and cultural context will be discussed for each song, as will basic musical composition (theory), possible interpretations of the lyrics, notable performances of the song, and Beatles anecdotes related to the song. A six-string acoustic guitar is required! Handouts of the songs will be provided and projected during the class.

OSHR 6043 Friday Register History at the Movies 3: Fact and Fiction in Five Films

Dates: 2/7-3/14 | Instructor: Sally Purath

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Historically based films magically transport us to other times and cultures and tell truths and lies about the past. This class selects five historically based films from various cultures and times and sends you instructions on where to stream them to watch in comfort at home before class, so you must be able to stream films and be willing to pay $0 to $4 extra to rent each film. The first hour of class will consist of questions and a discussion of the current week’s movie, so participation is necessary. The second hour will be a lecture on the next film's cultural, historical, and literary aspects: what is historically accurate and false, and what literary elements to notice in the film’s construction.

Film Selections:

• The Name of the Rose 1986 rated R (NOT TV miniseries with same title)

• The Mission 1986

• The Year of Living Dangerously 1982

• Chinatown (1974) rated R

• Lincoln 2012

OSHR 7001 OLLI Experience Tuesday or Wednesday

Cinema du Jour

Dates: 2/18-4/1 OR 2/19-4/2 | Instructor: Joannah Merriman

Time: noon-3 p.m. | Location: Lyric Theatre

Class size: 30 | Cost: $110

Enjoy a series of six films and post-film discussions in the comfort of the Lyric Cinema Cafe, 1209 N. College Avenue. We will gather to watch a selection of movies with unique storylines and observe filmmaking techniques that often vary from the standard studio fare; however, this is not intended to be a filmmaking course. After each cinematic adventure, we will discuss these thought-provoking films together. Movies may be subtitled and carry various ratings. Your theater ticket and a small popcorn are included in the course cost.

NOTE: In some semesters, ONE class will be for 4 hours, not 3 hours, so we can view a particular 4-hour film I’ve chosen. I will give you all plenty of notice if this happens. However, generally, I do not know the film lineup until the course begins, based on Lyric’s schedule of available films at the time of the course each semester. I welcome returning participants as well as first-time viewers.

This course has two sections: 013 meets on Tuesday, and 014 meets on Wednesday. To see the second section, click on the box with the + sign on the right side of the page.

OSHR 3256 OLLI Experience Friday Register

Behind the Pipes: Exploring CSU's Casavant Organ

Date: 2/21 | Instructor: Joel Bacon

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: CSU Organ Hall

Class size: 35 | Cost: $10

Colorado State University’s organ is familiar to music lovers in Fort Collins and is famous among organists far and wide. Built in 1968 by Casavant Frères under the tonal direction of Lawrence Phelps, it set new standards in American organ building. This course will explain the history and significance of CSU’s organ and the process of relocating it to its current home in the University Center for the Arts. Musical selections will demonstrate how different parts of the organ work, allowing participants to gain a greater appreciation for this complex and majestic instrument.

Music, Theatre & Film

OSHR 7046 Online Tuesday Register

The Best Rock Songs of All Time

Dates: 3/4-4/8 | Instructor: Emanuel Abramovits

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $50

Put some music fans in the same room, and sooner or later, they will ask each other, ‘What's your favorite song?’. If we talk about Rock fans, some will choose Smoke on the Water, others Bohemian Rhapsody, some Stairway to Heaven, and many will have other choices. With audiovisuals, stories, and anecdotes, let’s discuss what makes these songs great, the context when they became classics, the songwriters, the performers, their cultural significance, their resonance across time, and why it is advised to wear a black T-shirt in at least one class. From the 50s until today, there’s plenty of great music to discuss, so let’s build our own top 100.

"From history to art to technology, there’s always something new to explore!"

OSHR 7048 Tuesday Register

Film

Music Masters: Bernard Herrmann

Dates: 4/29-5/13 | Instructor: Michael Morrison

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 40 | Cost: $30

The scores of Bernard Herrmann forever transformed the art of film scoring. The most gifted, innovative, inspiring—and irascible, combative, and volatile—of film composers, Herrmann was as fascinating a person as he was a composer. Drawing extensively on interviews with him and those who knew him, we’ll meet Herrmann. Then, using extensive film clips and audio cues, we’ll discover how he used unconventional instruments and musical strategies to score different types of films: suspense, adventure, and the fantastic. To experience and appreciate his art more deeply, we’ll take a close look at a few of his revolutionary scores for films such as Citizen Kane, The Three Worlds of Gulliver, and Vertigo. Finally, we’ll look at Herrmann’s remarkable seven-film collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock—which yielded such gems as North by Northwest, Psycho, and Marnie—and ended in a battle over Torn Curtain that affected both men’s careers for the rest of their lives. (For more information, please contact me at mamorrison@ou.edu.)

OSHR 7050 Wednesday Register

Composers: Grounded vs. Groundbreaker... What Type of Composer is Your Favorite?

Dates: 4/30-5/14 | Instructor: Maestro Wes Kenney

Time: 1-3:30 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $40

Throughout the history of music, composers have written their music either by using the currently available trends or by blazing their own path. The former are the synthesizers; the latter are the innovators. Where does that put Mozart? Beethoven? Brahms? Strauss? Debussy? Sibelius? Schoenberg? Copland? and on to the present day. The class will explore the nature of composition and the impact that socioeconomic conditions have on those who create it.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 8085 Monday Register

Colorado’s Wildlife Diversity

Dates: 1/27-3/3 | Instructor: Kevin Cook

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

All three bluebird species live in Colorado year-round, and all three nest here; they grace no other state in such a manner. Colorado enjoys many such claims to fame; they can ignite the motivation to explore our home state to find, experience, and engage our wonderful wildlife communities. Totaling all the better-known wildlife puts Colorado’s diversity at about 51,000 species. Adding lesser-known species, such as crustaceans, roundworms, and algae, would push that total toward 100,000. This class will explore Colorado’s wildlife diversity by focusing on findable and identifiable species and comparing the totals with those of other states.

OSHR 8061 Monday Register

Techniques to Study the Human Brain

Dates: 1/27-2/3 | Instructor: Nina Azari

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

This course will explore different techniques for studying the live human brain non-invasively. What kinds of information can be obtained from different techniques, like EEG, MEG, PET scanning, and MRI scanning? Which techniques are riskier than others? When did different techniques become popular? This course will provide the learner with information that may better inform conversations with their healthcare providers.

OSHR 8034 Online Thursday Register

Modern Cosmology

Dates: 1/30-3/6 | Instructor: Edward Friedman

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

This class is a survey course of six 2-hour classes related to the recent revolution in cosmology and astrophysics covering:

• Our current understanding of the large-scale structure of the universe

• The early universe and its production of light elements

• The cosmic microwave background

• The geometry of the expanding cosmos

• New observational methods, including gravitational waves

• Updates on the latest discoveries as they occur

• Unanswered questions in cosmology and how they are being explored

• New results from the James Webb Space Telescope

This is not a typical astronomy class; we won't have much to say about our solar system. We're considering the big picture using material from recent professional journals. Lecture notes and videos will be available to students.

OSHR 8063 Hybrid Friday Register

Nature Versus Humanity: New Solutions for Old Problems

Dates: 1/31-3/7 | Instructor: Kevin Cook

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Concerning the interface between Nature and Humanity, ants in a mound work together better than people facing a problem that involves wildlife or natural processes. Recognizing problems comes quickly to mind, but solutions for issues can seem as fictional as leprechaun gold. Conflicts between Nature and Humanity become conflicts between people when one person's solution to a wildlife problem becomes another person's nightmare: disagreement stymies resolution. Familiarity tethers us to tradition that becomes a tyrant. Together, familiarity and tradition nullify new thinking. This course will propose and elaborate completely new solutions to old nagging problems that pit Humanity against Nature.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 8062 OLLI Experience Tuesday Register

A "Bee" Bit of NoCo Sweetness - a Local Honey Tasting

Dates: 2/4-2/11 | Instructor: Lisa Boesen

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $40

Did you know there are over 350 backyard beekeepers, numerous foraging microclimates, and diverse honey flavor profiles in Northern Colorado? That one bee produces about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime? That "terroir", just like wine, impacts honey flavor? Join Lisa Boesen, certified chef and beekeeper, in this two-session course for an exploratory dive into nature’s beloved sweetener.

Class One:

• Outline the local annual honeybee management cycle

• Identify forage and floral patterns in the region

• Get tips for helping pollinators throughout our short growing season

Class Two:

• Learn the basic honey flavor categories and profiles

• Taste various local honey and experience different honey profiles–yum!

• Learn tips to use honey as a garnish and dish enhancer - more yum!

Tuition includes five 1-ounce samples of local honey, a store sample, sustainable tasting utensils, and a UC Davis honey wheel.

OSHR 3246 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Texting with Smartphones

Date: 2/7 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. A presentation will be shared in the first half-hour, and then individuals will work in small groups to practice new skills. All are welcome regardless of skill level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and/or tablets.

There are many ways to make your device feel comfortable for your unique needs. This specific class will provide step-by-step instructions for creating a phone contact, starting a text conversation, replying to a text, texting pictures, using speech-to-text, using emojis, and searching for a text conversation.

OSHR 9045 Wednesday Register

Blooms of Summer: Spring-Planted Bulbs and Flower

Dates: 2/12-2/19 | Instructors: Chad Miller and Alison O'Connor

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

This two-part series will cover the various ways to add color and pizzazz to your summer gardens through spring-planted bulbs and other blooming plants. These plants include dahlias, gladiolas, cannas, elephant ears, and more! The class will cover the specifics of how to plant, when to plant, maintenance, and care in the fall, as well as varieties that do best in Colorado.

OSHR 3247 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Navigating the King Soopers App

Dates: 2/14 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. In the first half-hour of each class, a presentation will be given about the topic, and then the instructors will assist individuals in small groups as they practice new skills for the remainder of the class. All are welcome regardless of skill level or years of experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and or tablets.

Learn how to apply digital coupons to save money on purchases at King Soopers and other Kroger-affiliated stores such as Smith’s, City Market, FredMeyer, Ralph’s, Fry’s, QFC, and more.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 8086 Tuesday and Thursday Register

Mindful Birding – The Secret Life of Winter Birds

Dates: 2/18-2/20 (meets twice in the same week)

Instructor: Barbara Patterson

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $20

Mindful birding combines bird observation with mindfulness practices in nature. In this spring workshop, we'll celebrate bird songs and explore their behaviors, focusing not on identifying species but on being fully present in the moment. Through sit spots (quietly observing surroundings) and bird language (understanding bird behavior), you'll deepen your connection to nature and discover how this awareness can inspire stewardship and conservation. The workshop includes both indoor and outdoor sessions.

OSHR 8080 Online Tuesday Register

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Dates: 2/18-4/1 | Instructor: Edward Friedman

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Quantum Mechanics is arguably the most important invention of the human mind. Our standard of living has increased enormously due to its applications to computers and communications, education, entertainment, medical devices, navigation, energy production, travel safety, and other advances. Yet, many mysteries remain. Experiments show that the quantum world is weirder than science fiction. Scientists cannot agree on how to interpret its seemingly illogical predictions, even though the theory successfully explains the world of the atom and its components.

This class will present the history of quantum science, its key personalities, a non-technical explanation of its guiding tenants, what is and isn’t understood, and the exciting future it offers. Professors usually say 'Shut up and calculate' to students who want answers about the foundations of quantum mechanics. We will expose those shadowy areas and offer the best current explanations.

A free book by Dr. Friedman will be used to present the course material and is offered to enrolled students at no charge.

OSHR 3229 Hybrid OLLI Talks Thursday Register

Understandable PC Security Guidelines Plus Methods to Unconstipate Your Windows PC

Date: 2/20 | Instructor: Rick Lamp

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

This course presents in non-technical English techniques everyone should use to protect their privacy and online accounts. This will cover passwords, password hashes, passkeys, two-factor authentication, password managers, antivirus and firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), and web browser settings. In addition, specific settings in Windows are shown to make it work better, protect your privacy, and make it easier to use. Finally, recommendations will be shared if you want to purchase a new Windows-based PC.

OSHR 8091 Friday Register

Fundamental Principles of Ecology Featuring Colorado’s Local Flora and Fauna

Dates: 2/21-2/28 | Instructor: David Bayer

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

Whether you are a ‘Newcomer’ to the area or a “Pioneer,” we all have a first impression memory of our beautiful Colorado mountains and prairies. But consider the possibility of depinning that awe by examining these mountains and prairies through a new “ecological lens.” - a lens of basic understanding with multiple local examples of places we are familiar with. This will allow you to see the flow of matter and energy through complex food webs, their interconnections, and the five life zones of our beloved mountains. Along the way, we will look at critical issues such as biodiversity, predation, the succession of communities, and the threat of invasive plants.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 3273 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Navigating YouTube

Date: 2/21 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. In the first half-hour of each class, a presentation will be given about the topic, and then the instructors will assist individuals in small groups as they practice new skills for the remainder of the class. All are welcome regardless of skill level or years of experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and or tablets.

This specific class will provide instructions for watching videos with the YouTube app. Watch videos related to cooking, product reviews, religious services, and more.

OSHR 8071 Tuesday Register

All About Clouds

Dates: 2/25-3/4 | Instructor: Thomas W Schlatter

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $20

These exciting lectures aim to satisfy anyone's curiosity about clouds. The only prerequisites are an interest in clouds and the equivalent of a high-school science background. The illustrations will be photos, videos, charts, and graphs, but there will be no math. The lectures will cover four major subtopics: Cloud naming and cloud identification, how clouds form, what goes on inside of clouds, and the role of clouds in Colorado weather and climate. Two subtopics will be presented each day, with a short break in between. Supplemental materials will be provided.

OSHR 3274 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Important Smartphone Apps

Date: 2/28 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. In the first half-hour of each class, a presentation will be given about the topic, and then the instructors will assist individuals in small groups as they practice new skills for the remainder of the class. All are welcome regardless of skill level or years of experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and or tablets.

This class will provide information about useful smartphone apps, such as the weather app, settings, and the clock.

OSHR 1264 OLLI Experience Thursday Register

Not Your Grandfather’s Mapmaking: Exploring the Geospatial Centroid at CSU

Date: 3/6 | Instructor: Sophia Linn

Time: 1-2 p.m. | Location: 211G Morgan Library, CSU

Class size: 20 | Cost: $10

Overlooking the Lory Student Center from its inviting space in Morgan Library, the Geospatial Centroid is the virtual and physical center of campus activities related to geospatial technologies. Researchers and others from on- and off-campus engage with the Centroid to learn how best to incorporate and use spatial data (data that has location associated with it) in their work. Learn how the Centroid turns myriad datasets into compelling story maps, online analysis apps, and elegant cartographic products.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 3275 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Library Access with the Libby App

Date: 3/7 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. In the first half-hour of each class, a presentation will be given about the topic, and then the instructors will assist individuals in small groups as they practice new skills for the remainder of the class. All are welcome regardless of skill level or years of experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and or tablets.

Poudre libraries and other libraries across Colorado offer free access to movies, TV shows, and documentaries. This section will provide an overview of accessing your local library’s eBook and audiobook collection using the Libby app. A valid library card will be needed to use the app.

OSHR 8079 Monday Register

Selected Wildlife Treasures of Colorado

Dates: 3/10-4/28 (no class on 4/7) | Instructor: Kevin Cook

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $60

Some Colorado wildlife lives in other states and even on other continents; some of Colorado's wildlife lives nowhere else but here. Whether global, continental, or local, every wildlife species possesses its own story of connectedness. Knowing specific details about a species – a bird that, through migration, links three continents or a mushroom that founded a major religion – can enrich the experience of finding and engaging it. When that happens, Life itself becomes a destination. "Wildlife Treasures" will present stories about various animals, fungi, and plants, all of which can be found in the state we and they call home.

OSHR 3261 OLLI Talks Wednesday Register

Piltdown Man – Anatomy of a Hoax

Date: 3/12 | Instructor: Bill Cornell

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

For almost 40 years, "Piltdown Man" had a respected perch in our ancestral family tree. Yet Eoanthropus dawsoni was a fake, artfully cobbled together from a human cranium, an orangutan jaw, and chimpanzee teeth. This talk will explore the facts and fiction of Piltdown and identify the perpetrator.

OSHR 3266 Hybrid OLLI Talks Friday Register

Introduction to the Geology of Crude Oil and Natural Gas

Date: 3/14 | Instructor: Harry Mueller

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

Participants will be introduced to the geological processes and the physical and chemical characteristics of rock formations and organic materials that result in the creation of economic deposits of crude oil and natural gas.

OSHR 8081 Friday Register

AI and Copilot

Dates: 4/4-4/11 | Instructor: Edward McConnaughey

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $20

We are entering the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will drastically impact our lives, how we learn and communicate, and how we perceive and interact with our environment. This course will provide a brief overview and history of the field of AI, a discussion of the factors that have recently accelerated the implementation of AI applications, and a review of current AI applications. After the AI overview, the class will focus on a single AI application that is quickly infiltrating our daily lives - Microsoft’s Copilot, which provides access to a massive quantity of digitized data. The final segment will be interactive, using Copilot to access mega-data to generate specific inquiries/requests.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 3245 OLLI Talks Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Smartphone Navigation

Date: 4/4 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. In the first half-hour of each class, a presentation will be given about the topic, and then the instructors will assist individuals in small groups as they practice new skills for the remainder of the class. All are welcome regardless of skill level or years of experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and or tablets.

There are many ways to make your device feel comfortable for your unique needs. This specific class will identify and describe the actions of the power button, volume buttons, ringer, SIM card storage, home screen, lock screen, notification center, and controls center. It will also describe the appearance and purpose of icons often found on apps and websites, such as icons for download, menu, share, and more.

OSHR 8087 Tuesday Register

Mindful Birding - Sounds of Spring!

Dates: 4/8-4/15 | Instructor: Barbara Patterson

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 20 | Cost: $20

Mindful birding combines bird observation with mindfulness practices in nature. In this spring workshop, we'll celebrate bird songs and explore their behaviors, focusing not on identifying species but on being fully present in the moment. Through sit spots (quietly observing surroundings) and bird language (understanding bird behavior), you'll deepen your connection to nature and discover how this awareness can inspire stewardship and conservation. The workshop includes both indoor and outdoor sessions.

OSHR 3248 OLLI Talks

Friday Register

Tech Skills for Older Adults: Facebook Marketplace on the Facebook App

Date: 4/11 | Instructor: Peter Fredo

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Location: Center for Healthy Aging

Class size: 10 | Cost: $10

This course is designed for older adults interested in learning about apps on smartphones and tablets. In the first half-hour of each class, a presentation will be given about the topic, and then the instructors will assist individuals in small groups as they practice new skills for the remainder of the class. All are welcome regardless of skill level or years of experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphones and or tablets.

This class will focus on the Facebook Marketplace function on the Facebook app, where users can sell furniture, clothing, craft supplies, exercise equipment, and more. It will explore how to create a Facebook account, create a listing, and chat with potential buyers. The class will also cover how to avoid potential scams on Facebook Marketplace.

OSHR

8090 Friday Register

How Maps Have Changed How We See the World

Dates: 4/18-5/16 | Instructor: Melinda Laituri

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 30 | Cost: $50

This course will explore maps in their many forms. Maps are central to finding our way from one place to another and are deeply intertwined with technology. We will examine different examples of maps that demonstrate changing technologies enabling the dynamic nature of maps through time. The course is designed with both hands-on exercises and lectures. We will learn how to read different types of maps, practice wayfinding, and consider the power of maps to tell stories and reflect history.

Nature, Science & Technology

OSHR 3276 Hybrid OLLI Bonus Friday Register

Cybersecurity Basics

Date: 4/25 | Instructor: Brian Balfour

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

In the time it takes to read this, your password, account, or personal information may have already been stolen! Don’t panic! Come learn tips and tricks to help keep yourself and your data protected.

In this session, you will learn about online safety basics, such as how to:

• Stay safe when emailing and texting

• Recognize and protect yourself from phishing

• Manage your personal information and passwords

• Take steps if you think you’ve been compromised

OSHR 8056 OLLI Experience Tuesday Register

Hiking the Geology of Colorado's Northern Front Range Foothills

Date: 4/29 | Instructor: Mike Kendrick

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 15 | Cost: $60

Hike 1 Location: Gateway Natural Area

Hike 1 Dates: 5/6 OR 5/8 | Time: 8 a.m.-noon

Hike 2 Location: Red Mountain Open Space

Hike 2 Dates: 5/12 OR 5/16 | Time: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Field observations are the best way to learn geology. This course will consist of an introductory lecture followed by two field sessions at Red Mountain Open Space and Gateway Natural Area. We will observe and discuss the geologic foundation of the foothills landscape, examine and identify rocks, and discuss resource use and geologic hazards.

Notes:

• The dates of your hike will depend on the section for which you are registered.

• Hiking in Northern Colorado can be strenuous. If you are new to the area, please keep this in mind.

OSHR 1265 OLLI Experience Monday Register

Natural History of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area

Date: 5/12 | Instructor: Rob Pickett

Time: 9 a.m.-noon | Location: Bobcat Ridge

Class size: 20 | Cost: $20

The month of May presents us with the most significant change of the year in our Front Range environment. Many of our flowering herbaceous plants decorate our foothills. Migrating birds are returning to nest or passing through to more northern climes. The landscape is receiving nearly its maximum amount of energy from the sun that is transformed into warmer temperatures and a significant increase of time for plant photosynthesis to occur. In the annual synchrony of life, insects are maturing and will take advantage of the energy provided by the new foliage, nectar, and pollen to maintain their life cycles. Herbivores feed on this emerging vegetation, while carnivores welcome the arrival of newborn animals. Spring, with all its beauty, has returned to the Front Range. Along our hike, we’ll discuss many interesting facts concerning our unique region. You’ll learn about a local bird that hibernates, the only salamander native to Colorado, why the most invasive non-native plant will never be placed on the State Noxious Weed list, and why snakes with cat-eyes are bad luck. We will hike the Valley Loop trail, which is 3.6 miles with a 100-foot elevation change.

OSHR 3277 Hybrid OLLI Talks Monday Register

Animals Make Us Human

Date: 3/24 | Instructor: Temple Grandin

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Translational Medicine Institute OR Online

Class size: 150 | Cost: $10

Join beloved animal expert and CSU professor, Dr. Temple Grandin, to learn from her research shared in the 2010 New York Time bestseller, Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals. While it’s usually easy to pinpoint the cause of physical pain in animals, to know what’s causing them emotional distress is much harder. Drawing on research and her own experiences, Grandin identifies the core emotional needs of animals and explains how to fulfill them for dogs and cats, horses, farm animals, and zoo animals. Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with our fellow creatures.

Penn State OLLI Exchange Courses

OSHR 3279 Online OLLI Talks Thursday Register

William Still: Father of the Underground Railroad

Date: 2/20 | Instructor: John Grant

Time: 5-6:30 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

When William Still passed away in 1902, The New York Times described him as “known throughout the country as the Father of the Underground Railroad.” Still meticulously documented the stories of more than 600 slaves he guided to freedom, providing remarkable insight into the Underground Railroad. Working in Philadelphia with the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, Still housed and fed runaway slaves, before sending them to freedom in Canada. He interviewed each person and kept detailed records before releasing them as a book. The Underground Railroad, printed in 1872, is an authentic account of the workings of the Underground Railroad. One story recounted in the PBS documentary, Underground Railroad: The William Still Story, captures Still’s astounding discovery that the runaway slave across the table from him is actually his brother who was sold to a slave trader 50 years earlier. A dramatic re-creation captures the story of Henry Box Brown, a slave shipped by train in a wooden box from Richmond to Philadelphia, where he was greeted by William Still. This lecture is enhanced by video clips from the documentary and includes a brief discussion of the challenges of using re-creations and first-person narrative to tell the story.

OSHR 3280 Online OLLI Talks

The Irish Potato Famine: A Tragedy in Three Acts

Date: 2/20 | Instructor: Tom McCoy

Time: 8–9:30 a.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

In this course, learn about the Irish Potato Famine, an event that defines the Emerald Isle. In the first act, discuss the history of the humble potato, and how this tuber became one of the most important food crops. The second act focuses on water molds and the witheringly destructive pathogenic organisms they can be. The third act discusses the political climate that inflated the effects of the famine, rather than providing relief to a starving populace. The Great Famine defines modern Irish mentality, and after listening to this presentation, you will understand why.

OSHR 3281 Online OLLI Talks Monday Register

The 1889 Johnstown Flood: A Preventable Disaster

Date: 2/10 | Instructor: Peggy Johnson

Time: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. | Location: Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $10

In 1889, a torrential storm drenched the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, area. On May 31, the rain-swollen waters of Lake Conemaugh rose throughout the day until it eventually overtopped and breached the earthen dam. All of the water from Lake Conemaugh rushed forward, sweeping away everything in its path. Thousands were killed. The disaster was soon named the Johnstown Flood. In this course, examine the series of errors and miscommunications that led to this avoidable disaster. The class will also learn about more recent dam failures and near failures and compare those to the Johnstown experience.

"Rediscover the joy of learning in a supportive, vibrant community."

OLLI Member Bonus Lectures

OSHR 3260 OLLI Bonus Wednesday Register

ACT Film Festival: Learn the Inner Workings of a Local Film Festival

Date: 1/29 | Instructor: Beth Seymour

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

OSHR 1222 OLLI Bonus Wednesday Register

Who You Are Matters! Experience Boardgame

Date: 3/5 | Instructor: Rich Feller

Time: 9:30 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 36 | Cost: $0

OSHR 3244 OLLI Bonus Thursday Register Estate Planning

Date: 4/3 | Instructor: John Blair

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

OSHR 1266 OLLI Bonus Monday Register

Volunteer... Who me?

Date: 4/7 | Instructor: Lynette Reiling

Time: 10 a.m.–noon | Location: Drake Hall

Class size: 40 | Cost: $0

OSHR 3276 Hybrid OLLI Bonus Friday Register

Cybersecurity Basics

Date: 4/25 | Instructor: Brian Balfour

Time: 1-3 p.m. | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

OSHR 3165 Hybrid OLLI Bonus Friday Register

Building Empathy in a Divided World: A Decent Meal and More!

Date: 5/2 | Instructor: Michael Carolan

Time: 10 a.m.-noon | Location: Drake Hall OR Online

Class size: 50 | Cost: $0

Travel with OLLI at CSU

Join us as we extend learning opportunities and social connections beyond the classroom. Our trips will give members the chance to bring their learning experiences to life in places around the world. Special pre/post lectures and social events will be designed to maximize learning, engagement, and fun.

Our first two trips abroad in 2025, hosted by EF Go Ahead Tours, are available for enrollment this fall. Interested individuals must be a current OLLI at CSU member at the time of travel, although prior term membership is encouraged to participate in associated social events, lectures, and other gatherings.

The Canadian Maritimes

May 20-28, 2025

England and Scotland September 8-17, 2025

Three ways to register

1. Call 1-800-438-7672

• Reference OLLI CSU Trips (Canada or Scotland/England)

• Coordinator: Meredith Naughton

2. Visit our dedicated tour websites:

• Canadian Maritimes: www.grouptoursite.com/tours/canada-2025-olli-csu

• England and Scotland: www.grouptoursite.com/tours/scotland-and-england-2025-olli-csu

3. Request a call at calendly.com/groupsreservations

This will allow you to pick a time that works for you to schedule someone from GoAhead to call you.

Photos by Go Ahead Tours

Shared Interest Groups

OLLI launched four Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) in the spring of 2024 to facilitate extended learning, connection, and community. OLLI SIGs are a great way to meet other lifelong learners who share similar passions. They are volunteer-led and meet at various times throughout the term. A small fee is required to join each SIG, which provides support for fresh coffee and use of the Community Room. SIGs cater to your intellectual curiosity and foster meaningful connections within our vibrant OLLI community. If you would like to start a new SIG, take advantage of our bulletin board in the Community Room to post information about your idea(s). Consider initiating conversations with your OLLI peers and leveraging classroom interactions to connect with individuals with similar interests.

Please Note: SIGs are member/volunteer-led, and SIG fees are non-refundable and inclusive of the entire term. All SIGs meet in the Drake Hall OLLI Community Room.

OSHR 0004

Meditation Shared Interest Group (SIG)

Dates: 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22, & 5/13 | Time: 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Location: Drake Hall OLLI Community Room | Cost: $10

OLLI members are invited to join this group, which will meditate together on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the OLLI Community Room. This group does not offer formal meditation instruction, but beginners are welcome. The group will begin with a short ten-minute sitting meditation, followed by gentle movement and conversation about meditation practice. The hour will close with a 20-minute sitting meditation.

OSHR 0007

Current Affairs Shared Interest Group (SIG)

Dates: Fridays, 1/31-5/16 | Time: 8:45-9:45 a.m.

Location: Drake Hall OLLI Community Room | Cost: $10

The Current Affairs SIG is a great way to join a lively discussion of regional, national, and international events! This SIG meets to discuss pre-determined current affairs and issues. Diversity of viewpoints is welcome as members seek to learn insights and perspectives from one another. The Current Affairs SIG meets every Friday morning from 8:45-9:45 in the OLLI Community Room. Register Register

OSHR 0005

Artist Shared Interest Group (SIG)

Dates: 2/6, 3/6, 4/3, 5/8 | Time: 9 a.m.-noon

Location: Drake Hall OLLI Community Room | Cost: $10

The Artist SIG is an awesome way to meet new people, share common interests, learn from others, and have fun. This SIG is open to any form of artistic expression that is generally suitable for an indoor classroom setting. If the group desires, we can also schedule activities off-site, such as visiting museums, plein air sessions, etc. Typically, this SIG meets once per month for 2.5 to 3 hours in the OLLI Community Room. Each artist is responsible for bringing supplies, determining their projects, and cleaning up afterward. Our goals include:

• Create an encouraging, constructive, and safe environment for artistic expression

• Create a welcoming environment for new artists

• Provide an incentive to keep creating

• Build friendships based on shared interests

• Provide a community to continue your artistic pursuits beyond the classroom

OSHR 0006

Book Talks Shared Interest Group (SIG)

Dates: Friday 2/14, 3/14, 4/18, 5/09 | Time: 10 a.m.-noon

Location: Drake Hall OLLI Community Room | Cost: $5

The Book Talks SIG welcomes you! This SIG was created for OLLI members who want to share their love for books and/or authors in a social and engaged community of learners. At each monthly meeting, 2–3 members will present a synopsis of a book they have enjoyed and recommend to others. Books can be fiction or non-fiction, recent or older, fun or serious. Member presentations can be informal, but there is also the option to utilize PowerPoint presentations, videos, or other types of media. The more members who want to contribute, the more varied our collective reading options will be. Register

Meet the Instructors

Emanuel Abramovits is a Mechanical Engineer with an MBA and has been a concert promoter since 2000, directly involved in many events by international artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Sarah Brightman, Roger Hodgson, ASIA, Journey, and Kenny G. He designed and staged many original orchestral events, including an Event of the Year winner and several world premieres. He served as the Cultural Director at UNION ISRAELITA DE CARACAS from 2008 to 2019, releasing books and organizing film cycles, concerts, and art exhibits. He has taught online and in person across the U.S. since 2020.

Richard Alper has litigated against federal administrative agencies and served as legal counsel to the MD Department of the Environment, a state agency. He has taught at the University of Wyoming and UNCO and guest lectured at CSU.

Lauren Andersen is the director of the Utah Judicial Institute. She practiced appellate law in California and presented arguments to the California Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court. During this time, she closely studied the Roberts Court. She has lectured about the Supreme Court and the death penalty. Her opinions were quoted by The New York Times and the ABA Journal. She was previously the director of OLLI at the University of Utah.

*George Angelopoulos had a thirty-year career in healthcare business development and senior management roles. In one of his early roles in healthcare, George was heavily influenced by the Sisters of Mercy and the example they set in caring for seniors. Their compassionate care and devotion to helping others prompted George to continue being involved with seniors and senior care throughout his career. It also motivated him to want to help others.

George’s avocation has been helping individuals with career planning and life transitions. He has spent hundreds of hours participating in personal development workshops and networking groups. He has worked with life coaches and has experience with a multitude of personal assessment tools. George has been an active learner and has educated himself in the areas of personal development and life planning.

Dr Nina P Azari earned her first Ph.D. in human cognitive experimental psychology, followed by postdoctoral training and research in human brain imaging at the National Institutes of Health and in Germany. She then earned a second Ph.D. in Religious and Theological Studies, with a dissertation focused on the philosophical-theological implications of the neuroscientific study of religious experiences (focused explicitly on her collaborative work investigating brain imaging and Christian religious experiences). Dr. Azari is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions (Publisher: Springer). Dr. Azari was a faculty member in the psychology department at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, USA, and then at Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, Colorado, from where she recently retired.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

*Joel Bacon is the Stewart and Sheron Golden Chair of Organ and Liturgical Studies and the Fr. Don Willette Chair of Catholic Studies at Colorado State University, Fort Collins. As a concert organist, he has been heard throughout Europe and North America, with recent projects focusing on music by J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart, and Herman Berlinski (including the world premiere in 2019 of Berlinski’s organ concerto, “The Tetragrammaton”). He has played with celebrated orchestras and chamber groups, including the Borromeo String Quartet and the Canadian Brass. In addition to organ, his research and teaching interests include topics related to Catholicism and the creative arts, especially Gregorian chant. From 2008 to 2020, he conducted the St. John XXIII Schola Cantorum, a choir specializing in Gregorian chant. Since 2021, he has been an organist and artist in residence at First United Methodist Church, Fort Collins.

*Brian Balfour is the Director of Information Technology (IT) for the Office of Engagement and Extension at Colorado State University.

Dr. David Patton Barone retired in 2012 to Fort Collins from Illinois, where he was Professor and Chair of Psychology at Illinois State University. He began teaching for OLLI in 2015 but has taken off in recent years because of his health. His interest in the origins of human nature goes back to his undergraduate years at the University of Chicago, where he first majored in anthropology and then earned his BA in psychology in 1969. His Master's and Doctoral degrees (1970 and 1975) are from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and His dissertation was on assertive social behavior. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on personality, social psychology, social development, history of psychology, and statistics in the behavioral sciences. He lives in Fort Collins with Deborah, his spouse of 55 years, and their pets: two standard poodles and an African gray parrot. They have three children and four grandchildren.

David Bayer has an undergraduate degree in Biology, a minor in Natural Resources, and an M.S. in Biology. He taught high school BSCS biology and Advanced Biology for 34 years in Appleton, Wisconsin. After retirement, He volunteered for a decade as a trail guide at a local nature preserve. Simultaneously, David worked as a County Extension horticultural agent, presenting horticultural topics all over the county. After moving to Fort Collins, he volunteered as a naturalist and guide on many interpretive hikes for the Natural Areas for 12 years. David has occasionally presented continuing education talks to volunteer naturalists and natural history presentations to the Senior Center Front Range Forum.

John Blair earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado State University and the Certified Financial Services Counselor designation from the ABA National Graduate Trust School, Northwestern University. A native Coloradoan, he managed trust departments for several Front Range banks in Denver, Colorado Springs, and northern Colorado. Over the past 40 years, his work has provided multiple opportunities to discuss estate planning with people in need of information and sound, common-sense advice.

Meet the Instructors

Lisa Boesen is the former Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association president and has been beekeeping for over seven years. She coordinates the annual Honey and Bee Product judging for the Larimer County Fair and enjoys increasing her knowledge base about all pollinator safety. As a plant-based chef and educator, she tests honeys as garnishes and tools to not only add sweetness but also various earthy and plant profiles to complement dishes.

Nancy Buck, Ph.D., Fresh, funny, and unafraid, it tackles the tough mental health and parenting topics facing us all in lively classes that learners relate to and remember. Dr. Buck earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology, emphasizing Choice Theory psychology. She is a nurse, educator, parent coach, trainer, and author. She has trained and taught thousands of folks around the globe Choice Theory psychology and all its applications for over three decades. Her mission? To teach the world how to nurture mental health and practice Peaceful Parenting.

Chef Larry P Canepa is a Certified Culinary Educator with over 50 years of experience managing and operating free-standing restaurants, hotels, and resorts. For over 30 years, Chef Larry Canepa has operated Dinner at Eight, specializing in community and private cooking classes, food and beverage demonstrations, and Food Studies seminars. Chef Canepa brings a passion for food and beverage through his ‘food-tainment’ lectures, demonstrations, and engaging presentations. He provides comprehensive, engaging, and culinary education workshops and cooking demonstrations at public libraries, universities, workshops, local, county, state, and national venues, and farmers' markets throughout the United States.

Dr. David Caputo received his BA from Miami University and his PhD from Yale University. He has held various professorial and academic administrative positions over the years, including the presidency of Hunter College and Pace University. He has published extensively in the areas of urban politics, municipal budgeting, and electoral politics. He continues his recent teaching as an Olli instructor, election analyst, and commentator.

Dr. Michael Carolan is a Professor of Sociology at Colorado State University. He is also a visiting professor at Ruralis Research Institute in Trondheim, Norway, and a research affiliate at the Centre for Sustainability at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He has been studying food systems since the late 1990s. In addition to having published over 200 articles and more than a dozen books, Michael regularly writes pieces for public audiences, which have appeared in outlets such as The Conversation, Bloomberg, Mental Floss, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Post, Popular Science, The Smithsonian Magazine, Salon, and New Food Economy. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

Brian Carroll, a Fort Collins resident since 1996, retired from the FBI after a 27year career as a Special Agent. In retirement, he helped establish the Security Management Program for the University of Denver. He consulted with the FBI and U.S. State Department, furnishing instruction to foreign police managers about managing terrorist incident investigations. He has researched various historical topics important to the area, the results of which have been covered in several OLLI courses.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Kevin Cook earned a bachelor's degree in biology at Western State College and a Master of Science at Colorado State University. Working as a self-employed naturalist since 1981, he has written nature articles and columns for magazines and newspapers and contributed material to books and an encyclopedia. He taught wildlife seminars at Rocky Mountain National Park for 27 years, guided birding tours for 35 years, taught Elderhostel then Road-Scholar programs for 25 years, and has taught various classes for OLLI since 2005. Since 2000, he has pursued a plan to visit every nook and cranny of Colorado and to find as much of the state's wildlife as possible. In his writing and his teaching, he shares those experiences.

Dr. Bill Cornell has taught in Lifelong learning programs at UTEP and Colorado State University. He is a paleontologist whose research has included fossil dinoflagellates, siliceous microfossils, invertebrate fossils, and dinosaur trackways. He holds BS and MS degrees in Geology from the University of Rhode Island and a PhD from UCLA.

*Dr. Terri Crocker is a retired paralegal and university adjunct professor. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky, where she taught courses on 20thcentury war and memory.

Dr. David Danbom is a former history professor who settled in Northern Colorado after teaching at North Dakota State University. Over the last decade, he has taught several classes in the CSU OLLI program, including this one.

Jerry Dauth was an international financial manager for projects worldwide.

Rich Feller, Ph.D., L.P.C., JCTC researches how to age and “finish strong”. Professor of Counseling and Career Development and one of twelve University Distinguished Teaching Scholars (emeritus) at Colorado State University, he served as President of the National Career Development Association and Coordinator of both the Counseling and Career Development and Student Affairs in Higher Education graduate programs while also teaching within the Organizational Performance and Change program. His consultantships include NASA, the UN, the NFL, AARP, and Modern Elder Academy. Co-founder of Onelifetools.com and the Who You Are Matters! Experience Board Game and Online Storyteller, he serves as Senior Advisor to YouScience.com. As Executive Director of Careerdevelopmentnetwork.com, he’s a lead trainer for the Job and Career Development Coach program. Co-author of Pearson's Career Decision Making System, his international consultations include projects in Sudan, Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Canada, Europe, and Semester at Sea.

*Peter Fredo (he/him/his) is a fourth-year Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) major with a double minor in gerontology and horticulture at Colorado State University. He volunteered with the Tech Skills for Older Adults class in the fall and spring of 2024 and looks forward to becoming the instructor for the spring 2025 Tech Skills class as a component of his internship with OLLI. In his free time, Peter enjoys playing soccer, rock climbing, and listening to music.

Meet the Instructors

Dr. Ed Friedman holds a Ph.D. in physics and is an active lecturer on topics in physics and cosmology. He worked in for-profit and non-profit science organizations that focused on astrophysics and space science, consulted with NASA and the National Academy of Sciences, and authored four optical engineering books and 79 professional journal articles. He was successful in guiding the work of two aerospace engineering PhD candidates. He lectures on science to adult education students at two universities, on cruise ships, and to community groups. He has extensive experience in the OLLI program, and he frequently teaches cosmology at CSU.

Alyssa Golinvaux has spent her life engaging in ways to help others. Her highest hope is for others to live their ideal life. In her roles as a massage therapist, registered nurse, yoga teacher, and KonMari® consultant, she has worked to guide others towards their goals physically, mentally, and sometimes, even spiritually. A Wyoming native, she loves Colorado for its incredible diversity and beauty in both its people and nature. She currently works as a registered nurse in acute dialysis and ICU and works with clients through her certified KonMari® consultant business. She has earned an Associate of Applied Science in Massage Therapy, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certificate, and her KonMari® certification.

Dr. Temple Grandin has a Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Illinois and is a distinguished professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She is the author of six books, including the national bestsellers, Animals Make us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals, Thinking in Pictures, Animals in Translation, and Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions. Dr. Grandin is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America. She lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. about her experiences with autism, and her work has been covered in the New York Times, People, National Public Radio, and 20/20. Most recently, she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year. The HBO movie based on her life, starring Claire Danes, received seven Emmy Awards.

John Grant, award-winning documentary producer, developed and executive produced Underground Railroad: The William Still Story for national broadcast on PBS. From 1974 to 1990, Grant worked at WPSU-TV/Penn State, including four years as general manager. From 1990 to 1995, he was senior vice president of programming and scheduling for PBS in Washington, D.C. In 1996, he formed Driftwood Productions and created, produced, and executive produced more than 50 hours of documentary programming for national PBS broadcast. Grant wrote or co-authored nine companion books for his TV programs. He received an Emmy as an executive producer of the popular PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow. He retired in 2022 and lives with his wife, Joan, in State College.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Steve Griggs is a Denver-based watercolor artist with a signature membership in the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society and the Colorado Watercolor Society. He is a member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, and American Impressionists Society. Steve frequently displays and sells work in local, state, regional, and national exhibitions and galleries. He consistently wins awards in national and regional exhibits and has collections worldwide. His work has been featured in publications like Southwest Art, Watercolor Artist, and The Artist magazines. Steve is a sought-after workshop instructor with students from around the globe.

Deidre Hand has been practicing Tai Chi, Qigong, and Yoga for over 30 years and teaching Tai Chi and Qigong for 18 years to all ages and abilities. She is excited to share these practices so that others can experience the selfawareness and meditative calm that come from learning these movements.

Karen Heckman, M.Ed., has been involved in adult education for many years and has enjoyed facilitating many Great Decisions discussions.

Chris Hensey offered Miami University's Institute for Learning in Retirement winetasting classes for 15 years, nearly as long as he operated his wine shop, Main Street Gourmet, in Oxford, Ohio. This will be his fifth term of teaching for CSU's OLLI. He has passed the Introductory Exam for the Court of Master Sommeliers and serves as a judge for The Cincinnati International Wine Festival. He is currently the lead Sommelier for Chimney Park restaurant in Windsor.

Dr Elaine Stratton Hild has worked professionally with medieval music for 12 years (and counting) as an editor with Corpus monodicum, a long-term research and publication project housed at the Universität Würzburg (Germany). Her research on medieval chant and its notation has been supported by the University of Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), and the Fulbright Foundation. Dr. Hild’s most recent book recovers the music sung for the dying during the Middle Ages: Music in Medieval Rituals for the End of Life (Oxford University Press, 2024). Through her small business, Palliative Music, Elaine regularly leaves the academic tower and offers soothing music to people experiencing end-of-life care in the Fort Collins area.

Stuart L. Hirai is an associate member of several historical and veteran organizations and is active in making presentations at military seminars, incarceration camp pilgrimages, and other venues throughout the country and abroad. He has led battle site tours in Italy, France, and Germany, where the segregated 100th/442nd RCT fought. He has also written articles for the History Channel and has reviewed several books, such as Facing the Mountain, authored by Daniel James Brown, who was on Stu's tour of Italy in 2019.

Dr. Bob Hoffert is a Dean and Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University. As a political theorist, his teaching and scholarly specializations have been the evolution of Anglo-American Liberalism and the American political founding. Teaching enriches his public life; his family enriches his private life.

Meet the Instructors

Sara Hoffman is an avid reader of historical fiction. In 2016, she wrote her own historical fiction novel about her grandmother, Finding Baby Ruth. She has taught literature and writing for over 40 years at various venues, including CSU and OLLI.

Anette Isaacs is a German-born and raised historian and public educator who has presented hundreds of programs on 45 different topics (all pertaining to Germany's history, culture, and society) in the United States. She currently serves as the Director of OLLI at Florida International University (FIU) and resides in Miami.

Ken Jessen is a seasoned traveler with extensive experience visiting Alaskan coastal locations, including Nome, and exploring the state's interior. With over 1,000 days spent at sea, Jessen brings a wealth of knowledge to his Osher classes, which he has been teaching since 2014. A prolific author, he has written 23 books and over 2,300 articles, including a long-running weekly history column. As an in-demand speaker, Jessen has given presentations at venues such as the Fort Collins Senior Center, Loveland Chilson Center, Berthoud Community Center, Westerners, and various historical societies. His deep involvement in historical preservation includes being a lifetime member of the Colorado Railroad Museum, an active member of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, and serving on advisory boards for over 15 years.

Dr. Peggy Johnson is an emerita civil engineering professor and dean from Penn State, where she conducted research and taught in the areas of flooding and erosion at bridges, hydraulic engineering, and stream restoration design. She served as head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 2006 to 2015 and then went on to become the Dean of the Schreyer Honors College until she retired in 2021. Now in retirement, she hopes to share her interests and experiences through teaching in OLLI.

Rabbi Hillel Katzir has taught at OLLI-CSU for the last eight years, offering courses about Judaism and the conflicts in the Middle East. He lived in Israel in his twenties, returned to the U.S., practiced law for 15 years, and became a rabbi at age 50.

Mike Kendrick worked as a petroleum geoscientist for 33 years and retired to Fort Collins, Colorado in 2018. He loves teaching geology in the field, where he has led hikes for the Fort Collins Natural Areas Department, the Northern Colorado Geologists, and the Geologic Society of America. In September 2022, he published a geologic guidebook: Our Geologic Heritage in Colorado's Northern Front Range Foothills—A Guide to Larimer County Natural Areas. Mike is also a leader of the informal group Northern Colorado Geologists.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Wes Kenney is in his 22nd season as Music Director of the Fort Collins (Colorado) Symphony. In May 2023, he retired after 20 years as Director of Orchestras and chair of conducting studies at Colorado State University. The previous year, he was named a University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor the university can award, and has also been given the title of Professor Emeritus. His awards include the 2007 Grand Prize Winner of the Varna (Bulgaria) International Conducting Competition, a 2020 Honored Artist from the American Prize, a winner of the American Prize for programming in 2020, a winner of the Ernst Bacon Memorial Prize for excellence in performance of American Music, and the 2020 American Prize Winner for best orchestral performance in the Professional Orchestra Division. He was previously the Associate Conductor of the Virginia Symphony and has guest conducted around the globe, including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Lviv (Ukraine) Philharmonic, Alabama Symphony, Vidin (Bulgaria) Philharmonic, Vietnam National Orchestra and the Changwon Philharmonic.

*Denise Koenigs has worked as an interior designer for 34 years. She created her own design firm in Milwaukee, WI, for 15 years before moving to Florida. Denise worked 17 years for a high-end residential design firm in the Naples area before moving to CO to be closer to her children. She has been fully retired for 18 months.

Dr. Melinda Laituri is a professor emeritus of geography in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability at Colorado State University (CSU). She has an affiliation as a visiting research associate at the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University (2016 – 2023). Laituri was a part of the US Department of Interior’s Ambassador’s Water Experts Program (2022) and a Jefferson Science Fellow in the U.S. Department of State Office of the Geographer. Laituri is an honorary fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She was the Founding Director of the Geospatial Centroid at CSU (2009) which provides support for geospatial research and teaching across the university. Laituri has conducted research and technical training in GIS and participatory mapping around the world working with indigenous communities and focusing on water resources and disaster management.

Rick Lamp received his master’s in computer information systems from CSU in 2013. Since then, he has worked in the IT field as an IT Manager, doing hands-on work in System Administration, Enterprise Resource planning and administration, custom database report creation, and coding in a multitude of languages. Previously, he was a Purdue Engineer and received an MBA from CSU, and he did product design and development and international project management.

Dr. Robert Lawrence was raised in Tucson, Arizona. He attended medical school at the University of New Mexico and completed his postgraduate (residency) training at the University of Kentucky. Then, he moved to Fort Collins to begin a 45-year practice of psychiatry. He retired in 2021.

Meet the Instructors

Chloé Leisure is a poet and a community creative writing teacher in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was born and raised in Marquette, Michigan. She earned her master’s in creative writing at Northern Arizona University and her MFA in Poetry at CSU. She has taught writing and literature at NAU, CSU, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and in elementary schools’ enrichment programs. She was the coeditor of CREATE! magazine at Shepardson Elementary and the multi-genre online journal Fiction Mingle.

Chloé Leisure is the author of The End of the World Again, a semi-finalist in the Codhill Poetry Chapbook Contest, and a finalist in the CutBank Chapbook Contest. She was the 2014 Fort Collins Poet Laureate. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including the Blue Mountain Review, the Colorado Review, Matter, the Night Heron Barks, PANK, and Ross Gay & Shayla Lawson’s The Tenderness Project

*Sarah Lillis is the Education Programs Coordinator at Avenir Museum.

*Sophia Linn is Head of the Geospatial Centroid and oversees its daily operations, general management, and internship program. She has been involved with geography and GIS education efforts for over 30 years at the local, regional, state, and national levels. She has been instrumental in developing the Centroid since its inception. She enjoys supporting and encouraging others to use a geographic perspective and spatial technologies to explore issues holistically. She has contributed to well over 100 projects for on- and off-campus clients of the Centroid.

Jo Locricchio is the founder of In-Visioned Coaching, LLC, serving people who want to reduce stress and eliminate performance anxiety through mindful practices. She has a master’s in education and is a licensed school counselor (2004-2026); she has a Mindful Teacher Certification through Mindful Schools and has completed over 300 + hours of Mindful Practice and instruction. She is certified by Mayo Clinic/ASU in Mindfulness, Health/and Wellness. She has over 30 years of educational experience working with teens and adults as a teacher, coach, counselor, and curriculum writer and has created mindful retreat centers for her clients. Jo believes that each person holds the answers to their challenges when they practice, creating a gap of time for listening to the wisdom inside.

*Ann Lowry, Ph.D., has taught writing for decades. Her debut novel, The Blue Trunk, was inspired by the discovery of a family heirloom—a travel trunk from Norway. Ann’s writings dive deeply into the complexities of relationships, conflict, and the human condition. In researching this book, she became intrigued about writing historical fiction and found the process of doing so both interesting and healing. Beyond fiction, she has made significant contributions to academic journals, authored insightful opinion pieces, and crafted content for various platforms, including Writer’s Digest, Women’s Writers/Women’s Fiction, and Girl Talk HQ. When not writing, Ann enjoys a range of activities, from swimming and golfing to baking cookies and bread. She treasures moments with her therapy dog, Loki, and cherishes time with her family. She is always eager to explore new adventures in life and storytelling. Ann lives in Timnath, Colorado.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Holly Manley, in addition to her background in medical health, has been interested in witches and other magic for some time. Her research for a fantasy novel and Master Gardener coursework steered her into in-depth and interesting information about witches, which she would like to share.

Carol Marander is an artist living and working in Fort Collins, Colorado. She worked as a graphic designer at Colorado State University for many years while pursuing her fine art. Carol is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the Colorado Watercolor Society. Her paintings have been in numerous juried exhibitions locally and nationally. She is excited about sharing her love of drawing with her students.

Madeline Marchell has been a student of "How to stay healthy in the second half of your life" for many years. And now she is there. She desires to help others age in longevity with good health. Food is the original medicine. Her training in traditional Chinese medicine and her credentials as a medical Qi Gong therapist have allowed her to teach in medical centers and private practice.

Ed McConnaughy has been a CSU OLLI student for 15 years. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (BA in Mathematics), Georgia Institute of Technology (MS Computer Science), and the US Naval War College (US Strategy and Policy). He pursued parallel careers: information technology management and Marine officer (regular and reserve). Civilian Job titles included system analyst Eastern Airlines, regional vice president of American Management Systems, Assistant Executive Director of US Federal Trade Commission, and CEO Planning Analysis Corporation. As a Marine, his specialty as a junior officer was Infantry (Airborne) and Plans/Policy /Operations as a senior officer. After retiring, he lived aboard his sailing cutter “ESPRIT” for 15 years and sailed 50,000 nautical miles to 35 countries. In retirement, he also taught Business English at several Chinese universities and Computer Science at the University of Maryland, where he developed/taught a semester course titled “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.”

Tom McCoy is a software developer for the federal government, and when he’s not busy writing code for his vocation, he enjoys spending time in, and learning about, nature most of all. He is an autodidact amateur Naturalist with a keen focus on fungi and the current president of the Mycological Association of Washington, D.C. Tom has given numerous presentations on his beloved fifth kingdom, and mostly he enjoys talking about fungi that has made a lasting impact on human society, i.e., the Irish Potato Famine, the most tragic event in the history of the Emerald Isle.

Joannah Merriman, M.A., is a writer, community educator, and retired psychotherapist. Her lifelong fascination with books, music, and film continues to feed her curiosity for adventures with words, sounds, and images. She has been an Osher/OLLI instructor, teaching writing workshops and film exploration for over 15 years. Travel, extensive reading, and attendance at occasional film festivals enhance her ability to facilitate both reflective writing and film discussion courses. When she is not traveling, she lives quietly in Fort Collins with her partner, Neil Petrie and two cats, Oscar Wilde and Sappho.

Meet the Instructors

Dr. Chad Miller is an Associate Professor of Ornamental Horticulture at CSU in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. He teaches woody and herbaceous plant materials classes and is the director of the CSU Annual and Perennial Trial Gardens.

Dr. Michael Morrison was the David Ross Boyd Professor of Physics and General Education at the University of Oklahoma (OU) until he retired in 2010. He carried out and directed physics research there and indulged in his first love, teaching. During his 40 years in the Physics Department, in addition to teaching obligatory physics classes, he taught courses on literature and film, created a workshop on writing for scientists and engineers, and developed a multi-course curriculum on Science in Contemporary Culture, for which he was awarded the 1997 Medal for Excellence in Teaching. After retirement, he abandoned physics to concentrate on his passions: cinema, literature, writing, and film music. In addition to two physics texts, he has written countless book reviews, many essays, and two books on the literature of the fantastic—the topic of a series of courses he offered in the OU OLLI program. Finally able to live somewhere he wanted to, he moved in 2017 to Fort Collins, where he resides with his husband Gordon and Tina, the world’s most adorable cat.

Dr. Harry Mueller spent 11 years living in the Middle East, during which time he developed a deep appreciation for oriental carpets. During this time, he took several courses on the art and history of these textiles and frequently visited local shops, building his expertise as a collector. Harry earned a PhD in geology from the University of Texas. He worked in the oil industry (ExxonMobil and Aramco) for 33 years where he focused on the geology of oil and gas reservoirs and taught short courses on that subject for geologists and reservoir engineers.

Terry Nolan has been studying and teaching ESSENTRICS® since 2013. Captivated by its intelligence and effectiveness, she completed the program's highest level of certification, worked with the team that revised the training manuals, and continues to add to her education. She recently attended advanced therapeutic training in NY to better understand the role of music in movement. Her teaching style is mindful and fun as she guides her classes through a complete rebalancing of the body’s muscles and joints.

Dr. Christine O’Brien (Travers) brings extensive experience in the integration of mind, body, spirit, and soul through her roles as an osteopathic physician, trauma-sensitive yoga instructor, acupuncturist, HeartMath biofeedback trainer, and centering prayer and mindfulness-based stress reduction meditation teacher. As a mother of seven, Christine approaches total being resets with the utmost kindness toward oneself and others. Her passion lies in teaching reset practices that can be seamlessly integrated into daily life with ease and purpose. Formerly the Director of Whole Health at the Cheyenne, WY Veteran Hospital, Christine has significant experience in aiding the healing of traumatic brain injury, trauma, PTSD, and physical injury. She believes our innate healing potential unfolds when self-regulation practices are stacked and frequently inserted into daily routines. By understanding the "why" behind these practices and how they transform your state of being, implementing them becomes a natural and logical next step.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Mike O’Connell retired as Director of the Larimer Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in 2020. The SBDC provides small business consulting and support throughout the USA. He led one of Colorado's top SBDC centers and was a threetime presenter at the SBDC National Conference. From 2001-2012, he owned and operated Mountain Woods Furniture, a leading manufacturer of rustic log furniture. Prior to MWF, he was a senior sales, marketing, and business unit manager for two commercial/industrial corporations. He is the father of three grown children, a professional musician, and a vice-chair with the Larimer Democratic party.

Dr. Alison O'Connor is the Colorado State University Extension horticulture agent in Larimer County. She has been with Extension for 19 years. Alison coordinates the Larimer County Master Gardener program and assists homeowners and industry with horticultural questions.

*Devin Odell is a retired judge who served on the district court for Larimer and Jackson counties. As a lawyer, he sued federal agencies on behalf of tribes and tribal entities, participated in regulatory matters in Arizona involving healthcare and water quality issues, and represented and advised Colorado state agencies in water rights matters.

Dr. John Olienyk earned his Ph.D. in economics at Colorado State University and served for 37 years as a faculty member in the Department of Finance and Real Estate there, focusing on financial markets and international finance. He has served as a consultant for multinational corporations and as an expert witness in cases involving financial matters. John taught finance and economics in MBA programs in France and Russia and in an undergraduate program in Vietnam. He also participated in a US government-sponsored faculty development program in which he served as a trainer and mentor for young business and economics professors in universities primarily in Ukraine, but also in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia over a period of twelve years.

*Sarah Olson has spent the past two decades studying and teaching American literature. Originally from the Midwest, Sarah has her B.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University, her MA in English Literature from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Colorado State University. She has taught literature and writing to all ages, from first graders to high school boarding students, to college students at CSU. She loves to create a space where students can wonder and tinker and think, no matter their age. Currently at work on a novel, Sarah lives in Fort Collins with her husband and three young children.

*Dr. Shelby Osburn is a third-year postdoctoral researcher in the Healthspan Biology Lab within the Department of Health and Exercise Science. Her doctoral research was focused on how exercise and nutritional supplementation can enhance muscle quality and function. Now at Colorado State University, she collaborates with Dr. Tom LaRocca, whose focus is on neuroinflammation and brain aging. Dr. Osburn is particularly interested in exploring the connection between muscle health and brain health in the context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases and searching for innovative strategies to mitigate these inevitable changes.

Meet the Instructors

Joseph Osmann, MFA, is a retired college professor who has studied and taught art history for fifty years. He enjoys researching the hidden connections and concepts that drive artistic expression and cultural change.

*James Pagliasotti is a native of Colorado who has had the pleasure and challenges of growing up Western. His family includes several generations of laborers in the coal mines and other extractive industries, ranching and farming. He has a lifelong interest in Native American art and culture, has lived and worked with Indigenous peoples, and has owned actor Gary Cooper's home in Montana for a decade. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air War College (Hon.), the U.S. National Defense Forum Class of 1998, and holds the rank of Colonel and Aidede-Camp in the New Mexico Air National Guard (Hon.) He is the former Policy Director for the State of Colorado under three successive Lt. Governors and has held numerous consultant positions in policy formulation and strategic planning. He runs the Center for the New Northwest, an educational and public benefit non-profit organization.

Barbara Patterson brings over thirty years of experience in teaching forestry, wildlife, and ornithology. She integrates Indigenous knowledge into her courses through practices like wilderness awareness, sit spots, and bird language, creating a rich, experiential learning environment. Along with her work at Front Range Community College, she is the volunteer coordinator for the Fort Collins Audubon Society and an educator for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. She also authored the Mindful Birding Journey booklet for cancer patients.

Veronica Patterson's poetry collections include How to Make a Terrarium (Cleveland State, 1987); Swan, What Shores? (NYU Poetry Prize, 2000), Thresh & Hold (Gell Prize, 2009), & it had rained (CW Books, 2013), Sudden White Fan (Cherry Grove, 2018), and two chapbooks: This Is the Strange Part (2002) and Maneuvers: Battle of the Little Bighorn Poems (2013). Her poems “Around the Block of the World” and “The Samovar” co-won the 2006 Campbell Corner Poetry Prize. Honors include Pushcart nominations, Writer’s Almanac, Verse Daily publications, and two individual Colorado Council on the Arts grants. Patterson graduated from Cornell University (Phi Beta Kappa), the University of Michigan, the University of Northern Colorado, and Warren Wilson (MFA Poetry). She was Loveland, Colorado’s first Poet Laureate, serving from 2019 through 2022.

Rob Pickett spent 20 years at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, as head of the greenhouses and gardeners. He was in the first graduating class in the Environmental Science Program at the University of Virginia. He spent ten years with the Environmental Protection Agency, writing Environmental Impact Statements and assuring compliance with the Endangered Species Act. In retirement, he was the first naturalist for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. He has led natural history hikes for various organizations in the Washington, DC, area, including the Maryland and Virginia Native Plant Society and Shenandoah National Park. He is a volunteer naturalist and Certified Interpretive Guide, leading local hikes for Fort Collins, Loveland, and Larimer.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Sally Purath earned a B.A. in Social Sciences and an M.Ed. at Colorado State University. For 26 years, she taught humanities, history, and language arts to 12th graders in Colorado, specializing in the history and humanities of India, China, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. She also taught Russian, World, and U.S. history and philosophy in the International Baccalaureate program. Sally has taught OLLI courses since 2009 at Colorado State and Duke University.

Patty Pyrz has been an artist since childhood and has more than 25 years of teaching experience working with students from ages 6 to 80 years old. She is a newcomer to Fort Collins and previously lived in Illinois and taught for OLLI through the University of Illinois. While there, she also taught art workshops/ classes for the Springer Cultural Center, Parkland Community College, Clark Lindsey Retirement Community, and UIUC’s Campus Wellbeing Services. She is a recent retiree from the K-8 education system but continues to work in her community. She is a current member of the Colorado Art Education Association and Colorado Business Committee for the Arts. Ms. Pyrz holds a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and a master's degree in Exercise Physiology/Wellness from the University of Central Florida.

*Karen Ramsay, a celebrated Colorado watercolor artist, devotes her time to capturing the beautiful landscapes and urban scenes around her and teaching students the techniques and joys of her favorite medium. Karen is a Colorado Institute of Art graduate. From an early age, she loved drawing and painting. Her parents and other artists encouraged her to pursue this passion. She has been featured in the Big Sky Journal as an "Artist of the West.” Other accolades include Paint The Poudre: People's Choice Award, Wild About Colorado: Best of Show, and Colorado Watercolor Society: Member Show Award. Karen is passionate about teaching and sharing her love for sketching and watercolor. Her classes and workshops are held locally, in the Rocky Mountain region, and internationally.

*Lynette Reiling has fourteen years of professional experience as a Volunteer Coordinator. Her last stop was Boomers Leading Change, where she recruited and managed adults, age 50 and better, who wanted to continue using their skills and experience for social good. She also partnered with nonprofits to facilitate the best fit for both. Reiling spent eight years as a Volunteer Coordinator for hospice, where she trained and managed volunteers who supported patients and family members traveling through the end-oflife journey. Personally, volunteering has been a life-long commitment for Lynette and part of her life purpose.

“OLLI is an excellent opportunity to take classes outside of a person’s field and to interact with lots of smart and curious people.”

Meet the Instructors

Kate Lyn Reiter is an MFA graduate of the Yale School of Drama. She has written and performed award-winning character and stand-up comedy in the NYC area for several years and has been a comedy speaker at various events. An award-winning public speaker, she brings a light-hearted touch to every class. She has courses at Centenary College and Warren County Community College in New Jersey. She also gives engaging keynotes on Bringing Humor to Life and teaches Comedy Workshops focused on “turning adversity into an asset.” In her spare time, you can catch her acting at Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins or doing Agility Sports with her Golden Retriever. Kate's comedy performances include appearances on Comedy Central, Fox Network, and NYC clubs, and she earned a NYC Backstage Bistro Award for Comedy Performance and a nomination for the Manhattan Association of Cabarets' MAC Award. Her acting credits include performing with Robin Williams and John Lithgow in the film, The World According to Garp. Her comedy workshops HumorintheMidst.com have been presented with OLLI and several other organizations.

*Bert Robinson has over 40 years of experience working with people in business, non-profit, and educational arenas. In 2013, he started his own coaching and consulting services to improve the well-being of companies, teams, and individuals by helping people discover and apply their talents and strengths in their professional and personal lives. This work quickly spread nationally and internationally and in 2020 became Inpowering People. Bert graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and history and is a nationally certified CoreClarity facilitator. He and his wife Karey have been married 43 years, raised four adult children, and reside in Firestone, Colorado.

Katherine Robinson majored in psychology and anthropology at the University of Vermont. She has also done graduate training in mental health counseling and is certified by the McLean Meditation Institute (AZ), Yoga Body for breath work, and the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation as a Brain Longevity Therapist. Her passions are teaching meditation and breath work and, finding ways to activate the brain to calm the body, exploring the healing vibrations of sound, and motivating and inspiring others to be the best that they can be.

*Dr. Jim Rose is a retired architect, former professor, and college administrator. He taught courses in architectural engineering, architectural history, and architectural design. He directed a graduate program in historic preservation and conducted research in architectural conservation. He completed a sabbatical in Rome as the US delegate to the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). A second sabbatical was spent teaching a course in Italian Renaissance architecture at the Loyola University of Chicago Rome Center.

Nina Rubin has taught locally for over 40 years, including Jewish ethics, theology, Women's Torah, and Death practices. Nina previously taught at Melton School, which is outside of Hebrew University. She has also developed a curriculum for and teaches for Kavod v'Nichum, a Jewish nonprofit dedicated to providing endof-life education, support, and training internationally in the Jewish tradition. She has taught "Nuts and Bolts of Death and Dying" and "Remarkable Stories at the End of Life" in the CSU Olli program for the last 3 years.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Thomas Schlatter spent most of his career with NOAA, working to incorporate weather observations from many sources (ships, aircraft, radars, satellites, etc.) into computer prediction models. This work contributed to what is called the Rapid Update Cycle, an operational system that generates hourly analyses and short-range predictions of surface and upper atmospheric conditions. He was heavily involved with the NOAA Profiler Network of upward-looking radars that measure winds at various levels from the surface to five miles up and in planning for North American upper air observing systems. He held several posts at what is now NOAA’s Global Systems Laboratory. He retired from government service in 2004 and worked part-time with CIRES, a Cooperative Institute between NOAA and the University of Colorado. He retired from CIRES in 2009 but volunteered at the Global Systems Laboratory until 2017 when he fully retired. He wrote a column about weather and climate for Weatherwise magazine for 37 years and has been taking cloud photographs since his college days.

Sue Schneider, Ph.D., is a medical anthropologist, integrative health coach, certified mindfulness instructor, and author. She currently leads health and wellness initiatives as an Extension Professor and State Health Specialist with Colorado State University’s Office of Engagement and Extension. She is an Adjunct Faculty member at the Colorado School of Public Health. Sue has taught mindfulness meditation in university and community settings for over a decade and has implemented and evaluated community health programs for over 20 years. Her most recent book is titled Meeting the Moment with Kindness: How Mindfulness Can Help Us Find Calm, Stability, and an Open Heart

*Michael Seavey was born, raised, and educated in Portland, Maine. He received a BA in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine in 1977 and an MA in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota in 1980. He entered studies for the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1980, received an MA in Divinity, and was ordained a priest in 1986. Since then, he has been assigned to various Catholic parishes in Maine until retiring this year.

*Beth Seymour (she/her) joined the ACT Human Rights Film Festival as Managing Director in 2018. She earned a B.A. in Spanish from Whitman College and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Tulane University. Beth brings extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising and event management. She formerly sat on the board of directors of the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival and chaired the board of Imagination Celebration, both located in Colorado Springs. Since 2020, she has served as a board member of the Human Rights Film Network, based in Amsterdam. Beth has been a film festival jury member for Movies that Matter, based in The Hague.

Margaret Sharkoffmadrid teaches Art History for the Colorado Community College Consortium at Front Range Community College. She also works with the College Board’s Advanced Placement Art History exam writing and assessment. She previously taught Art Studio, Art Education, and Art History at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, Marymount University in Arlington, VA, FCPS (VA), UNC, CSU, and PSD. Margaret served on Faculty Advisory Panels at the Denver Art Museum, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. She has traveled to and studied art in Italy, Greece, France, Great Britain, Brazil, and Mozambique. Margaret has been an OLLI Instructor since 2018.

Meet the Instructors

*Bev Shaw grew up hating to weed her parents' garden but somehow decided to major in horticulture at Purdue University. She then worked in floral design, perennial design, and production and became a city forester. She moved to Colorado in 2020 and began weeding wherever there was an opportunity, including the Gardens on Spring Creek, the CSU Trial Gardens, and the Fort Collins Xeriscape Garden, and she’s an Urban Forest Ambassador. She's been a Master Gardener for decades and works for Plant Select, where she shares her love of waterwise plants.

*Tetiana Sherman is a professional chef from Ukraine who arrived in Colorado in June 2022. She was the owner of a successful culinary school in Kyiv, Ukraine. Tetiana brought her knowledge, experience, and passion for culinary to Colorado, where she founded Culinary Discovery to instruct clients how to prepare simple yet delicious and nutritious meals in the comfort of their own kitchens. Her refugee story was featured on Colorado Public Radio, Voice of America, and the Coloradoan. Her recipe for traditional Ukrainian Vareniki was published in Cocina Libre: Immigrant Resistance Refugees.

In addition to her professional life, Tetiana is an official representative and active member of Ukrainians of Colorado and a distinguished speaker for the Colorado Refugee Speakers Bureau. She is actively involved in multiple fundraising activities to support her beloved Ukraine. Tetiana is married and resides with her family in Timnath, Colorado.

Jay Sherwin has practiced law, given away money for five different charitable foundations, and served as a hospital chaplain. In 2019, he created the Life Reflections Project to educate people about legacy letters, ethical wills, and other legacy documents. Jay has extensive experience facilitating online adult learning programs and has offered this presentation for OLLI programs nationwide.

Deborah Singer began playing guitar at age 11, inspired by The Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. Subsequently, she has made sharing The Beatles' repertoire with new guitarists of all ages part of her life's work. Deb holds a master’s degree in music theory and an MSW in Social Work. She has been teaching private and group guitar lessons since 1992.

Stephenie Slahor, Ph.D., J.D., has retired from her law practice and university and law school teaching. She now creates informative and enjoyable OLLI courses for universities around the nation.

Eli Vega is a highly published and award-winning photographer and author. His photography has been commissioned for postcards, national calendars, art exhibits, books, and magazines. Eli has published two books on photography and won an international book award for art with his popular book, Right Brain Photography. Eli has offered courses for OLLI since 2012. As a certified workshop facilitator, Eli makes his courses casual, relaxed, engaging, and fun. He has taught photography for over twenty years. Among the venues he has taught include his 3-day field workshops at Rocky Mountain National Park, field workshops at Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs, Colorado), art groups, photography clubs, and several OLLI institutes nationwide.

* = New to OLLI for Spring 2025

See the course page on the website for full bios

Renee Walkup is an accomplished mosaic artist living in Fort Collins. Her work is exhibited in galleries, commercial spaces (Kaiser Permanente, Pathways Hospice), and private collections. She is passionate about the ancient art of mosaics with a contemporary spin and enjoys sharing her skills with her classes.

Paula Watson-Lakamp is a northern Colorado native. She holds a degree in Fine Art from Colorado State University with an emphasis in Graphic Design and Art Education. She has had a long career with local governmental agencies as a designer and creative director. Seven years ago, she started her second career as a professional artist and art educator. She paints and teaches out of her studio near Wellington. She has had various group and solo exhibitions of her oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings.

Dr. Henry Weisser taught history for 39 years at Colorado State University. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University and has written several books, all of which are now out of print.

Dr. Abigayil Wernsman is an emerging scholar who recently received her PhD in literary arts from the University of Denver, focusing on medieval literature. While there, she studied Old English, early medieval Latin literature, and early English pedagogy. She earned her MA in Victorian literature from the University of Northern Colorado, with a focus on the Bronte sisters, and studied Victorian literature at CSU for her BA. She has taught various British literature courses, poetry and writing classes, and Old English language classes. Currently, she is writing and researching a book project on Beowulf and academic translation.

Jeff Wright, founding and now retired pastor of Fort Collins Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is passionate about exploring the intersections of faith with religion, culture, and politics. During his pastoral ministry, he worked with other community leaders to create Fort Collins's local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Faith Volunteers in Poudre Schools, and Faith Family Hospitality (predecessor of Family Housing Network of Fort Collins). Having volunteered for over two decades with Christian organizations in Palestine, Jeff and his wife host alternative tours to Palestine/Israel, where they visit holy sites and meet with Jews, Muslims, and Christians working for a just and lasting peace.

Dr. Tamara Yakaboski, a former social scientist, researcher, and tenured professor, channels her expertise as a resilience coach and organizational consultant. Combining her academic background with a passion for environmental stewardship, Tamara enriches her work with diverse experiences— as a Colorado Master Gardener, beekeeper, mother, somatic practitioner, and meditation and yoga instructor. With a deep understanding of the humannature connection, Tamara crafted the Embodied Climate Action program rooted in neuroscience, somatic, and eco-psychology to offer transformative insights into climate health and resilience. She empowers others to navigate climate emotions and foster climate forward-thinking leadership. Her climate grief and eco-psychology workshops provide invaluable guidance in an era of environmental uncertainty. Tamara facilitates workshops at the Gardens on Spring Creek, fostering critical hope through self-discovery, nature immersion, and community connection. She publishes a weekly Awaken Resilience newsletter and climate-centric gardening articles for the Denver Post.

Donor Honor Roll

OLLI at CSU thanks the many members, instructors, and community partners who generously contributed time, talents, and treasures to our program in 2024. We also appreciate the many thoughtful anonymous contributors who provided valuable support to help our community of learners grow and flourish.

= In Memory of = In Memory of Nancy Hansford

Richard Alper

Elaine Andersen

Tom Andersen

Henry Aoto

Shirley Aoto

Manuel Arellano

Dr. Nina Azari

Suzie Barbour

David Bayer

Sarah Bennett

Stephen Benson

Victoria Benson

Dr. Eric Benson

James Bert

Ann Blair

John Blair Jr.

Chris Blakeslee

Helen Boggs

James Boyd

Susan Brand

Julie Braswell

Tim Buchanan

Nancy Buck

Sally Castner

Madeleine Collinson

Crystal Cooke

William C Cornell

Whitney Cranshaw

Suzie Daggett

Dr. David Danbom

Linda Danforth

Dr. James Danforth III

Jerry Dauth

Meg Dunn

Steve Ela

Dr. Rich Feller

Holly Field

Pat Gannon

Dominick Gianola

Jan Gianola

James Giffin

Jacqueline Giffin

Alyssa Golinvaux

Kari Gomez-Smith

Richard Hall

Brian Hand

Jim Hand

Bruce Hansford

Jenny Hansford

Chuck Harp

Karen Heckman

Alan Hill

Tamyra Hill

L Stuart Hirai

Barbara Hoel

Dr. Bob Hoel

Dr. Robert Hoffert

Jane Hoover

Frank Hruby

Dianne Hughes

Scott Hummer

Catherine Janonis

Lois Jensen

Barney Jensen

Susan Jones

Pamela Kane

Celeste Kling

Melinda Laituri

Dennis Lamb

Pat Lamb

Rick Lamp

Robert Lawrence

Ila Leavy

Jane and Robert Lewis

Mark Liebig

Susan Liebig

Charlene Loomis

Ross Loomis

Sandy Lopez

Dr. Sue Ellen Markey

Edward McConnaughey

Jo and Jerry McDonnell

Eileen McGhie

Ronald McGhie

Robert Michael

Tony Mitchell

Tim Monty

Sharon Moritz

Harry Mueller III

Terry Nolan

Christine OBrien

Dr. John Olienyk

Don and Penny Oliver

Susanne Olson

Ken Oltjenbruns

The Bernard Osher Foundation

Joel and Sue Ott

Veronica Patterson

Connie Pfeiffenberger

John Pfeiffenberger

Jim Pring

Jocelyn Pring

Patty Pyrz

Eric Reno

Steve Robinson

Susie Robinson

Thea Rounsaville

Judy Sayre Grim

Eileen Scholl

Earl Sethre

Lisbeth Sethre

Tamara Shirk

Barb Slattenow

Jim Slattenow

Dr. Cathy Stawarski

Floyd Stephens

Bruce Talbott

Robin Thomas

Felice Thorson-Boudreaux

Jerry Thorson-Boudreaux

Gary Turner

Kathy Turner

Carole Tuttle

Dr. Don Unger

Karen Unger

Mary Ver Straeten

George Ver Straeten

Cindi and David Way

Dr. Henry Weisser

B. James Whitenight

Nicole Whitenight

Gary Wiedeman

Dr. Arietta Wiedmann

Don and Martha Micks

Richard Wilshusen

Jeff Wright

Tamara Yakaboski

Nancy Zola

Donate to OLLI at CSU

Give the Gift of Learning

As our OLLI classes gear up for this term, please take a moment to consider what the OLLI at CSU program gives to you. Intellectual stimulation? Fun and inspiration? New ideas? Friendships? Social connections? A sense of belonging? Consider how you might continue the spirit of giving back to a program that gives so much to you. OLLI at CSU is a member-driven institute and your contribution enables us to enrich the lives of current members and those of future lifelong learners.

Your support helps us expand access to OLLI at CSU through tuition assistance for members experiencing financial limitations, technology upgrades to better serve in-person and remote learners, more social activities, and honorariums for dedicated instructors. We hope you’ll join our growing donor community and make a gift to support OLLI at CSU today.

Give online: advancing.colostate.edu/osher

Give by mail:

Colorado State University Foundation

P.O. Box 1870

Fort Collins, CO 80522

Make checks payable to Colorado State University Foundation and include a notation of where you would like your gift directed.

Make an impact that can leave a future legacy or provide financial and tax benefits now.

The CSU Office of Gift Planning works with donors and their advisors to design a gift plan that most effectively accomplishes the donors’ charitable goals while considering their individual financial and estate-planning needs. This can include giving through your IRA, estate gifts, gifts of securities, real estate, and much more. Contact us to have a discussion about giving options that make a difference while meeting your needs.