OLLI Winter2025 by University College

OLLI@DU / 2025

WINTER CATALOG

The striking winter cover photo is provided by Mark A. Payler, Photographer and OLLI at DU Instructor.

Cover photo credit: Mark A. Payler

Our Mission

To enrich the lives of our members through a high-quality learning and social environment.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Denver is a membershipbased, lifelong learning program for adults “50 years and better.” We are in our 28th year and we are part of a network of 125 OLLIs nationwide. OLLI offers noncredit courses, lectures, webinars, social events, and travel opportunities... No tests. No grades. OLLI is for the love of learning.

As with every organization focused on adult learning, OLLI at DU is striving to strike a balance between the convenience of online learning and programming, and the face-to face connections that we all like to make at inperson courses or events. In this Winter Term 2025 catalog you will find many both in-person and online learning opportunities.

We will be offering 40% of our courses inperson at five locations and 60% online via Zoom! As you learn about the new membership benefits being offered in Winter Term 25, we think you will find interesting classes just right for you. The curriculum work is a major effort by many volunteers, facilitators and staff who plan out the courses that form the very essence of OLLI. We hope you will participate and enjoy this array of offerings.

Diverse In-Person and Online Program Offerings

Health and Wellness

History and Economics

Literature and Writing

Psychology, Religion, Philosophy, Culture

Public Affairs and Current Events

STEM

Visual and Performing Arts

Miscellaneous

COME FOR THE COURSES, STAY FOR THE CONNECTIONS

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / CONTACT INFORMATION

OLLI at DU Home Location

University College at the University of Denver 2211 S. Josephine Street, Denver, CO 80208

Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9 AM–3 PM, Friday, 9 AM–12 NOON Phone: 303-871-3181 Email: olli@du.edu

OLLI at DU Staff

• David Schoenhals, Co-Executive Director for Curriculum, Operations, and Finance david.schoenhals@du.edu

• Laura Uzzle, Co-Executive Director for Marketing, Communications, and Development laura.uzzle@du.edu

• Dave Johnson, Support Specialist davidk.johnson@du.edu

• Mitra Verma, Support Specialist/Graphic Designer mitra.verma@du.edu

• Kim Penoyer, Operations Coordinator kimberly.penoyer@du.edu

• Amber Barthel, Technology Coordinator amber.barthel@du.edu

• Christine Liptak, Zoom Assistant/Travel Coordinator christine.liptak@du.edu

• Maria Elena Garcia, Curriculum Director mariaelena.garcia@du.edu

• Mary Ann Mace, Curriculum Assistant maryann.mace@du.edu

• Ana Cadury do Prado, West Program Assistant ana.cadurydoprado@du.edu

OLLI at DU Central

First Universalist Church of Denver 4101 East Hampden, Denver, CO 80222 Chambers Center

1901 East Asbury Ave, Denver, CO 80210

• Candace Hyatt, OLLI at DU Central Campus Manager candace.hyatt@du.edu

• Tamara Barkdoll, OLLI at DU Central Campus Program Coordinator tamara.barkdoll@du.edu

OLLI at DU on Campus

Ruffato Hall

1999 East Evans, Denver, CO 80208 Chambers Center

1901 East Asbury Ave, Denver, CO 80210

• Maria Elena Garcia, OLLI at DU On Campus Manager mariaelena.garcia@du.edu

• Mary Ann Mace, OLLI at DU on Campus Program Coordinator, maryann.mace@du.edu

OLLI at DU South

Columbine United Church

6375 S Platte Canyon Rd, Littleton 80123

• Darcey VanWagner, OLLI at DU South Campus Manager darcey.vanwagner@du.edu

• Sherilee Selby, OLLI at DU South Program Coordinator sherilee.selby@du.edu

OLLI at DU West

Jefferson Unitarian Church

14350 W 32nd Ave, Golden 80401

• Sherry Feinbaum, OLLI at DU West Campus Manager sherry.feinbaum@du.edu

• Ana Cadury do Prado, OLLI at DU West Campus Program Assistant ana.cadurydoprado@du.edu

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2211 S. Josephine St, Denver, CO 80210

Ruffatto Hall, 1999 E. Evans Ave, Denver, CO 80208

4101 E. Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80222

6375 S. Platte Canyon Rd, Littleton, CO 80123

14350 W. 32nd Ave, Golden, CO 80401

Chambers Center, 1901 E. Asbury Ave, Denver, CO 80210

280 Spader Way, Broomfield, CO 80020

campus map:

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

What can you expect from OLLI at DU?

An OLLI at DU Annual Membership is $65 and is valid for one academic year (August-August). In addition to access to the hundreds of courses we offer annually, OLLI at DU has a new slate of membership benefits that provide social connections, activities, and access to free live webinars.

Membership Benefits—Whether you are returning after years of experience with OLLI or are a brand-new member, we create many pathways for participation. We are sure you’ll find something you like! Here are some of the top offerings:

 TRAVEL—Come travel with OLLI at DU! OLLI at DU has various travel experiences to offer our members during 2025. We will be working with facilitators to offer special OLLI at DU courses and webinars that highlight these countries/regions - their cultures, food, history, geology, etc. Stay tuned for this intersection of OLLI courses and what many would consider the ultimate field trip!

 FITNESS—OLLI at DU Fit OLLI at DU is pleased to offer our members free daily online fitness classes during each of the three terms. Courses are available to all current OLLI at DU members at no charge and are taught by certified instructors.

 FREE WEBINARS—With your membership you have access to more than 40+ free webinars annually. Many of these are structured to happen during lulls between our academic calendar terms. Some are special webinars geared to other programmatic offerings and outings.

 OLLI at CSU RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP THIS MEMBERSHIP IS FOR OLLI AT CSU MEMBERS ONLY who wish to gain access to our membership benefits. They will register with us as a “reciprocal member” and pay $20 per year (August-August).

 SPECIAL EVENTS—So many OLLI at DU member benefits can be unlocked for just $65 per year. Make sure you read your weekly OLLI at DU Adventures news blast and visit this webpage as well. Check the member benefits page to ensure you know all the discounts, events, and member groups you can join.

 SHARED INTEREST GROUPS—Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) are an additional perk for OLLI at DU members, designed to complement and enrich learning experiences without replacing traditional courses. They may originate from former OLLI classes or be newly formed by members seeking to explore specific topics or activities. Unlike courses, SIGs operate independently and are self-managed and are member-driven initiatives, not staff-led or organized programs. To name a few, current SIGs include chess, hiking, mahjong, and snowshoeing.

OLLI at DU CURRICULUM CALENDAR

Important Dates Winter 2025

Activity Winter 2025

Catalog Posted on Website and sent via email Monday, December 2, 2024

Registration Opens and is First Come, First Served Monday, December 9, 2024

Beginning at 10 AM

Note: Registration remains open until the course has reached its maximum enrollment OR until the Thursday at midnight prior to the course or webinar begins

Confirmation Emails sent at time of registration Day of Registration (Zoom links to be sent before online courses begin)

Term Begins Week Of: Monday, January 13, 2025 MLK Day is January 20, 2025

Term Ends Monday March 10, 2025

Note: OLLI follows the University of Denver calendar for observance of scheduled holidays. There will be no classes held on January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / HOW TO REGISTER

OLLI

at DU Registration Process

OLLI at DU Winter 2025 registration will begin at 10:00 am on Monday, December 9, with courses filled on a first come, first serve basis. Registrants will receive immediate confirmation of enrollment in a course upon registration. Courses which have met their maximum enrollment will not allow further registration. Registration will remain open until a course meets its maximum or until the Friday before the course begins or the Wednesday before a webinar occurs. You can check your registration status by following the instructions below on using your OLLI Account.

RETURNING MEMBERS

If you were a member with us last year, go to our website and sign into your OLLI account.

• Go to our website (olli.du.edu)

• Click on the words SIGN IN in the red bar below the image of DU and enter your login information

SETTING UP AN ACCOUNT WITH OLLI

If you are a new member or a member who did not join us last year, you will need to set up an account with us. Follow these instructions

• Go to our website (olli.du.edu)

• Click on the words JOIN OLLI in the red bar below the image of DU

• Complete the information to set up your profile and account

• Once your account is set up, make note of your user name and password

• Follow the instructions below to purchase an annual membership ($65) and register for courses

AFTER YOU ARE SIGNED INTO YOUR OLLI ACCOUNT

Follow these instructions to purchase an annual membership and register for courses, webinars, and events from the HOMEPAGE on our website.

• To purchase your 2024–25 annual membership, click on JOIN-BECOME A MEMBER. Annual Memberships are $65 and run through August. Members enjoy 40+ complimentary webinars online fitness classes (OLLI Fit) and events.

• To browse our full course catalog, click on COURSES/REGISTRATION and click on the catalog image.

• To register for OLLI at DU courses, webinars, fitness classes and events, click on COURSES/ REGISTRATION. Courses can be sorted by date, subject or location.

Please note you must be signed into your account to see see the ‘Add to Cart’ option for courses.

USING YOUR OLLI ACCOUNT

Historically, OLLI phones and emails are flooded with members trying to obtain information about their courses (where they are meeting, Zoom links, syllabi, etc.) Did you know that all that information is available to you at any time even when the office is closed? Simply sign into your OLLI account (Sign in to your OLLI Account) and then click on the word ACCOUNT in the red bar below the image of DU

• To change your email address or phone number, click on MY PROFILE

• To change your user name and/or password, click on USERNAME and PASSWORD

• To see your History of Memberships and registrations, click on HISTORY

• To check on your registrations, click on CLASS LIST (all the information about your courses is found here — in-person location, Zoom links, facilitator bio, syllabus)

• to pay an outstanding balance — click on MAKE

A PAYMENT

Still need assistance on registering or purchasing a membership? Email us at olli@du.edu and leave a message with the best way to contact you. All OLLI staff, not just those in the office, will be assisting during the first week of registration and leaving your name and phone number on our EMAIL (not phone) is the best way to contact us.

COURSE REGISTRATION FEES (2024–2025)

We have changed our pricing plan, so it is now based on course duration (4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 weeks). This change is a result of member requests for course fees based on length of class. Thank you to the Financial Advisory Team who spent many hours reviewing program data about member usage to create a pricing plan that helps us cover operational costs. The new 2024–25 fees are listed below.

Course Titles by Subject Area

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

IN-PERSON by Start Date/Day

DATE DAY COURSE # COURSE TITLE

MONDAY PM

1/13 Mo PM The Reconstruction Era (1865–77): America’s first attempt to form a multiracial democracy. Edelman

TUESDAY AM

1/14 Tu AM Absolutely Wild Economic Ideas That Have Very Real Practical Applications Tsoucatos

1/14 Tu AM China Today: What Are They Thinking? Strammiello

1/14 Tu AM Creating a Crazy Cartoon Universe: The Fabulous Fleischer Fun Factory! Moody

1/14 Tu AM Current Events - Section I Myers/Reinish

1/14 Tu AM Current Events - Section II Casey

1/14 Tu AM Franklin Roosevelt- Leadership of the Free World in WW II Holt

1/14 Tu AM Chatting In Spanish: Intermediate Gordon

1/14 Tu AM Is The Earth in Balance? Water v Energy Kunkel/Steele

1/14 Tu AM Places of Geological Discovery: How the Mind Works Lindsey

1/14 Tu AM Time Travel Through Music and Art Dais/Elliott

2/4 Tu AM How to Speak A.I.: Best Practices for Prompting Your Search Knox

2/4 Tu AM The Pre-Raphaelites: Poets, Painters, and the Victorian Avant-garde Eastman

TUESDAY PM

1/14 Tu PM The Wizard War - Mobilizing the Scientists to Win World War II (Hybrid) McHugh

1/14 Tu PM American Movie Musicals Kozloff

1/14 Tu PM Canary Girls-Giving Voice to the Lives and Bravery of Female Munitions Workers During WW I Bennett/Forsyth

1/14 Tu PM Capital, Inequality and Ideology, Part II Stewart

1/14 Tu PM Current Events For Open-Minded Thinkers Hughes

1/14 Tu PM Great Decisions - Section I Appell/Epperson

1/14 Tu PM Great Decisions 2025 - Section III Tebbe

1/14 Tu PM Jesus and Buddha: Two Wise Men-Two Separate Paths Mackey

IN-PERSON by Start Date/Day

DATE DAY COURSE # COURSE TITLE

TUESDAY PM continued

1/14 Tu PM Notable Scientists and Their Achievements: A Speaker Series Gilbert

1/14 Tu PM The Anglo-American Jury Hoffman

1/14 Tu PM The Untold Story of the Equal Rights Amendment Dvorchak

WEDNESDAY AM

1/15 We AM A Global Romp: The Renaissance, Reformation and Exploration From a Global Perspective Hochstadt

1/15 We AM Chernobyl: The Rest of The Story Cassell

1/15 We AM Current Events - Section III Myers/Reinish

1/15 We AM Great Decisions 2025 - Section II Brovarone

1/15 We AM Rethinking the Big Bang Wiedenheft

1/15 We AM The Woman Question: Exploring Women’s Role, Realm and Relevancy Throughout History Caravalho

1/22 We AM The United Nations Today: Relevance, Impact and US Influence Evans-Klock

2/19 We AM The Real Story of International Migration Swenerton

WEDNESDAY PM

1/15 We PM Current Events for Open Minded People 2025 Bieging

1/15 Wed PM Foreign Films II Reinish

1/15 We PM From Bonds to Bitcoin: A Historical Adventure in Finance Walters

1/15 We PM Understanding the American Indian through Art Collins

1/15 We PM Universal Human Rights Declaration: Where it Came From, Where it’s Going Parker

2/5 We PM Introduction to Writing and Publishing Your Manuscript Frances

ONLINE by Start Date/Day

DATE DAY COURSE # COURSE TITLE

MONDAY PM

FACILITATOR

1/13 Mo PM Classical Music and You; What to Know and How to Listen Like a Pro Beeson

1/13 Mo PM Democracy Awakening Howard/Lilly

1/13 Mo PM Matinee at the Bijou - More Cary Grant and Friends McHugh

1/13 Mo PM Nexus: Harari’s Thoughts on Information from the Stone Age to AI Ortlieb

1/13 Mo PM The Future of Successful Aging: AI-Driven Health Strategies and Lifelong Learning Brady

1/13 Mo PM Watercolor for Beginners: Fundamental Techniques and More Verma

2/10 Mo PM Capturing the Unseen: Capturing and Creating Photos Others Can’t Payler

TUESDAY AM

1/14 Tu AM Alzheimer’s/Dementia 101 - Facts, Research, Treatment, Care, & Risk Reduction Jordan

1/14 Tu AM Irish Storytelling: Time of the Child, a novel by Niall Williams Steele/Steele

1/14 Tu AM The Balkan Conundrum Bowen

1/14 Tu AM The Geology and History Behind Denver’s Iconic Stone Buildings: Quarries and Stories Diedrich

1/14 Tu AM This Land is Mine - A History of Palestine Wyngarden

1/14 Tu AM Who Are We? Some Major Issues in Philosophy and Science Today Putman

2/11 Tu AM The History Behind Denver’s Historic Districts Tiegs

TUESDAY PM

1/14 Tu PM The Wizard War - Mobilizing the Scientists to Win World War II (Hybrid) McHugh

1/14 Tu PM Energy in Perspective Cronshaw

1/14 Tu PM Heroes and Villains of Climate Change Nelson

1/14 Tu PM Memorable Films of 2000–2009 Matten/Petty

1/14 Tu PM Nurturing Relationships: Jewish Wisdom for Building Deeper, Richer Connection in All Your Relationships Serebryanski

1/14 Tu PM The Roman Empire From Augustus to the Fall of Rome Folkestad

ONLINE by Start Date/Day

DATE DAY COURSE # COURSE TITLE FACILITATOR

WEDNESDAY AM

1/15 We AM Anatomy of a Murder Trial Wanebo

1/15 We AM Bridge Basic II: Competitive Bidding Holmes

1/15 We AM Exploring the Artistry of Amor Towles: Rules of Civility and Eve in Hollywood Smilanic/Winn

1/15 We AM The Surveillance State, Big Data, Freedom, and You (Part 2) Levin

1/15 We AM Time Travel Through Music and Art Dais/Elliott

1/15 We AM What Happened to Our Community? How Can We Get It Back? Baird

1/22 We AM Classical Destinations: Great Music for Six Great Cities Schwarm

WEDNESDAY PM

1/15 We PM Baldwin Country: Social Dynamics Then and Now Lambert

1/15 We PM Bridge: Slam Bidding Holmes

1/15 We PM Current Economic Issues: Facts and Fallacies Sahling

1/15 We PM No Longer a Revered Branch of Government-The US Supreme Court Savitz

1/15 We PM The Immigrant Experience: From Europe to America, 1820–1960 Darrow

1/15 We PM The Progressive Era: Antidote to Gilded Age Excesses Christner

1/15 We PM The Science of Snow Bellinger

1/15 We PM The Women: A Historical Novel of the Vietnam War’s Traumatic Impact on Nurses Peters/Peters

1/15 We PM Thriving in Later Life: Staying Healthier for Longer Frey

ONLINE by Start Date/Day continued

DATE DAY COURSE # COURSE TITLE

THURSDAY AM

1/16 Th AM Nora Webster by Colm Toibin: An Irish Novel of One Woman’s Search for Meaning Batt/Batt

1/16 Th AM America Before the Revolution Kleinschmidt

1/16 Th AM Angels in Jewish Folk Religion Sparks

1/16 Th AM Creativity: Igniting the Spark Within Van Dusen

1/16 Th AM Great Movies of the Last 80 Years Magnani

1/16 Th AM Mysterious Places: Global Edition III Lange

1/16 Th AM This Land is Mine - A History of Palestine Wyngarden

1/30 Th AM The English Language - Its Travels Through Time Friedlander

2/6 Th AM Get Smarter About Your Mac PC Sherman

THURSDAY PM

1/16 Th PM Human Evolution Matten

1/16 Th PM Japanese Cinema: Storytelling, Society, and Survival Lungerhausen/Vice

1/16 Th PM NDEs/Near Death Experiences and Lots More; Stunning Reports from Decades of Research Arapakis

1/16 Th PM Oh Boy! Seeking Joy in Tumultuous Times Kester

1/16 Th PM The NEW Old West: Amazing Movies You Might Have Missed Walling

2/6 Th PM Get Smarter About Your iPhone Sherman

Monday Afternoon

Classical Music and You; What to Know and How to Listen Like a Pro

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 3/10 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Catherine Beeson

Location: Online

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Explore and learn about the history and development of classical music, from small ensembles to the symphony orchestra, with a Colorado Symphony musician educator. Discover, explore, and compare the musicmaking techniques of master composers from every major era, including women composers and composers of color. We will listen to, discuss, and make observations about different instruments and compositions. This class will enhance the understanding and appreciation of classical music. OLLI students will learn the basic history of classical music, listen to and compare/contrast examples of music from all major historical periods, and learn about composers from each of those periods. Whether you’re a novice or a classical music aficionado, get ready to expand your knowledge and experience all sorts of new cool info from a professional musician and educator!

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

Democracy Awakening

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 3/10 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitators: Alice Howard and Barbara Lilly

Location: Online

Class Limit: 35

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

This course centers on the book of the same name by Heather Cox Richardson and examines the political, cultural, and social forces that shaped the evolution of democracy in America, as well as the pressures currently trying to push democracy in a different direction. Democracy is a process always at risk. We will explore the disparate forces that drive the ebb and flow of American politics and the powerseeking bad actors always attempting to derail the process. Beginning with discussions of the historical events trying to undermine democracy, such as Nixon’s Southern Strategy, we then turn to recent threats such as January 6 and the Big Lie. The class concludes by examining how we might reclaim our democracy from forces pulling in different directions such as Project 2025. Class members are expected to read the book, examine their own concepts of democracy, and participate in thoughtful and lively discussions. Required: DEMOCRACY AWAKENING: Notes on the State of America, by Heather Cox Richardson. Class does not meet on January 20th.

Matinee at the Bijou - More Cary Grant and Friends

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 3/10 (8 weeks)

Time: 12:30–3 PM

Facilitator: Mac McHugh

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Grant was suave, debonaire, athletic, and charming. What other words could be used to describe Cary Grant? Our second course on this Academy Award-nominated actor (won a lifetime achievement Oscar but not a movie Oscar) will take a look at eight more of his light-hearted comedies covering his four-decade movie career. These pictures are frequently cited among the greatest comedy films of all time. This time Cary Grant will have run-ins with gamblers. newspaper reporters, a Supreme Court nominee, housebuilders, a war bride, college professors (again), a pink submarine, and a famous actress. As one of the first actors to forego the studio system and strike out as a ‘free agent’ in the mid-1940s, he was able to pick and choose his roles (although he did not win every role he wanted). We will see how being a ‘free agent’ helped him obtain so many excellent roles.

Nexus: Harari’s Thoughts on Information from the Stone Age to AI

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 3/10 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Terry Ortlieb

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Psychology, Religion, Philosophy & Culture

We will adventure through Harari’s history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI as we read his latest book Nexus, published in September 2024. The class will engage in discussions about Harari’s positions on the role that information plays in democracy, decisions, and our myths. We will look at the difference AI brings to our information possibilities. We will discuss some of Harari’s suggestions for regulating and partnering with an intelligence that will be superior to our own. This class should open our eyes to possibilities for choices we need to make to survive and thrive in the 21st century. Required Reading: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (September 2024)

The Future of Successful Aging: AI-Driven Health Strategies and Lifelong Learning

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 2/10 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Joseph Brady

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Health & Wellness

Join us for a dynamic 4-week course designed for older adults eager to explore the connection between lifelong learning, integrative health practices, and successful aging. Using cutting-edge research with AI and machine learning, we’ll uncover key factors that drive physical, cognitive, and emotional wellness in older adults. You’ll learn how communitybased programs and daily activities, such as mindfulness and physical activity, promote whole person health and successful aging. The course offers practical tools to help reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression, empowering you to live a healthier, more vibrant life. Perfect for those seeking to improve their well-being through lifelong learning and integrative health practices. Recommended: The Roadmap to 100: The Breakthrough Science of Living a Long and Healthy Life by Walter M.Bortz II MD (Author), Randall Stickrod (Author). New and used books available through Amazon.com, and the Tattered Cover bookstore. He is an excellent teacher who cares about his subject and shares his enthusiasm. His insights offer a lot to enhance the course.

The Reconstruction Era (1865–77): America’s first attempt to form a multiracial democracy

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 2/10 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Jim Edelman

Location: Broomfield Community Center Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: History & Economics

Exclusive Broomfield Offer: Enjoy $10 off your registration for this class!

After the Civil War, America faced the immense challenge of healing and rebuilding. Although formerly enslaved people gained freedom, their quest for justice and equal rights was met with fierce opposition from white supremacists and violent groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Today, leaders like Reverend William Barber and Henry Louis Gates Jr. argue that we are in a new Reconstruction Era. Explore how these critical historical lessons can inspire us to strengthen democracy and advance true freedom for all. During Reconstruction, approximately 2,000 African Americans served in political offices across the South, including hundreds of state legislators, fourteen Congressmen, and two Senators. White supremacists resolved to defeat Reconstruction by any means necessary including voter suppression, falsely disputing election results, and massacres sanctioned by local law enforcement. As the courts undermined enabling legislation, southerners violently rolled back most of what had been accomplished. The Ku Klux Klan and aligned organizations were the instruments of much of this violence. Sound familiar? Reverand William Barber, Henry Louis Gates Junior, and others argue that we are in a new Reconstruction Era. Perhaps we can find ways from this history of inspiration and tragedy to strengthen our democracy and better pursue freedom for all.

Watercolor for Beginners: Fundamental Techniques and More

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 1/13 to 3/10 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Mitra Verma

Location: Online

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Discover the beauty of watercolor painting by mastering its core techniques! This course is designed for beginners and those looking to strengthen their foundational skills in this expressive medium. We will explore a range of essential techniques, such as weton-wet, wet-on-dry, washes, gradients, and color blending. Through guided exercises, you’ll learn how to control the flow of water and pigment to create stunning effects and textures. Each session will cover practical applications, including brushwork, color mixing, and composition tips, helping to build confidence and a solid understanding of watercolor fundamentals. Whether you’re new to watercolor or seeking to refine skills, this course will equip you with the tools to start painting with ease and creativity. Required: Supply List will be provided in advance to all participants. But here are basics supplies like 100% cotton 140lb Paper, Brushes round fine tip #2, #6, #10 or #12, watercolors, Paper Towels, Pencil, Eraser, Sharpener, Ruler.

Capturing the Unseen: Capturing and Creating Photos

Others Can’t

Monday Afternoon

Dates: 2/10 to 3/03 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Mark Payler

Location: Online Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Discover how to capture images that surprise and captivate in this 4-session photography course, perfect for any skill level. Using a smartphone equipped with a camera and editing applications participants have, we will learn to see the world through a fresh lens, mastering unconventional angles, unique lighting, and creative storytelling techniques. This course blends hands-on practice with insightful guidance on breaking photography norms to create striking, one-of-a-kind photos. A highlight of this course will be the introduction of AI cameras and editing applications which will be both demonstrated and discussed as to the moral and ethical use of such tools and techniques. In addition, each session features in-class assignments to help develop an eye for the unexpected and encourage everyone to experiment with creative techniques. PLEASE NOTE: The facilitator will be utilizing and demonstrating from an Android-based smartphone device however techniques and skills may transfer over to almost any smartphone while older smartphone models may be limited in some shooting and editing capabilities. Required: Individual smartphone with camera and editing capabilities. Recommended: Ability to purchase apps if desired.

Tuesday Morning

Absolutely Wild Economic Ideas That Have Very Real Practical Applications

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Alec Tsoucatos

Location: Jefferson Unitarian Church

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: History & Economics

This course will cover topics in Economics rarely discussed in the media, college campuses, or the political arena. This is unfortunate as these areas of discourse have very practical applications. Where implemented, they have been successful in producing conditions and results that have contributed mightily to human, animal, and nature’s well-being. There will be eight topics to review over eight weeks. The first hour of the class will be dedicated to presenting the idea, with the second hour dedicated to discussion, questions, counter-arguments, and implementations. Topics may include Universal Basic Income, Economic Democracy, Job Guarantees, Maximum Wage, Degrowth, and Universal Property. The underlining perspective of the class will be practical application and not dreamy utopianism.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia 101Facts, Research, Treatment, Care, & Risk Reduction

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 2/04 (4 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: JJ Jordan

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Health & Wellness

This course covers every aspect of Alzheimer’s/Dementia and is designed to empower attendees with basic knowledge of the various types of dementia, the latest promising research news, diagnostic breakthroughs, and a thorough discussion of the new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Other topics include the benefits of early detection, critical legal, financial and medical information, and a review of care options. We will also cover dementia communication, interaction, and behavior skills and review available dementia resources in our community. In addition, the course covers the ten warning signs for dementia, the ten risk factors, and the ten risk reducers. Students will learn about the evidenceinformed lifestyle elements that everyone can practice at any age to reduce their own risk for dementia. This course is upbeat and filled with optimism that the breakthrough is around the corner. Participants report feeling better about the entire topic after attending!

China Today: What Are They Thinking?

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 2/18 (6 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Dan Strammiello

Location: DU Ruffatto

Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

The class will focus on the current cultural and social climate and politics within China’s population of over 1.4 billion people. In comparison, the US has 330 million. China has been strengthening its manufacturing in the tech sector, and trying to become more innovative than the West. But its economy is strained, and its young people are restless. Its relations with Russia at war are limited by competing goals with its sometime ally. Its population has been travelling experiencing a variety of open cultures and immigrating into places such as the US, while tourism into China has been dropping. It appears to be an aggressive nation. But all is not well in the Middle Kingdom.

Creating a Crazy Cartoon Universe: The Fabulous Fleischer Fun Factory!

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Gregory Moody

Location: Columbine United Church Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

100 years ago, one animation studio in America made Walt Disney sweat at night and creatively challenged his studio: The Fleischer Studio in New York City. Gritty, outrageous, and willing to take a risk, the Fleischers developed an authentic family atmosphere. They produced 3D cartoons and animation that allowed human interaction with cartoon characters, brought sound to film five years before anyone else, and created the “Bouncing Ball” sing-along films and cartoons that still amaze to this very day. They introduced White American audiences to the great Black jazz artists, including Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong. They brought Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, Superman, Gulliver, and Mr. Bug to the screen, dazzling audiences with their stories, characters, seamless animation, and effects. It’s a story of reaching for the American Dream and being innovative, yet amid overwhelming family drama, never realizing that the Hollywood Studio you’ve relied on is planning to drive you out of business. Recommended: Of Mice and Magic by Leonard Maltin

Current Events - Section I

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitators: Sydney Myers and Richard Reinish

Location: First Universalist Church Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: Central Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

We will discuss the prior week’s news in the first hour. In the second hour, a topic that is current will be determined by the facilitators and articles will be sent out for that discussion. The facilitators of this class express a progressive point of view on American politics, especially during this election year. They welcome conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of a learning experience.

Current Events - Section II

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Terry Casey

Location: Chambers Center/DU

Class Limit: 20

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

This Current Events course will be discussion-based addressing issues that are topical at the time the course is offered. Issues will be international, national, and local with the broad outlines determined by class members. Likely issues will include: wars in Middle East/Israel and Ukraine, migration and immigration, threats to democracy, results of the 2024 US elections, healthcare, “culture war” issues, free speech and social media, K-12 education, homelessness, housing affordability, tax policy and crime. Issues to be discussed in each class will be preceded and previewed by 2 or 3 readings from national and local publications distributed electronically so that each class will have a common basis for discussion.

Franklin Roosevelt - Leadership of the Free World in WW II

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Charles Holt

Location: Columbine United Church

Class Limit: 45

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: History & Economics

This was an excellent class. The material along with the personal knowledge made for interesting insights.

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 2/04 (4 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Rob Diedrich

Location: Online Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Many of Denver’s historic buildings, constructed over a century ago, feature stone sourced from Colorado quarries. This class will explore some of Colorado’s most renowned building stones, including the brilliant white Yule Marble and the brick red Lyons Sandstone. We will delve into the geologic processes that formed these distinctive rocks, the locations of the quarries, early 20th-century extraction methods, and the stories of the people involved in the construction. Additionally, we’ll recount the tales of some of the colorful individuals who inhabited these buildings. Highlighting iconic structures such as the Brown Palace, the Colorado State Capitol, and the Equitable Building, participants will discover a unique chapter in Denver’s history and the stones that built the city.

This Land is MineA History of Palestine

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Gary Wyngarden

Location: Online

Class Limit: 35

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

So what created this mess? William Faulkner wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” This class will dive deeply into Palestine’s past and how it has contributed to, and ultimately shaped, the current-day tragedy in the Holy Land.

We will begin with 3000 BCE:

Who were the Canaanites and where did they come from?

How did the Israelites end up in Palestine?

How did the series of conquerors and rulers shape the country?

How did the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam influence Palestine?

We will explore the last 150 years:

Where did the Zionist movement begin and why was it so successful?

Why did Great Britain support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine?

Why did the newly formed United Nations advocate a two-nation solution in 1948?

Why did the Jews win the wars of 1948 and 1967 so decisively?

And finally, what is the situation today?

This is an eight-week course that will include lecture, videos, and a lot of discussion.

Time Travel Through Music and Art

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitators: Hille Dais and Susan Elliott

Location: Jefferson Unitarian Church

Class Limit: 60

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Long-time OLLI West Music and Art facilitators Hille Dais and Susan Elliott will first take you to the Middle Ages: Hille introducing Medieval music on week one with Susan following with the art of the period on week two. The two facilitators will take turns with alternating sessions in this eight-week course. The next stop in time travel is the European Baroque Era. Then, leaving the “long ago” behind, they will take you to the “not so long ago” to cover the melodic music and art of the Impressionism period and end with the challenge of the musical composers and visual artists of the 20th Century.

Who Are We? Some Major Issues in Philosophy and Science Today

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Dan Putman

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Psychology, Religion, Philosophy & Culture

The questions of who we are as human beings and our place in the world have been at the heart of human thinking since very ancient times. In this class, based on current scientific research, I am going to cover some fundamental issues about who we are and the universe we live in. Do we have free will? What is time? What is the current understanding of our location in the universe? Is our knowledge about the world as certain as we think it is? Is what we call reality the same at the very small level as it is at the level at which we live? (Note to those who may have had me in the past: I have combined some material from a couple of my earlier classes, updated it when needed, and refocused it. So there may be some repetition to you.) The facilitator will have handouts in each class.

How to Speak A.I.: Best Practices for Prompting Your Search

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 2/04 to 3/04 (5 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Ronald Knox

Location: Columbine United Church

Class Limit: 35

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Do you use Google, Chat GPT, or other engines to search for help with an idea? Are you frustrated with technology? Do new improvements make you anxious? Join this class and learn 8 effective techniques from the Google for Workspace Prompting Guide 101. The 8 techniques address the use of Persona, Task, Content, Format, Specificity, Context, Bias, and Refinement. We will practice the use of these techniques so that your A.I. result will meet your needs and expectations. Even more important, you will amaze your friends, family, and grandkids with your ability to speak A.I. fluently!

The Pre-Raphaelites: Poets, Painters, and the Victorian Avant-garde

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 2/04 to 2/25 (4 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Gloria Eastman

Location: Chambers Center/DU Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Literature, Writing & Language

Rossetti, Holman Hunt, Mallais, BurneJones, Morris, and Ruskin were among an avant-garde group of painters and writers who resisted the industrialization and moral absolutes of Victorian England. Naming themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (1848) in order to emphasize their allegiance to a Medieval and pre-industrial England, their paintings are sensual and aesthetic. Much of their poetry might also be described as “painterly.” William Morris features the myths of King Arthur and Christina Rossetti infuses “Goblin Market” with fable-like mystery. They intertwined their lives and female models and wives in scandalous ways, while also creating painting and poetry of lasting beauty. Join us as we study the painting and poetry of these gifted artists and learn more about the Victorian world they were resisting and influencing. Required text or equivalent: The Pre-Raphaelites from Rossetti to Ruskin, Diane Roe, editor, Penguin Classics paperback. 2010. ISBN 978-0-14119240-6. Recommended: art books from personal or public libraries.

The History Behind Denver’s Historic Districts

Tuesday Morning

Dates: 2/11 to 3/04 (4 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Carol Lynn Tiegs

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: History & Economics

Denver has nearly 60 designated historic districts. We will visit them all over this six-week class and explore what each one adds to an understanding of Denver’s history and culture. Our first class will cover Denver’s Historic Preservation Ordinance and the process and criteria for historic district designation. We’ll also look at significant architectural styles of the periods represented in various historic districts. Subsequent classes will look at each historic district, and who and what made it significant. Districts are spread throughout Denver so this is an opportunity to get to know some new parts of town. There are no reading requirements, but a reading guide will be provided. The following links will be useful: Denver Landmark Preservation Ordinance: https:// library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/ code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIREMUCO_ CH30LAPRMaps and Historic Designations and Districts: https://www.denvergov.org/ maps/map/historiclandmarks

Tuesday Afternoon

The Wizard War - Mobilizing the Scientists to Win World War II (Hybrid, In-Person)

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/04 (8 weeks)

Time: 12:30–3 PM

Facilitator: Mac McHugh

Location: Ruffato/DU

Class Limit: 24

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: History & Economics

The Wizard War, as Winston Churchill termed the ceaseless struggle for mastery between Allied and enemy scientists, involved moves and counter-moves often “unintelligible to ordinary folks.” Giant leaps in technology occurred in just six years. The war started with horse cavalry charges and biplanes and ended with jets, missiles and the atomic bomb. We will take a look at seven key advances from both sides of the conflict including: codes, radar, submarines, artillery, jets, rockets, and the bomb.

We will look into how little-known names played important parts in the effort: Lindeman, WatsonWatt, Whittle, R. V. Jones, Turing, Von Braun, Oppenheimer, Heisenberg, and others. How did intelligence efforts give the combatants a glimpse into what the other side was doing? Why did the Allies have scientific teams operating right behind the front-line troops in Europe? Finally, why Operation Paper Clip resulted in the U.S. landing a man on the moon?

The Wizard War - Mobilizing the Scientists to Win World War II (Hybrid, Online)

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 12:30–3 PM

Facilitator: Mac McHugh

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: History & Economics

American Movie Musicals

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Sarah Kozloff

Location: Jefferson Unitarian Church Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Musicals can seem like colorful fluff, important only as vehicles for songs and suited primarily for children. In actuality, however, musicals tell us a great deal about key issues in American culture: the relationship between men and women, Europe and America, city and countryside, story and spectacle, theater and film. Using Rick Altman’s distinctions between “fairy tale musicals,” “backstage musicals,” and “folk musicals,” we will engage in a whirlwind survey from Astaire-Rogers to La La Land. Required: Ability and funds to stream principal movies before class sessions. Recommended: Gerald Kaufman, Meet Me in St. Louis, BFI Film Classics, 1994. Available through Amazon.

Dates: 1/14 to 2/4 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Mark Cronshaw

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

We use energy in many ways: heating, cooling, and lighting; moving goods and people by road, rail, air, and ship; industry. Energy comes in many forms: oil, gas, coal, nuclear, solar, wind, and hydro. This course describes how energy consumption varies by country, as well as what types of energy are used in each sector in the U.S. (electricity, transportation, residential, commercial, and industrial). It provides technical overviews of each of the energy types. Use of fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) results in emissions of CO2. Should we ban the use of fossil fuels to protect the climate? Shall we go to 100% renewable energy? This course provides a balanced, science-based perspective on these important questions, and raises awareness of the role of energy in our quality of life. Recommended: Energy in Perspective by Mark Cronshaw, Springer 2021

Great Decisions - Section I

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3pm

Facilitators: Gordon Appell and Kent Epperson

Location: First Universalist Church

Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

Great Decisions is a program of the Foreign Policy Association which deals with eight new topics each year. High quality educational materials are prepared and provided to discussion groups in cities and universities throughout the United States. On each topic, there will be a chapter describing the current issues around the selected topics supplemented by a video of background information and relevant interviews with world leaders and scholars. Great Decisions text and video disk.

Great Decisions 2025 - Section III

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Dean Tebbe

Location: Columbine United Church

Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

Great Decisions is a program of the Foreign Policy Association with eight new and significant topics each year. High-quality educational materials are prepared and provided to discussion groups in cities and universities throughout the United States. There is a chapter on each topic describing relevant current issues and a video of background information and interviews with world leaders and scholars. Whether you have strong opinions about U.S. foreign policy or just want to better understand the policy rationale, this class will be an interesting and engaging way to learn more. The 2025 topics include: U.S. Foreign Policy at a Crossroads and the Changing Leadership of the World Economy; U.S. and China Relations; International Cooperation on Climate Change; The Future of NATO and European Security; Artificial Intelligence and American National Security; India as an Emerging Major Power in World Affairs; and American Foreign Policy in the Mideast after the war in Gaza. Book Required: Great Decisions 2025. Please order from fpa.org/great_decisions/?act=gd_materials (select: Great Decisions 2025 Briefing Book)

Heroes and Villains of Climate Change

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (7 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Phil Nelson

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Climate change is all about people. A few people (climate scientists) see it coming. Some people seek solutions (climate politicians) and still others oppose those solutions (climate deniers). Climate activists demonstrate, showing their anger and frustration. Climate journalists report on progress and setbacks. Biologists register alarm while theologians provide spiritual context for the threat to planet Earth. Financiers and economists propose ways to deal with climate change while averting economic disaster. Entrepreneurs see an opportunity in reengineering the modern economy while farmers revamp their agricultural methods. Through biographical sketches, we will meet climate actors on the warming global stage, Here are a few of them: Scientists Charles David Keeling and James Hansen; Senators James Inhofe, Lisa Murkowski, and Sheldon Whitehouse; lawyer Julia Olson; financier/politician Michael Bloomberg; regulator Rostin Benham; negotiator Christiana Figueres; activist Greta Thunberg; authors Elizabeth Kolbert and Bill McKibben; administrator Gina McCarthy; meteorologist Mike Nelson; and religious leader Pope Francis.

Jesus and Buddha: Two Wise Men - Two Separate Paths

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Michael Mackey

Location: First Universalist Church Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Psychology, Religion, Philosophy & Culture

Jesus of Nazareth and the Buddha are two of the most influential figures in world history. Their lives and teachings have inspired millions to live richer, fuller, more meaningful lives. And, while there are striking parallels between their teachings, the contrast between their ideas is also quite illuminating. This course will work to first understand the significance of each figure in his own historical context and then, only after this foundation has been laid, will we then explore both their similarities and significant contrasts. Recommended: Muesse, Mark. Four Wise Men. Cascade, 2017

Memorable Films of 2000–2009

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–4 PM

Facilitators: Larry Matten and Greg Petty

Location: Online Class Limit: 50

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Join us for our 5th in a series of the most highly rated and enjoyed films of a decade. Having done the films of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, this term we look at the films from the first 10 years of the 2000s. Examples are Million Dollar Baby, A Beautiful Mind, and Slumdog Millionaire. We will also select from other excellent films of the decade. During the course, you will see many great actors and the work of great directors and writers. A complete list of our movies and dates is listed on the Syllabus. Come join us for an afternoon of movies and fun discussions.

Notable Scientists and Their Achievements: A Speaker Series

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 2/25 (7 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitators: Anne Bennett , Peter Gilbert , Charles Holt , Ronald Knox , Ira Rifkin, Ken Sweet

Location: Columbine United Church

Class Limit: 35

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Please refer to the syllabus for the order of presentation.

Anne Bennett: Lynn Margulis was an evolutionary biologist who advanced the controversial theory of evolution through symbiosis. Carl Sagan was a planetary astronomer and communicator, best known for his work in extraterrestrial life and the development of amino acids from basic chemicals and light.

Peter Gilbert’s first lecture will feature double Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie who experimented with radioactivity and discovered radium and polonium, and Vera Rubin, the first astronomer to prove the existence of dark matter in the universe. His second lecture will focus on Albert Einstein’s life and work, with discussion on Ernest Rutherford who discovered the atomic nucleus of the atom. Finally, Peter will talk about Steven Hawking and black holes followed by Kip Thorne and gravitational waves.

Charles Holt will present on John Archibald Wheeler, a world-renowned American theoretical physicist, who was largely responsible for reviving US interest in general relativity in post WWII. He worked with Niels Bohr on basic principles behind nuclear fission.

Ron Knox will highlight English mathematician Thomas Bayes: The Bayes Theorem is a fundamental component of AI tools, particularly those dealing with probabilistic reasoning and machine learning. Ira Rifkin will present on leaders in infectious disease care.

Ken Sweet will discuss two scientists / geophysicists, Harold Seigel and Phillip Hallof. Both were leaders in early mining geophysics. Without their expertise we would not have the mineral resources we have today.

Nurturing

Relationships:

Jewish Wisdom for Building Deeper, Richer Connection in All Your Relationships

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 2/18 (6 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Rabbi Yossi Serebryanski

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Psychology, Religion, Philosophy & Culture

Relationships don’t just happen;they’re nurtured. This course empowers you to enhance, enrich, and nurture all your interpersonal relationships; at home, at work, and beyond. Explore classic Jewish texts to uncover knowledge and skills for practicing empathy, active listening, agreeable disagreement, interpersonal optimism, constructive criticism, and effective relationship repair. This course will satisfy most states’ continuing education requirements for Medical Doctors, Psychologists, Social Workers, LMFTs, and LMHC/LPCs. Go to myjli. com/continuingeducation for a complete accreditation statement.myJLI.com

NOTE: There is a text: Nurturing Relationships: Jewish Wisdom for Building Deeper, Richer Connection in All Your Relationships; a $25 will be added to the course fee to cover the book fee and shipping.

The Anglo-American Jury

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Morris Hoffman

Location: Ruffato/DU

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: History & Economics

In this course we will examine, and have lots of fun with, seven main aspects of the AngloAmerican jury(including the grand jury): its long history, from pre-classical times through the Greeks, Romans, Vikings, English, colonial Americans, and the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Amendments; the nuts and bolts of jury selection (everything you will ever need to know if you get that dreaded summons), including the processes of compiling master lists and summoning, being excused or deferred, voir dire, challenges for cause, and peremptory challenges; death qualification in capital cases; the Batson problem (how to deal in civil and criminal cases with a lawyer’s impermissible discrimination in the exercise of peremptory challenges); the Apprendi-Blakely-Booker problem (how to constitutionally draw the line in criminal cases between decisions that may be made by judges and decisions that must be made by jurors); jury sentencing; and jury nullification. Halfway through the class, we will have a mock jury selection using the students as prospective jurors.

The Roman Empire From Augustus to the Fall of Rome

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 3/4 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3:30 PM

Facilitator: Alan Folkestad

Location: Online

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: History & Economics

At its zenith, the Roman Empire bridged the entire Mediterranean. The history of its amazing rise and ruinous fall has fascinated history students ever since. But what does that have to do with today? The Roman Empire’s influence is evident everywhere: the Colosseum’s architecture in our sports stadiums; the Pantheon’s dome and columns in buildings like our Capitol; the 365-day calendar with 12 months. Rome has shaped the modern world in politics and government. Our nation was modeled after the Roman Republic with a senate, three branches, checks and balances, and vetoes. Our army is modeled after Roman military initiatives. Our entertainment emulates Roman concepts, as spectators enjoy cheering on their favorite teams and displaying their colors. Studying the Roman Empire with Great Courses will enhance your understanding and appreciation of its place in history.

The Untold Story of the Equal Rights Amendment

Tuesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/14 to 2/18 (6 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Michael Holmes

Location: Online

Class Limit: 15

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Miscellaneous

Bridge is a wonderful game for us seniors. It keeps our minds active, and it keeps us computing, deciphering, and using logic and deduction. It is also a very social game. All very good for us seniors. Also, perhaps the most important thing is that it is a fun game. This is the second beginning bridge class “Bridge Basics II.” This course is for individuals new to bridge or those who have been absent from bridge for a while. In this course, students will learn about preemptive bidding and responses, overcalls and responses, takeout doubles, and responsesBooks/Materials: Recommended: Bidding in the 21st Century. The American Contract League (ACBL) will provide the book for the students. Other: There is a $20.00 nonnegotiable or refundable fee for this class. The fee goes to offset the app fees so students can play bridge online and postage to mail the book to the students. Failure to pay the fee will result with you being dropped from the class. Students will either pay the instruction via check or Zelle (3039289187) (mdholmes8@yahoo.com).

Address: 313 Clisby Austin Rd, Tunnel Hill, GA 30755. Phone# 303 928-9187.

Chernobyl: The Rest of the Story

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Wayne Cassell

Location: First Universalist Church Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: History & Economics

At 0900 on 28 APRIL, 1986, unusually high radiation levels were detected at the nuclear power plant at Forsmark, Sweden. Tests showed these radioactive particles could only have come from a Soviet nuclear reactor and the wind patterns pointed to Chernobyl. That evening, in a 23 word statement, TASS, the Soviet News Agency, reported an accident had happened to one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine SSR. This was the first the world knew about it. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the opening of archives in Russia and Ukraine we have a good idea what happened. This class will use the HBO series Chernobyl as a visual guide to the accident and draw on numerous books and other videos to fill in the details the HBO series left out. These are 2 of the books I read; Midnight In Chernobyl, Adam Higgenbotham; Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy. You DO NOT HAVE to read the books.

Current Events - Section III

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitators: Sydney Myers and Richard Reinish

Location: First Universalist Church Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: Central Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

We will discuss the prior week’s news in the first hour. In the second hour a topic that is current will be determined by the facilitators and articles will be sent out for that discussion. The facilitators of this class express a progressive point of view on American politics, especially during this election year. They welcome conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of our learning experience.

Exploring the Artistry of Amor Towles: Rules of Civility and Eve in Hollywood

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 2/26 (7 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitators: Patty Smilanic and Peggy Winn

Location: Online Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Literature, Writing & Language

Do you find yourself reminiscing, wondering what “might have been?” “In our twenties, when there is still so much time ahead…, time that seems ample for a hundred indecisions, for a hundred visions and revisions…and the decisions we have made will shape our lives for decades to come.” (Rules of Civility) In his debut novel, Rules of Civility, Amor Towles introduces Katey Kontent, Eve Ross and Tinker Grey. At a 1966 MOMA photography exhibit, Katey contemplates her past, reflecting on Tinker and Eve, and those kaleidoscopic shifts that shaped their 1938. With each twist, Towles takes us on an unforgettable journey through NYC, until Eve Ross “just waltzes away,” leaving us wondering about her. Fortunately, Eve in Hollywood, a novella in Table for Two, answers this mystery as Towles unveils Eve’s life in the less-than-glamorous Hollywood. Join us as we explore the vibrant, unexpected artistry of Amor Towles. Required Reading: Rules of Civility and Table for Two by Amor Towles

Great Decisions 2025 - Section II

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Dennis Brovarone

Location: Chambers Center/DU

Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

Great Decisions is a program of the Foreign Policy Association, which is new each year. High-quality educational materials are prepared and provided to discussion groups in cities and universities throughout the United States. On each topic, there will be a chapter describing the current issues around the selected topic and a video of background information and relevant interviews with world leaders and scholars. Required Book: Great Decisions 2025 Briefing Book, available from the Foreign Policy Association. Registered members, please order.

Rethinking the Big Bang

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Wilson Wiedenheft

Location: First Universalist Church Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

With powerful new telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists are making observations that challenge our theories of the cosmos. Today’s telescopes have enabled scientists to peer back over 13.5 billion years to see the first galaxies formed out of the darkness of the early universe, and to make current observations that challenge our theories of the early cosmos. JWST’s highresolution and high-sensitivity instruments allow it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and have revealed surprising discoveries. In this class, we will explore these recent discoveries and discuss how they support or disrupt our view of the universe. Prior knowledge of cosmology is not required, as we will review the underlying cosmological principles at an introductory level.

The Surveillance State, Big Data, Freedom, and You (Part 2)

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 2/19 (6 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Michael Levin

Location: Online Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

The Surveillance State Big Data, Freedom, and You is a 2016 Great Courses video series presented by Paul Rosenzweig, JD. Over 24 lectures (12 in Fall 2024 and 12 in Winter 2025), you will: Learn some of the history of surveillance. Gain understanding of how intelligence collection works in the US and why 9/11 was so transformative. Explore new technologies and their ramifications. Examine big data. Learn why the Internet is a treasure trove for spies and commercial companies. Explore how people are trying to get off the grid or secure their communications. Discover how Europe is answering some of these difficult questions. We will watch two 30-minute lectures with a discussion of related material after each. If you have access to kanopy videos you can watch any of the lectures.

See, for example: https://www.kanopy.com/ en/denverlibrary/video/261085

The United Nations Today: Relevance, Impact and US Influence

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/22 to 3/14 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Christine Evans-Klock

Location: Chambers Center/DU

Class Limit: 20

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

What is the UN doing these days… with ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine; Russian and Israeli leaders accused of war crimes; humanitarian disasters in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; existential threats of climate change; intransigent poverty, and periodic pandemics? Are the UN’s founding values and its multilateral approach still relevant? In 1945, 51 nations signed the UN Charter, committing themselves to avoid another world war through collective security and respect for human rights. There are now 193 UN Member States, dozens of UN agencies, and 131 UN country offices. What are these agencies; do they work together; what impact do they have collectively? Will anything come of the growing demand for Security Council reform? Each week the course will focus on a specific aspect of the UN’s work through lectures, videos, and discussions.

The Woman Question: Exploring Women’s Role, Realm and Relevancy Throughout History

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Mary Caravalho

Location: Chambers Center/DU

Class Limit: 20

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: History & Economics

Thirty thousand years ago, an agricultural peoples revering Woman as the life-giving symbol of the creator Goddess lived in and around Mesopotamia. However, invaders from the north with their violent world view and male God came to conquer. By 2000 BCE the Goddess and women had lost all status. This class will travel through ancient Mesopotamia, the Bible, and Greek Mythology, where misogyny by the Middle Ages, calcified into the “Essential Evil of Women.” By the 14th Century, women began to retake a foothold in society, meeting in their own communities, questioning the male gaslighting of their world. They began to think and write openly, arguing against a male culture that did not know what to do with them, creating “The Woman Question.” Not until the Feminist Movement of 20th Century do women begin to wonder what came before. This class wrenches those voices from the past.

Time Travel Through Music and Art

Wednesday Morning Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitators: Hille Dais and Susan Elliott

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

Long-time OLLI West Music and Art facilitators Hille Dais and Susan Elliott will first take you to the Middle Ages, Hille introducing Medieval music on week one with Susan following with the art of the period on week two. The two facilitators will take turns with alternating sessions in this eight-week course. The next stop in time travel is the European Baroque Era. Then, leaving the “long ago” behind, they will take you to the “not so long ago” to cover the melodic music and art of the Impressionism period and end with the challenge of the musical composers and visual artists of the 20th Century.

What Happened to Our Community? How Can We Get It Back?

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Bill Baird

Location: Online

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

We will examine the decline in “social capital” in America since the 1970s and what this means to neighborhoods and our future if the decline continues. We will talk about what we remember from our own childhood neighborhoods. How did folks get to know each other? What was shared? What were the routines and expectations of the inhabitants of strong, functioning communities? Belonging to a community is a choice. If we refuse to join, then what is missing? Do we have something better? If not, then how do we begin to restore vibrant neighborhoods and re-discover our need for community? What are some local examples of “abundant communities?” What kind of communities should our children and grandchildren inherit? What will they look like? How do we begin to build community with them? The final class meeting will be your ideas for healthy communities that you would like to help create and nurture.

Classical Destinations: Great Music for Six Great Cities

Wednesday Morning Dates: 1/22 to 2/26 (6 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Betsy Schwarm

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

In the classical music world, Vienna often captures the headlines. That’s what happens when a city has been home to Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and many other great master composers! But what about some of the world’s other great musical cities? Presented by music historian and frequent OLLI instructor Betsy Schwarm, this six-week Wednesday morning online course will take us not only to that musical capital on the Danube, but also to London, Paris, Rome, Boston, and New York City. The spotlight will be on music inspired by those places, reflecting the composers’ impressions, as well as the cities’ musical personalities. Selections from the menu include Mozart’s serenades, Haydn’s London symphonies, An American in Paris and The Pines of Rome. Boston and NYC bring World’s Fair premieres of works by star composers. Distinct places, disparate generations, and diverse musical voices! Join Betsy for Classical Destinations: Great Music for Six Great Cities!

The facilitator was simply wonderful - generous, knowledgeable, humorous, engaging - and the music was a joy.

The Real Story of International Migration

Wednesday Morning

Dates: 2/19 to 3/12 (4 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Steve Swenerton

Location: Broomfield Community Center

Class Limit: 20

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

Exclusive Broomfield Offer: Enjoy $10 off your registration for this class!

Unpack the Truth About Global Migration. Migration is a hot topic, yet it’s often misunderstood. From myths like “Immigrants are poisoning our country” to “They increase crime rates,” misconceptions abound. Join Steve Swenerton as he cuts through the noise with clear, factual insights on global and U.S. migration. Explore migration trends in the Eastern Hemisphere and dive deep into American immigration issues, with a thorough look at both historical and current perspectives. Engage in enlightening discussions and leave with a solid grasp of the real story behind the headlines. Informative handouts will be provided. Recommended: How Migration Really Works.

Wednesday

Tom is interested in the events shaping our community and policies that may make for a more robust and fulfilling society. We will discuss events each week that have either come to our recent attention or that may represent issues of recurring interest. Tom is looking for OLLI members to register for the class who are open-minded, value lively and respectful discourse, and are looking to share ideas. No class 2/19 & 2/26

Foreign Films II

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 12:45–3 PM

Facilitator: Richard Reinish

Location: First Universalist Church Class Limit: 70

Sponsoring Site: Central Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

The foreign film class will start at 12:45 each Wednesday and end at 3:00. The class will view and then discuss a different foreign film each week. The facilitator will pick films different from those he picked in previous years. Prior to each class, pertinent articles will be emailed to each class participant. This class is a discussion class, so all students are expected to stay until the discussion component of the class is concluded.

From Bonds to Bitcoin: A Historical Adventure in Finance

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 2/5 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–2:30 PM

Facilitator: Eric Walters

Location: Ruffato/DU

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: History & Economics

Join us for a journey through the fascinating history of investing. We’ll embark on a historical adventure and explore how humans developed new approaches to building wealth and managing risk through financial innovations — with booms and busts along the way. We’ll begin with the bonds and stocks in the 17th century and move on to the evolution of stock markets, pooled investments, modern portfolio theory, and the new frontier of cryptocurrency.

Recommended: Devil Take the Hindmost, Chancellor, Edward.

No Longer a Revered Branch of Government-The US Supreme Court

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 2/5 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: David Savitz

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: West

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

Once the most revered branch of the US government, this course will explore the Supreme Court’s mystique, its unbridled power and lack of an effective check and balance of it, and the events and circumstances that have led to the erosion of that reverence. The events have included the court’s controversial decisions in the Dobbs case, which reversed Roe v Wade and 50 years of precedent; Trump v Anderson, which allowed Trump on the Colorado ballot; and US v Trump, which grants broad presidential immunity to official acts of the president. The course will not only describe the impact of these decisions but also the impact of the court’s ethical issues in which it has been embroiled. Finally, the course will discuss proposed reforms that are underway to return the court to its once-lofty status.

The Immigrant Experience: From Europe to America, 1820–1960

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 2/5 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Carol Darrow

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: History & Economics

Pushing and pulling forces lead 34 million European people to make the wrenching decision to leave their homeland to seek land, jobs and opportunities in the United States. We will work to identify their town of origin amid constantly changing European borders. We will trace their travel to embarkation ports such as Hamburg, Le Havre, and Southampton and study immigrant guides that helped prepare travelers for processing hurdles at U.S. immigrant depots at Castle Garden, Ellis Island, Baltimore and New Orleans. Finally, we will explore ethnic settlement patterns of European immigrants in the U.S.

The Progressive Era: Antidote to Gilded Age Excesses

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Anne Marshall Christner

Location: Online

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: History & Economics

She moved the class along at the appropriate pace. Even though the class was online, the students all bonded and became friendly.

In Fall, 2024, I offered a course for OLLI on the Gilded Age, claiming that the period of 18701900 was a turning point in U.S. history. Actually, the Gilded Age was only Part I of this story. Part II examines the Progressive Era, which saw a profound shift in U.S. public sentiment about what direction people felt their country should be headed. Between 1900 and 1920, Progressives fought back against the Gilded Age’s unequal wealth, limited life chances of immigrants and the urban poor, and the power of a few unelected wealthy plutocrats. Instead, Progressives advocated for studying socioeconomic problems, proposing solutions, and demanding government intervention to right the wrongs. Both the excesses of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era’s successful calls for government intervention to level the playing field were revolutionary in our history. Significantly, the alternate swings in public preferences between the two positions have continued to the present. PLEASE NOTE: Participants need not have taken the previous course on the Gilded Age to enroll.

The Science of Snow

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 2/5 (4 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Thomas (Tom) R. Bellinger

Location: Online

Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Whether we ski on it, drive on it, shovel it, or drink from it as a water resource, snow is an important natural resource in Colorado. This course will provide an overview of the science of snow. Over the 4-week duration of the course, we will cover the basics of snow (how it forms, melts, evaporates, etc.) The class will focus on the snowpack - how it evolves over time and how energy enters and leaves the pack influencing its structure and its gaining and release of water over time. Various factors that influence the snowpack and its eventual demise in the spring will also be covered including topography, wind effects, vegetation effects, etc. Finally, the melting process will be covered as well as science techniques used to forecast its contribution to our water supply. Impacts on snow due to climate change will also be discussed. This course will give participants an opportunity to understand and look at our snow-covered mountains with a new perspective. Recommended: Principles of Snow Hydrology (Walle and Rango)

The Women: A Historical Novel of the Vietnam War’s Traumatic Impact on Nurses

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 3/5 (8 weeks)

Time: 1-3pm

Facilitators: Dave Peters and Susan Peters

Location: Online

Class Limit: 30

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Literature, Writing & Language

In Hannah’s powerful historical novel The Women, has been on the NY Times best seller since the beginning of the year. The protagonist, Frankie McGrath, is a young woman from a wealthy family who decides to enlist as a nurse in the Vietnam War after her older brother is killed in action. In doing so, she leaves her sheltered and comfortable life in California to serve in a war-ravaged country working under dangerous conditions. When she returns, the atmosphere in America is hostile to veterans, dismissive of women’s contributions in the war and she struggles to re-assimilate. In a story about patriotism, friendship, remembrance, and defying expectations, The Women tells an oftenoverlooked story of the courageous women who served in Vietnam. Required: Book - The Women by Kristin Hannah

Thriving in Later Life: Staying Healthier for Longer

Wednesday Afternoon

Dates: 1/15 to 2/19 (6 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Gretchen Frey

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: Health & Wellness

There is growing interest in prolonging not just the lifespan, but what has been called the “healthspan”: the portion of life spent enjoying good health and functional status. This course will draw on two recent books (Outlive, by Peter Attia, MD, and Embrace Aging, by Jeannette Guerrasio, MD), as well as other sources in the medical and popular literature, to expand on this concept. We will explore preventive strategies as well as adaptations to existing disease, always with our focus on quality of life. Recommended: Outlive (by Peter Attia); Embrace Aging (by Jeannette Guerrasio)

Understanding the American Indian through Art

In the abbreviated format I have developed for Oscar Movies, I have selected some 24 of those same films spanning 1940 to 2018 to recap and discuss with 3 movies per session. These will be organized in mini-genre groups rather than by year so we can see and compare: Love stories, Family struggles, Society Issues, Making It, Show Biz Behind the Scenes, War, Musicals, and Life on the Wrong Side. The syllabus details which films, and which weeks. We can muse over how Hollywood has evolved in its storytelling in these areas and whether the lessons have changed over time.

Mysterious Places: Global Edition III

Thursday Morning

Dates: 1/16 to 3/6 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Linda Lange

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: Central

Subject Area: Literature, Writing & Language

Place is sometimes described as an additional character in novels, especially when an author develops a collection of characters in a specific location throughout a continuing series.

“Mysterious Places” encourages armchair travel while exploring various mystery series - in this case, global travel with a side of murder. We’ll explore some new authors who have set their stories firmly in a place, reflecting the geography, culture, and personal relationships that inform means, motive, and opportunity for our reading and detecting pleasure.

This Land is Mine - A History of Palestine

Thursday Morning

Dates: 1/16 to 3/6 (8 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Gary Wyngarden

Location: Online

Class Limit: 35

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Public Affairs & Current Events

We will begin with 3000 BCE:

Who were the Canaanites and where did they come from?

How did the Israelites end up in Palestine?

How did the series of conquerors and rulers shape the country?

How did the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam influence Palestine?

We will explore the last 150 years:

Where did the Zionist movement begin and why was it so successful?

Why did Great Britain support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine?

Why did the newly formed United Nations advocate a two-nation solution in 1948?

Why did the Jews win the wars of 1948 and 1967 so decisively?

And finally, what is the situation today?

This is an eight-week course that will include lecture, videos, and a lot of discussion.

The English Language Its Travels Through Time

Thursday Morning

Dates: 1/30 to 3/6 (6 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Jan Friedlander

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Literature, Writing & Language

Are you a WORD NERD? Where did English come from and how the heck did it become the international lingua franca, and by the way, what’s a lingua franca? Do you ponder how some words get their start, how and why they get into dictionaries and who decides? Can (and should) a word be deleted from a dictionary? If these questions get your juices flowing, you’re a WORD NERD in need of this class! Videos and lots of discussion, plus your questions about words, will make this class a true adventure. Recommended Reading: Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper; The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

Get Smarter About Your Mac PC

Thursday Morning

Dates: 2/6 to 3/13 (6 weeks)

Time: 9:30–11:30 AM

Facilitator: Sharon Sherman

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Do you sometimes feel frustrated because of the complexity of using our computers? Or perhaps you have had years of hit-or-miss learning? We will learn more about today’s computer technology, including PC hardware, the Mac operating system settings, peripheral connections, file and application management, Internet connectivity, cloud storage with iCloud, security, and maintenance, including backing up our computer with Time Machine. Understand what is happening with PC and versions, currently Sequoia. Become more familiar with how computers sync with other devices and the Cloud. You will end up with a smarter computer and a smarter you! Recommend owning a Mac.

Couldn’t we all use more joy in our lives right now? Ingrid Fetell Lee wrote a book entitled Joyful in which she details “The surprising power of ordinary things to create extraordinary happiness.” She divides joy into ten aesthetics such as energy (often provided through color), renewal (think baby chicks and spring flowers), freedom (riding in a convertible or the last day of school before summer vacation), or transcendence (kites, clouds, tree houses). This class will have fun spending two hours each week delving into those aesthetics plus a few other ways of looking at joy with slides, videos, music, and discussion. We will try to determine what gives each one of us the most joy and then concentrate on how to get more of those joyful moments into our lives. Joy isn’t just something we find. It’s also something we can make, for ourselves and those around us. This class helps us to be intentional about building joy and looking for joy.

“ ”

She was an excellent instructor. She was very skilled at disarming us, making us all feel very welcome and valued. She was very well prepared and well organized for every class.

The NEW Old West: Amazing Movies You Might Have Missed

Thursday Afternoon

Dates: 1/16 to 3/6 (8 weeks)

Time: 12:30–3:30 PM

Facilitator: Sally Walling

Location: Online Class Limit: 25

Sponsoring Site: South

Subject Area: Visual Performing Arts

The Western movie we used to know is a thing of the past: no more ride ‘em cowboys or shoot ‘em up Indians, damsels in distress, or good guys/bad guys. Instead we have sensitively developed characters, beautifully filmed action scenes, glorious scenery, and intricate plots, many with socially applicable themes. Streaming has given us new “Westerns,” with strong female protagonists or villains, Indian heroes, “cowboys” of all sizes and ethnicities, and transportation modes that include horses as well as automobiles and bicycles. Join me as we enter this world of the new old West. We will watch eight modern films, ranging from small independent features like The Sisters Brothers, to Academy Award winner, The Power of the Dog; from the urban perspective of Mustang , to the frontier film The Homesman; from the all Black The Harder They Fall to the haunting love story The Dead Don’t Hurt. All part of the western genre, some of the movies will be more violent than others and most films will have profanity. Each week discussion questions will be emailed regarding the movie to be seen. We will dive deep into the world of cinema focusing on the elements that make a “great” film. Because of the length of the films each class will be 3 hours to enable discussion. We will also be reading the novel The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage. Please have the 2001 edition with an “Afterward” by Annie Proulx. A content advisory is in place for all the movies so please come with an open heart and mind as we explore another facet of the world of art. Required: The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage, copyright 2001 edition.

Get Smarter About Your iPhone

Thursday Afternoon

Dates: 2/6 to 3/13 (6 weeks)

Time: 1–3 PM

Facilitator: Sharon Sherman

Location: Online

Class Limit: unlimited

Sponsoring Site: On-Campus

Subject Area: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Most of us cannot seem to live without our iPhones - but we are often not taking advantage of their capabilities or are frustrated with them. This class will explore the revolutionary technologies, connectivity, and components involved in these devices. Learn essential settings, apps, features, and operations that enable their tremendous versatility and usefulness. Explore what we need to know about carriers and purchasing equipment. Learn about voice control and more: managing, maintaining, handling security, email accounts, wi-fi use, and texting. Come get a little smarter about tech, the Apple iPhone and iPad, and how to operate this life-sustaining tool. Recommended: an iPhone or iPad

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

MEMBERSHIP PERKS. FREE WEBINARS FREE FIT PROGRAM

Free Friday Webinars

For more information on OLLI at DU memberships, visit our website at OLLI.DU.edu or return to page 6 of this catalog.

For more information about Free Friday Webinars CLICK HERE.

OLLI at DU Fit Program Winter 2025 Classes

OLLI at DU recognizes that there are four pillars to longevity and fulfillment and we have built a program that supports each of these areas: cognitive, social, physical, and spiritual. Throughout this catalog, you will find many opportunities to participate in activities in each pillar. Join us each morning for a free fitness course to exercise both your body and your spirit.

You must be an OLLI at DU Annual Member to participate. Please register with OLLI for these free classes. Upon registration, you will receive the Zoom link. Courses will be held during the eight weeks of the Winter 2025 term.

For more information on OLLI at DU memberships, visit our website at OLLI.DU.edu.

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

FREE WEBINARS

The Truth About Sharks

Friday, January 17, 2025, 10–11:30AM

Mikki McComb-Kobza, Presenter

Sharks are iconic and misunderstood species with a long evolutionary history. There are over 500 living shark species, all with unique adaptations, that have radiated into nearly every aquatic habitat. There is tremendous diversity in species life histories, reproductive modes, habitat use, sensory biology, ecology and behavior. Sharks are under global threat from human exploitation, primarily for shark fins. Over 30% of shark species are at risk for extinction. Today, research and conservation efforts are targeting effective ways to protect endangered species. Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza will share the story of shark’s rise, diversification and fascinating adaptations. She will discuss her current research on great white sharks and other aspects of her ongoing conservation projects.

Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza is the Executive Director of Ocean First Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine research, conservation, and education that has reached over 500,000 people with nationally acclaimed conservation projects and compelling educational programming. Mikki is a marine biologist with her research focused primarily on the biology, behavior, abundance, and movement of sharks using novel technologies. She has participated in or led over 40 under-sea expeditions, spanning the globe from Darwin to Cape Town, to Manaus, to Hong Kong, and along the east coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Belize. Mikki’s research has been covered by the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, NPR and CBC National Radio Canada. She is faculty with CU Boulder Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the immediate past President of the American Elasmobranch Society, in the Women Divers Hall of Fame, and National Fellow of the Explorer’s Club. Mikki holds a PhD in Integrative Biology from Florida Atlantic University and is the author of numerous scientific publications.

The Wonders of Colorado’s Glacial Geology

Friday, January 24, 2025, 10–11:30AM Vincent Matthews, Presenter

A new book on the fascinating features and landforms found in Colorado’s glacial landscape is the culmination of a six-year journey. This talk will include a potpourri of some of the more interesting glacial, periglacial, proglacial, and paraglacial features explored on a 5000-mile jaunt around Colorado.

Vince Matthews is a former college professor, retired director of the Colorado Geological Survey, and author of Land of Ice: Jaunts into Colorado’s Glacial Landscape and the multipleaward-winning Messages in Stone: Colorado’s Colorful Geology.

Ensuring a Long Term Future for Humanity

Friday, January 31, 2025, 10–11:30AM

John Culbertson, Presenter

Unless we make dramatic changes to how we are living on this planet, in the next 50 years, there will be no long-term future for humanity as the increasing rate of biodiversity loss will lead to a planet that will not support human life. And the biggest change needed is a quick and dramatic decrease in the global population. There is no way to solve biodiversity loss or climate change with 9 billion people on the planet. This presentation will explain biodiversity loss, propose how to determine a sustainable level of population, and then offer some ideas on a sustainable way to live on this planet going forward. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL READINGS (optional): “Half Earth” by EO Wilson “The Meaning of Human Existence” by EO Wilson “The End of the World is just the Beginning” by Peter Zeihan

John Culbertson is a retired business executive who is in the process of launching a non-profit to raise the awareness about biodiversity loss and the future of humanity. John has a BA in economics from Union College and an MBA in finance from Cornell. John has conducted extensive research supporting this work in fields that include human evolution, moral philosophy, climate science, ecological economics, geopolitics, sustainable agriculture, rewilding and much more.

Developments In AI-Driven Healthcare - We Need to Talk About the Data

Friday, February 7, 2025, 10–11:30AM

Leo Anthony Celi, Presenter

AI’s rapid adoption in healthcare is revolutionizing patient care and research. However using health records to train AI assumes these accurately represent real-world health and disease-;a flawed assumption. There are patients who lack healthcare access whose diseases are not represented in the data leading to an incomplete capture of ground truths. Data artifacts arise from social patterning of the data generation process: what we collect from whom how and with what tools. These artifacts can lead to biased AI systems potentially exacerbating health disparities and compromising care. Understanding these limitations is crucial for developing equitable and effective AI-integrated healthcare. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL READINGS (optional): https://www.statnews. com/2024/09/11/embedded-bias-seriesartificial-intelligence-risks-of-bias-in-medicaldata/

Leo Anthony Celi is currently the Clinical Research Director and Senior Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Computational Physiology at MIT and a practicing intensivist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Celi’s work focuses on scaling clinical research to be more inclusive through open access data and software, particularly for limited resource settings; identifying bias in the data to prevent them from being encrypted in models and algorithms; and redesigning research using the principles of team science and the hive learning strategy.

CDOT I-70 Floyd Hill Project: Designing and building a complex infrastructure project on Colorado’s I-70 mountain corridor

Friday, February 14, 2025, 10–11:30AM

Kurt Kionka and Mandy Whorton, Presenters

This presentation will discuss the planning, environmental, design, and construction of CDOT’s I-70 Floyd Hill Project, which will increase safety and improve operations on the I-70 mountain corridor. You can visit our project website to learn more https://www.codot.gov/projects/ i70floydhill

Kurt Kionka is the CDOT Floyd Hill Project Director who is responsible for leading the delivery of the I-70 Floyd Hill to Veterans Memorial Tunnels Project. This 7 mile stretch of I-70 is one of the most congested locations on the I-70 Mountain Corridor and is heavily impacted by adverse weather conditions. Kurt brings over 21 years of multi-discipline CDOT experience to the project. Kurt started his career with CDOT in 2003 as a student intern completing public outreach for the I-70 East EIS and has since worked on numerous large complex projects including recently leading the US36 Emergency Rebuild. Kurt is a Colorado native and currently lives in Arvada with his wife and two kids. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering at Colorado State University in 2003.

Mandy Whorton is the co-founder of Peak Consulting Group, a woman-owned firm specializing in strategic approaches to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes, with a focus on transportation and environmental planning. With 30 years of experience, Mandy founded Peak in 2017 after a successful career with large engineering firms. Under her leadership, Peak has become a key player in Colorado’s transportation sector, particularly in the I-70 Mountain Corridor, where the firm has been continuously involved since its inception.

Mandy’s expertise spans planning and environmental studies, alternative analyses, stakeholder engagement, and Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) processes. Known for her collaborative approach and innovative thinking, she is dedicated to delivering community-centered solutions that enhance both mobility and environmental sustainability.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER /

Deciphering the Molecular Basis of Alzheimer’s Disease Yields the First Treatments

Friday, February 21, 2025, 10–11:30AM

Dennis J. Selkoe, MD, Presenter

As we age, we become concerned about losing our most human qualities: reasoning, memory, judgment. We hear a lot about Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It’s said no one knows its cause. But recent progress has revealed its cause and defined a treatment to slow it. If a specialist diagnoses mild AD, one can begin breakthrough treatments: antibodies that remove the amyloid plaques that initiate AD. There are some risks, but thousands of people now take them safely. They remove amyloid plaques, leading to a 30-40% slowing on average cognitive decline. If one gets treated early, they may even prevent progression. Alzheimer’s is no longer a hopeless accompaniment of age but something we can diagnose and treat. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL READINGS (optional): Selkoe, DJ The advent of Alzheimer treatments will change the trajectory of human aging. Nature Aging https://doi. org/10.1038/s43587-024-00611-5 May, 2024 Selkoe DJ, Hardy J. (2016). The amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease at 25 years. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 8(6), 595-608. Link: https://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4888851/

Dennis J. Selkoe MD is the Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases at Harvard Medical School and Director, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. A graduate of Columbia and University of Virginia, he trained at NIH, the HMS Department of Neuroscience, and Harvard/Longwood Neurology Program. Selkoe and his colleagues isolated the tangles of Alzheimer’s disease and co-discovered their subunit protein, tau. His research on amyloid ß-protein (Ab) and APP led to the “amyloid hypothesis” of AD. His lab discovered that Ab is produced by cells throughout life and mutations in the APP and presenilin genes increase Ab. Wolfe and Selkoe identified presenilin as the enzyme that produces Ab lifelong. He has applied analogous approaches to alpha-synuclein, the key protein in Parkinson’s disease. Selkoe’s discoveries helped provide the rationale and underpinnings of disease-modifying treatments for AD approved in the US, China, Japan, and elsewhere. He is a Fellow of AAAS and the Association of American Physicians, recipient of the A.H. Heineken Prize in Medicine, and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Foundation Excavation and Preparation and Construction of the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project

Friday, February 28, 2025, 10–11:30AM

Kristie Ainslie, Presenter

The Gross Reservoir Expansion Project is a program to increase the storage capacity of Gross Reservoir by raising the existing 340-foot-high, curved concrete gravity dam by 131 feet. The raise will result in Gross Dam becoming the highest dam in Colorado. The existing Gross Dam is owned and operated by Denver Water. The dam will be raised primarily using roller-compacted concrete (RCC) materials and construction methodology. This webinar will focus on the geological and geotechnical foundation objectives, excavation, and preparation for the dam raise, and also touch on the RCC placement and dam construction that is ongoing.

Kristi Ainslie is a Professional Geologist at AECOM with over 23 years’ experience in Engineering Geology specializing in Dams and Reservoirs. She has extensive experience in subsurface and site investigations, including in-situ testing and rock core logging, and geologic mapping. She has the unique opportunity to be part of a world class, multi-disciplinary team for the highest RCC dam raise project in the world in her own backyard in Colorado and having been involved in the design investigations and now as a full-time on-site Geologist during construction. When she is not working at the dam, she enjoys hiking, skiing, book club, happy hour, and being a mom to three wonderful, busy kids.

Wildlife Crossings on Colorado Highways

Friday, March 7, 2025, 10–11:30AM

Jeff Peterson, Presenter

This webinar will focus on wildlife crossings installed by the Department of Transportation throughout Colorado. We will look at how locations are selected, which species are targeted, the various components of a successful crossing, past present, and future research, and future crossings that are currently being planned. There will be a question-and-answer portion at the end of the talk.

Jeff Peterson is a fourth-generation Coloradan. Born and raised in Boulder and Longmont, he went to Fort Lewis College in Durango where he earned a degree in biology. Since then, he has worked at the Pueblo fish hatchery with the Arizona Game and Fish Department specializing in bats, birds, T&E and big game species, with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, both as a Mississippi Flyway waterfowl biologist and as a T&E biologist. For the last 21 years, Jeff has worked with the Colorado Department of Transportation as the statewide Wildlife Program Manager. Jeff lives with his wife of 33 years in Westminster where they enjoy hiking, gardening, travel, and pinball.

FREE FIT PROGRAM

Meditation in Motion: The Art and Science of Tai Chi with Joseph Brady and Jacqui Shumway

Mondays, 9–10 AM via Zoom; beginning 1/13–3/10/25

Experience for yourself the accumulated wisdom of centuries with the timeless exercise of T’ai Chi. According to the Harvard Medical Health Publication, “Tai Chi is often described as meditation in motion, but it might well be called medication in motion.” Designed to be a hands-on learning experience, this class will explore the principles and basic exercises in T’ai Chi and the growing body of evidence of its value in treating or preventing many health problems. This introduction to T’ai Chi Ch’uan is both practical and participative, the course introduces you to the basics of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and the skills and principles involved. These exercises can be a powerful complement to medical intervention. Modern studies have reported positive effects of Tai Chi on balance and fall reduction, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, COPD, heart disease, depression, and even schizophrenia. Many more studies are underway to explore the medical benefits of this mind/body exercise. Topics for discussion will include the global healthcare implications of Tai Chi as well as applications in daily life. Recommended: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sharp Mind (Harvard Health Publications)

Joseph Brady, M.S.T.C.M., L.Ac., Dipl. O.M., is a nationally recognized expert in integrative health and aging, currently serving as an adjunct professor at the University and Colorado Chinese Medicine University. With over three decades of experience, Joseph has been at the forefront of combining traditional Chinese medicine, modern health practices, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) exploring successful aging. His recent work leverages AI and machine learning to analyze community-based health data, focusing on how lifelong learning and integrative health practices can drive whole person health in older adults. Joseph’s research highlights the critical role of self-efficacy, cognitive function, and physical activity in promoting salutogenesis, offering unique insights into how older adults can live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Former columnest on healthy aging for the Rocky Mountain News, Joe has presented at many scientific conferences and has lectured and presented research at Harvard Medical School’s Osher Institute for Integrative Medicine and at the Oxford Union Debating Hall and Harris Manchester College, Oxford University U.K.

Jacqui Shumway, M.A. Therapeutic Kinesiologist/Living Younger Longer Institute Researching and teaching T’ai Chi Chuan and Medical Qigong for over 25 years Jacqui Shumway, M.A. is dedicated to the joy of active living. She combines western therapeutic kinesiology (preventive physical therapy) with Medical Qigong healing exercises from China and the meditational martial art of T’ai Chi. An old Chinese saying is that “The greatest healer is a teacher” and Jacqui is a master teacher... who also loves to have fun! Dedicated to providing students with compelling information on health issues coupled with ancient wisdom, Jacqui inspires students to have fun taking control of their own health through her compassionate attention to mindful healing through physical movement.

Gentle Hatha Yoga with Lisa Theis

Tuesdays, 8–9 AM via Zoom; beginning 1/14–3/4/25

This movement oriented class will combine seated, standing and kneeling postures. Modifications will be given for most postures - the point of this hour is more about giving yourself time to breathe and move with your body than it is about doing a posture in a particular way. We will combine dynamic and static movements, simple mobility exercises with postures that help to build strength and stability. Props are highly encouraged - blocks, blankets, chairs, and straps, in addition to mats which will help give you great success if you find you have limits in a posture. Instruction on how to use these props will also be provided, so you can get comfortable enough to focus on your breath, the most powerful part of practice. Join us for a beautiful session connecting body, mind and spirit. Recommended: yoga mat & blocks

Lisa Theis’s meditation practice truly blossomed when she became a part of the Para Yoga community in 2010 and it has been a central part of her life since. Mantra meditation, in particular, is how she first found a quiet mind, something that took great diligence of practice to achieve! As her meditation practice grew stronger and her mind quieter, she began to notice it changing her life. Her inner critic was quieter, her intuition stronger. There was more peace in her heart and any anxiety about the future was easier to curb. She was more confident and sure of herself. Meditation may not be easy, but it is a profoundly valuable experience to have in this life. Lisa has been a student of yoga since 2000 and has been teaching yoga in the Denver area since 2008. She has taught in numerous studio settings as well as corporate offices, gyms and fitness centers. She owns and operates Third Eye Yoga in Littleton, CO and leads trainings, retreats and workshops domestically and internationally.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / FIT PROGRAM

Medical Qigong: Healing Exercises from China with Joseph Brady and Jacqui Shumway

Wednesdays, 8–9 AM via Zoom; beginning 1/15–3/5/25

Medical Qigong: Healing Exercises from China In traditional Chinese medicine the patient is expected to be an active participant in their own healing, and not just a victim of their disease. Strong believers in the idea that exercise is medicine Qi-gong evolved over centuries to become the primary form of exercise therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine. Medical Qi-gong exercises are considered superior to herbal medicine and acupuncture because patients learn to keep themselves healthy by using exercises designed to cultivate a strong mind and a strong body. With over 3600 psychophysiological exercises developed over centuries, medical Qi-gong provides the tools for everyone to become an active participant in their own health. This course will give students an introduction to a variety of the most popular sets of exercises in a safe and progressive way. QiGong exercise modalities include therapeutic gymnastics, equipment, massage, natures treatment and recreational exercise. Learn from two of the top professors of traditional Chinese medicine here at the University of Denver and at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This class will discuss a wide range of evidence-based therapeutic exercises that you can use in your own life. Recommended: Chinese Medical Qigong Paperback - May 28, 2013by Tianjun Liu (Editor), Xiao Mei Qiang (Editor)

Breath, Meditation & Community with Lisa Theis

Thursdays, 8–9 AM via Zoom; beginning 1/16–3/6/25

Something magical happens when we harness the power of our breath. The mind slows, the body relaxes and we remember that we are part of something so much greater. This course will serve as a way to remember, as we combine these 3 powerful aspects of life - breath, meditation, and community. Each class will begin with a breathing exercise connected to simple seated movements to prepare the body & the mind for a guided meditation practice. Meditation will last about 20-25 minutes, after which, we will have time to share our experience with one another in breakout rooms. Sharing is an important part of the process, for meditation is different for everyone and no one experience is the same, nor is there a right or wrong way to meditate. This class offers a unique way to connect to your fellow human, realizing we all share much more in common than we think.

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

MEET OUR FACILITATORS

We count on great facilitators who bring our OLLI members deep into the content of robust course offerings, while encouraging connections and discussion. As always, we are here for learning and not for grades or college credit. We offer over 300 courses and webinars a year via in-person, online and hybrid formats. Course types include deep dives into a multitude of subjects with different formats, including multimedia presentations, books, movies, art and photos.

The joy of learning and the fascinating courses our facilitators lead are exactly why our members come back year after year. And so do our uniquely qualified facilitators!

Gordon Appell

Gordon Appell, Diamond Facilitator, has facilitated a wide variety of OLLI courses in public affairs and current events. He worked for much of his career with the City and County of Denver as a principal city planner which involved him in the planning for the redevelopment of the Central Platte Valley downtown, Stapleton and Lowry as well as neighborhood planning, transportation planning, regional planning in cooperation with RTD and DRGOG. He is a political independent but continues to a have a reform point of view even in retirement. He has lived in NYC, North Carolina during the civil rights era, Chicago during the Mayor Daley years, St. Louis and overseas.

Maria Arapakis

Maria Arapakis is a psychologist, international trainer, speaker, and author with over 40 years experience training people around the world. Since 2010, she has helped seniors become more adept with the remarkable powers of “All Things Apple” technologies. More recently she is focused on sharing what 50+ years of research on Near Death Experiences is teaching us about human consciousness, what awaits us when we die, and what matters most in life. Maria has been teaching at OLLI since 2010 and is currently a Diamond Facilitator. She moved to Denver from San Francisco 30+ years ago and built her home in Cherry Creek North where she still happily resides with her precious kitties, Koko and Simba. Maria has always been a “teacher at heart” and deeply appreciates OLLI for giving her the opportunity to continue doing what she most loves: teach what can help and support others.

Bill Baird

Bill Baird grew up among farming people in Tennessee. His ancestors knew the land and cared for it as if their lives depended on it. He has traveled the world and finds that folks who value community are generally more interesting than those who value money and “things.” Bill’s class this term focuses on how community nurtures people, how it has declined in our country, and whether there is some hope for its return. Bill spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer among people on a small island in the Pacific and found their community quite interesting and resourceful. Bill is a Master OLLI facilitator and has facilitated at least 24 classes. He likes to learn from others who are curious.

Don Batt

Don and Gracie Batt, retired high school English and theatre teachers in the Cherry Creek Schools, have facilitated courses on Irish literature and literature of the American West with OLLI for several years.

Gracie Batt

Catherine Beeson

Catherine Beeson holds a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music, has been a Colorado Symphony violist for over 20 years, and has facilitated OLLI courses for over a decade. She has extensive professional experience as a performer and educator, and a warm, friendly delivery style. Catherine is excited to bring her insider knowledge of classical music to curious adult learners.

Thomas (Tom) R. Bellinger

Dr. Thomas (Tom) R. Bellinger is a certified Professional Hydrologist (Emeritus- American Institute of Hydrology). He was formerly a Visiting and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Environmental Science at the Metropolitan State University of Denver with the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the Engineering and Engineering Technology Departments. Tom retired as Principal Hydrologist with the Bureau of Reclamation. Prior to this position, he served as a hydrologist/Branch Chief of Refuge Hydrology for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He also served five years as a planning hydrologist for the Reclamation Southwest Regional Office in Amarillo, TX. Since retiring, Tom has remained active in the water resources community serving as a Technical Advisor (Hydrology) with the

Department of Interior/USAID International Technical Assistance Program (ITAP) working with the Lao PDR government conducting a hydrologic / climate assessment of the Mekong River Valley. He also assists law enforcement agencies with water related criminal cases and has served on several boards of directors of local water districts. He currently co-hosts the Podcast: H2O Talk.

Anne Bennett

Anne Bennett is an OLLI Diamond facilitator. Her background is in Nutrition and Public Health. She loves to study various areas of science and is fascinated by the development of life on Earth and the human body.

Extraterrestrial life is but another chapter to be explored.

Becky Bennett

Upon retiring from 32+ years as a Human Resources Specialist with the federal government Becky joined OLLI in 2011. She enjoys participating in OLLI classes, particularly literature, art and history. When she decided to take the leap into facilitating it was the history topics that caught her interest. The Canary Girls will be Becky’s ninth foray in to facilitating at OLLI Central. She’s looking forward to sharing this book with all of you. Becky lives in Centennial with her husband (also an OLLI facilitator), two dogs and a cat.

Tom Bieging

Tom Bieging is a retired lawyer with continuing interest in political philosophy, classical liberalism, Supreme Court history and current events. Tom has previously facilitated for OLLI in the areas of current events, Supreme Court opinions and classical liberalism. Exploring topics and ideas with people of open minds and diverse opinions is what makes OLLI interesting for Tom.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

John Bowen

John Bowen is a long-time observer of international affairs with particular interest in Eastern Europe. After practicing law for many years in unrelated areas, he now has time to study international relations in greater depth and keeps abreast of military technological developments.

Joseph Brady

Dennis Brovarone

Dennis has been practicing business law in Colorado for almost 40 years. He graduated from CU with a degree in Political Science in 1978 and DU Law in 1986. He raised three Millennials and still enjoys age-appropriate cycling, hiking, skiing, and horseback riding.

Don Burnes

Don Burnes is a Senior Advisor for the Community Economic Defense Project in Denver Colorado. His fourth book, When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Flawed Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America, was published in early November 2023. He is the co-author of Journeys Out of Homelessness: The Voices of Lived Experience, with Dr. Jamie Rife, the newly appointed CEO of the Denver Department of Housing Stability, that was published in 2019. He is the co-author with Alice Baum of A Nation in Denial: The Truth About Homelessness (1993) and the coeditor of and a contributing author to Ending Homelessness: Why We Haven’t, How We Can (2016). Don and his wife, Lynn, founded the Burnes Institute for Poverty Research at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy and helped to create the Burnes Center on Housing and Homelessness at the Denver University Graduate School of Social Work. He served on the State Interagency Advisory Group on Homelessness for Colorado Governors John Hickenlooper and Bill Ritter. He has been a member of Denver’s Road Home Advisory Commission and a board member of the Metro Denver Homelessness Initiative. He has been an active student of and policy analyst around issues of homelessness and poverty for almost 40 years. He received his BA from Princeton, his MAT from Washington University in St. Louis, and his PhD in education from Columbia University.

Mary Caravalho

Mary Caravalho lived for the past 45 years in California, moving to Denver three years ago after her husband died. She now lives happily in downtown Denver at Writer Square. Mary was an OLLI member in San Clemente and Santa Cruz, CA. She was happy to learn that DU also had an OLLI and has taken several classes each session since moving to Denver. Mary enjoys learning and meeting other OLLI members, and has volunteered her services to several OLLI committees. Mary has a degree in literature from Gonzaga University in Spokane. She worked for Apple Computer, was a school librarian, and taught citizenship for seven years in the San Juan Capistrano School District. After retirement, Mary was in charge of welcoming new members for OLLI Santa Cruz. Mary finds that women’s history/issues from ancient time to today of particular interest. She hopes to bring a fuller understanding and appreciation of the steps women have taken to bring themselves equitably into the 21st Century.

Terry Casey

Terry has a BA from St. Anselm College (Manchester, NH), a MA in History from UConn, and a Master’s in Urban Affairs & Policy Analysis from The New School for Social Research (NYC). He has been a County Administrator in New Hampshire and, since 1986, a Managing Director in the Capital Markets office of Dain Bosworth which became RBC Capital Markets in the early 2000s. His clients over the years included the states of Colorado and Wyoming, many of the major K-12 school districts in Colorado, Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital, Wyoming Medical Center (Casper), Cheyenne Memorial Hospital, Aspen Hospital, and the Wyoming Student Loan Corporation. He retired from RBC in 2011.

Wayne Cassell

Wayne Cassell is a former US Army armor officer having served during the mid to late ‘70s. During the 1980’s he was a tactical training consultant for the army before moving to Colorado and becoming a technical illustrator and graphics artist. An avid amateur military historian, he finds his passion for history is useful in his hobbies which include building historically accurate models and playing board and computer strategy wargames. His current area of interest is Russian and Soviet history.

Anne Marshall Christner

Anne Marshall Christner, Platinum Facilitator, has a long interest in social and economic change - how it comes about, who benefits, what are the outcomes. She earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and will bring that perspective to this course.

Roger Collins

Roger is a graduate of the University of Denver. He retired from Sears Roebuck & Company after 25 years followed by opening one of the original Signal Graphics Printing franchises in America. He retired again in 2000. Next came the development of an interest and hobby in which he became very passionate. During the last 23-plus years, he has been involved in the study of the history, culture, lifestyles, and religions of American Indians. He has traveled extensively, spending from one day to one week with various tribes throughout the United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Peru (Machu Picchu). He has given 16 classes concerning American Indian history with OLLI over the past 12 years. His goal is to help his class truly understand the American Indian and, in his course, art through his knowledge, compassion, and appreciation of our brothers and sisters, the American Indian.

DU

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Mark Cronshaw

Mark Cronshaw, PhD, MBA has had a multidecade career in oil and gas, mining, cable TV, and academics. He started his career as a research engineer with Arco Oil and Gas in Plano, Texas. In the early 1980s (long before general interest in CO2) he built a computer model of flow in CO2 wells. He moved to Colorado in 1989 as an assistant professor of economics at CU Boulder. In 2006, he started doing domestic and international consulting on oil and gas and mining as chief economist at Gustavson Associates. He has testified before the Alaska Superior court on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. Mark has worked on projects in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Kurdistan, and he is the Principal of Resource Economics LLC. Mark has degrees in Chemical Engineering, Business, and Engineering-Economic Systems from Cambridge, California Institute of Technology, SMU, and Stanford. Springer published his book “Energy in Perspective” in 2021.

Hille Dais

Hille Dais grew up and completed high school in Hamburg, Germany and has lived in the United States since the late 1960s. She retired from public administration positions with the State of Colorado in 2003. Hille is an amateur pianist and enjoys symphony and chamber concerts. Hille has facilitated many OLLI courses on baroque and classical era music and composers, and on European history.

Carol Darrow

Carol Cooke Darrow has been a professional genealogist for more than 20 years. She teaches all levels of genealogy classes and facilitates a genealogy writing group. Her goal is to help people trace their ancestors and understand their lives and the times they lived in.

Rob Diedrich

Rob Diedrich is a seasoned geologist and dedicated volunteer with the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. He organizes geology field trips to some of Colorado’s most stunning and geologically important locations. Additionally, Rob leads urban geology tours in Denver’s Downtown and Capitol Hill districts, exploring the building stones used in the city’s oldest and most historic structures. With 40 years of experience in the petroleum industry, primarily at Marathon Oil Company and SM Energy, Rob retired in 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from SUNY Oneonta in New York and a master’s degree in geology from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Karen Dvorchak

Karen Dvorchak became a feminist at age 13 when, upon entering high school, she was denied from taking certain classes because she was a girl. She has continued to fight the good fight for the rights of women ever since. Karen has a BA degree from Northeastern Illinois University and a BFA degree from Colorado Women’s College. She has been an artist her entire adult life and continues designing jewelry and mosaics. Additionally, she spent 20 years as a supervisor for Douglas County Libraries. However, her first passion is women’s history and women’s rights. She researches women’s history and has been an activist in her community. She marched in the Women’s March in Washington DC with 800,000 other women on January 17, 2017.

Gloria Eastman

Gloria (Lori) Eastman enjoys bringing alive the historical and cultural backgrounds of classic literature and making the readings relevant to our 21st-century lives. She particularly delights in encouraging the varied responses of the participants as we explore the readings together. She taught high school English and journalism for 26 years in the Jefferson County Public Schools, while also earning her Ph.D. in 19thcentury British literature from CU-Boulder. Recently retired, she is Professor Emerita at Metropolitan State University where she taught British literature and English education.

Jim Edelman

After a career in corporate and investment finance, Jim Edelman changed careers to teach math and economics at a public high school in Memphis, Tennessee. Since retiring to Boulder in 2015, Jim has taught at Front Range Community College, Monarch High School, and the Boulder County Jail. He taught this Reconstruction class for the EXCHANGE Program in Boulder in the spring of 2024, where it was well-received.

Susan Elliott

Susan Elliott is a Master Facilitator who has presented over 17 OLLI art history courses. She specializes in European and American art. She is a practicing artist and life-long art teacher. She taught studio art at the college level for 20 years after working in the education department of the Denver Art Museum. She is keenly interested in her students learning how to look at art. She holds a Master’s degree from Stanford University.

Kent Epperson

Kent Epperson is a graduate of Denver East High School and the University of Colorado Boulder. He worked at all levels of public education and in three Denver area school districts. He maintains an interest in history and current events and has been with OLLI for four years.

Christine Evans-Klock

Chris Evans-Klock retired from the United Nations in 2019, completing 4 years as the UN Representative in Ghana and 21 years working for UN Specialized Agencies in Geneva, Bangkok and Vienna. She has a PhD in economics from Boston University and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. She continues to consult for the UN from time to time and is a member of the local chapter of the UN Association-USA - which helps keep her up to date. She is committed to the UN’s vision and takes a tough love approach to its actual work. She has enjoyed facilitating OLLI classes on the UN for the past few years and learning about the range of views about the UN held by fellow/sister Coloradoans.

Alan Folkestad

A student of history almost his entire life, Alan Folkestad is keen on delving into the unintended consequences of history. Alan has lived abroad in three different countries and he always found the culture and history fascinating. He received a BA degree at the University of Minnesota and earned a masters degree from Texas Christian University.

OLLI @ DU / 2025 WINTER

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Barb Forsyth

Barb Forsyth was born a history buff and is a Denver native. She majored in history at the University of Colorado Denver which expanded her interest and knowledge through her college courses. She was lucky enough to find OLLI and discovered adult education that suited the historical pieces that she wanted to learn more about. She has facilitated a class with Becky for OLLI on SISI: The Accidental Empress which was great fun to share with our classmates. She is now very pleased to be a part of sharing the story of the Canary Girls from working with munitions to becoming involved with the Women’s Football League.

Sara Frances

Sara Frances, MA (Comparative Literature) and Poetry Collective of Lighthouse Writers Workshop, is also a retired Master Photographic Craftsman now coaching and publishing personal narrative books in memoir, poetry, travel, and family history genres. For her ongoing Unplugged Voices Project, she is curator, writer, editor, illustrator, and designer. Unplugged Voices: 125 Tales of Art and Life from Northern New Mexico, the Four Corners and the West is a 324-page, illustrated, four-color coffee table collection of verbal narratives, each in a 5-minute read. Her photographic memoir, Fragments of Spirit: 60 Years: A Photographer’s Recollections of Taos Pueblo, the Region and its Arts, was published January 2021. A regular facilitator at OLLI DU, she moderates panel discussions of art and community for the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, NM, and is a board member and book judge for the Colorado Independent Publishers Association.

Gretchen Frey

Gretchen Frey earned her bachelor’s degree at Colorado State University and her MD degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She completed her residency program in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado Affiliated Hospitals program in Denver. She practiced in the Denver metro area for over 30 years before retiring in 2021 and is now enjoying an encore career as an educator in the fields of reproductive health, human sexuality, and healthy aging. Dr. Frey has presented to community audiences as well as to physicians, sex therapists, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals. She has also appeared as a guest on multiple podcasts. She has written a handbook for primary care providers on how to address the sexual concerns of their patients in everyday practice. She and her husband have five grown children and two grandchildren, and they now split their time between Colorado and Italy, where they love to hike, ski, cycle, and explore new places.

Jan Friedlander

Jan Friedlander has a BA in Spanish and French. In addition to these two languages, she has taken classes in Latin, German and Russian. Jan’s studies have given her, not only a respect and love for languages, but a reasonably good understanding of how language works. Jan has experience teaching adults at OLLI and other teaching venues.

Peter Gilbert

Peter Gilbert was born and raised in England and educated at Leeds University in science and engineering. Now retired, he lives with his American wife in Colorado after serving 34 years in the British Royal Air Force.

Linda Gordon

I am a retired principal of schools for both Denver Public Schools and Adams County School Districts. I was a principal for 16 years and before that I was a dean, coach, and Biology teacher. The reason I speak Spanish is I lived in Mexico City for ten years. I taught science at the American School and ESL at various locations in the city. I married a pro soccer player, had two kids, and got robbed four times. After the fourth time, I decided it was time to move back to the US with my kids. I left that husband behindJ

Shellie Hochstadt

Shellie Hochstadt graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in history, and a minor in political science. She was a divisional merchandise manager for a department store until 1994, when she returned to her core interest and passion for world history. She taught AP World History, AP Government, and economics until her retirement in 2010. She combines her interests in history, travel, and reading into her teaching, where she endeavors to bring a thoughtful global perspective.

Morris Hoffman

Morris Hoffman was a district judge in the Second Judicial District, State of Colorado, from 1991 to 2021, during which time he presided over more than 400 jury trials. He is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Denver and University of Colorado, where he’s taught classes on jury history and selection, law and the biology of human nature, and law and neuroscience. He is a member of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience, the author of The Punisher’s Brain: The Evolution of Judge and Jury (Cambridge University Press, 2014), and a co-author, with four of his MacArthur colleagues, of Brain Science for Lawyers, Judges, and Policymakers (Oxford University

Press, 2024). Judge Hoffman has published more than 30 law review articles focusing on criminal law and sentencing, co-authored more than a dozen science papers primarily on the neuroscience of punishment, written several law-related op-eds in national newspapers, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and has spoken at judicial conferences across the country, including those of the D.C., Fourth, Eighth, and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal. Now, Judge Hoffman is writing fiction; his debut novel, Pinch Hitting, was released by Black Rose Writing in June 2024, and more novels are in the pipeline. He lives in Denver with his wife Kate, who is a retired lawyer, and their two retired puppies.

Michael Holmes

Dr. Michael Holmes worked in public education for 37 years. He has taught the game of bridge for over 19 years and is a Certified ACBL Online Bridge Teacher and Audrey Grant Bridge Teacher, Gold Life Master, ACBL Certified Club Director and ACBL Certified Tournament Assistant Director.

Charles Holt

Charlie Holt is a Platinum Facilitator with a career as an engineer in R&D and R&D management for over 28 years. He has a strong interest in history and diplomacy with a focus on key personalities shaping history. He holds a PhD, in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, an MS, and BS in Aeronautical Engineering. He served in the US Army in Vietnam.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Alice Howard

Alice Howard is a long-distance OLLI member having joined three years ago from Charlottesville, VA. She has taken courses in History, Public Affairs, Literature, and Music. She is a retired academic information technology support specialist for the University of Virginia.

Tom Hughes

Tom Hughes, OLLI Diamond Facilitator, is a veteran OLLI at DU West student, who has enjoyed every one of his classes. He is a life-long learner who loves to join others in discussing the issues of the day. His background includes a varied career in the financial services industry, as well as significant experience as a volunteer in several not-for-profit organizations. Tom has a BA from CU-Boulder and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis

JJ Jordan

After a corporate management career, JJ Jordan reinvented herself in the field of Alzheimer’s/ Dementiaafter three of four parents in her immediate family were diagnosed with the disease. She was theirfamily care partner for 16 years. JJ is the CEO of the Jordan Consulting Group, where she lectures,teaches, and consults on dementia topics. She also teaches for DU, CU, the Denver Public Library, andAARP. She was recognized by AARP with their Community Partner Award for her dementia educationwork. JJ is also an associate with a business psychology firm serving as their client dementia coachingand training provider. JJ sits on the Dementia Action Coalition team for the Colorado Department ofPublic Health and Environment and chairs workgroups that are implementing the Alzheimer’s/DementiaState Plan.JJ has been the volunteer Community Chair for Dementia Friendly Denver for eight years.She has also been a volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association’s for over 20 years. She served a six-year term on their Board of Directors and currently serves as their Public Policy Ambassador to Capitol Hill.

Janet Kester

Janet Kester has lived a relatively joyful life and wants to share that joy with others. She is a retired special education teacher who tried to bring as much joy as possible to her students as they struggled with the academic world. Janet thinks she is quite clever to have integrated her greatest joy, gardening, into her work as a teacher as she developed a thriving and educational gardening program both inside and outside the classroom. For her, joy jumps out everywhere on a daily basis in the form of grandchildren, flowers, pretty colors and friendships. Watch for her car license plate that says “JOYFORU.”

Thomas Kleinschmidt

Tom Kleinschmidt has been interested in the study of history, especially American History in the 18th and 19th centuries, for his entire life. He has read extensively on this period and visited many of the historical locations. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Kearney State College (now University of Nebraska- Kearney) and an MBA from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. After a career in financing equipment and power generation projects, both domestically and internationally, Tom retired in 2015. Since retiring, he has facilitated OLLI classes in both Albuquerque and Denver.

Ronald Knox

Ron Knox has a BS in mathematics and chemistry from CSU with 40+ years managing software and data systems for banking, telecommunications, military aerospace contractors, government, electronics, computer and utilities industries. These systems were utilized by Arrow Electronics, Honeywell, Citicorp, AT&T, HIS and McDonnell Douglas. Ron helped to develop Expert/A.I. systems including the Telecommunications Engineering and Asset Management Systems over a 5-year period. This system consolidated 27 telecommunications engineering functions into one system for Pacific Bell/AT&T.

Sarah Kozloff

Professor Sarah Kozloff received her BA in English from Dartmouth College and her PhD from Stanford University. For over 30 years she served as Professor of Film at Vassar College, teaching mostly American cinema and film genres. She is the author of five academic books and numerous articles and chapters, and she has also successfully transitioned into creative writing with a 4-volume epic fantasy series published by Tor. She loves sharing the books and films she adores with others.

James Kunkel

James R. (Jim) Kunkel, Ph.D., P.E. is a semiretired engineer with 57 years of domestic and international experience in hydrology and water resources. He has worked on water resources projects in 32 states and 22 foreign countries. He has lived in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Chile during his career. His academic experience includes 17 years as an adjunct associate professor at Colorado School of Mines (CSM), where he taught graduate hydrologic engineering courses in the Department of Geological Engineering. He has given presentations, professional technical lectures and short courses to news media, government agencies and professional societies in the USA, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. Dr. Kunkel has given lectures and courses previously at OLLI East, OLLI Central, OLLI-West, OLLI-On-Line, OLLI-on-the-Move and OLLI Webinars.

Ryan Lambert

A Denver native, Ryan Lambert received his MA in English from the University of Northern Colorado, where he also holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in English and one in anthropology. Currently, Ryan teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in communication and ethics at the Colorado School of Mines, where he also serves as a professional writing consultant in the

university’s writing center. Additionally, he has taught writing, literature, and film courses at Northern Colorado, the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Mountain Language Institute. In his spare time, Ryan reads, goes to indie films (especially French ones), attends concerts, and tends to his two cats (Henri and B.C.)

Linda Lange

Voracious reader of mystery and science fiction, enthusiastic gardener, and amateur tai chi practitioner, Linda Lange is retired from teaching finance and accounting at Regis University. She created the first Mysterious Places class in 2019 to enthusiastic response and has built the series since, choosing different themes for each term and occasionally revisiting a popular theme to update author choices.

Michael Levin

Michael Levin is a Denver native with a BA from Grinnell College and an MA from the University of Colorado, both in math. He retired from Raytheon in 2006 as a Senior Principal Systems Engineer. Much of his career involved classified work related to remote sensing: ground and airborne radar, satellite payloads, and mission planning. To offset the stress at work in the mid-1980s, Michael engaged in Great Books and adult Jewish education. He inherited the leadership of a southeast Denver Great Books group in 2008. Michael has facilitated OLLI short story and Jewish text discussions. A class he may offer again is “An Academic View of the Old Testament” using a Great Courses video series presented by Professor Amy-Jill Levine.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Barbara Lilly

Barbara Lilly has facilitated more than a dozen OLLI at DU courses, primarily in the Public Affairs area. She is an avid reader, a mystery buff and a pragmatic political junkie.

David Lindsey

David Lindsey, PhD, is retired from the US Geological Survey. He spent many field seasons doing geologic mapping and research in the Rocky Mountain West including the desert mountains of Western Utah and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado. He loves exploring new places and sharing his discoveries with others. He has led geology field trips over Trail Ridge Road for OLLI and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy and has facilitated geology classes for OLLI.

John Lungerhausen

John Lungerhausen, Master Facilitator, joined OLLI soon after he retired from CenturyLink in 2016 where he enjoyed a 17-year career (including US West and Qwest) as a software developer, Team Lead, and Development Manager. John and his longtime partner, Dixie, have been living in Golden with their bevy of cats since 1987. They have collaborated in putting together a number of film classes for OLLI and share a deep enjoyment of independent and foreign films, which frequently offer a far more engaging perspective than most of the typical Hollywood fare. John received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan.

Michael Mackey

Michael is a passionate scholar of religion, history and culture. He holds a BA and MA in English from Colorado State and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. While he was trained for the ministry, he has spent his life in higher education, where he has taught English, literature, humanities, history and world religions at the college level.

Robert Magnani

Bob Magnani has attended over 120 OLLI courses and facilitated 50 classes both online and at 4 Colorado locations. His courses include Movies and Movie Making, Acting, Comedy, and Chess. He has Arts and Engineering degrees from Columbia; PhD work at NYU; telecommunications design and management at Bell Laboratories and US West Advanced Technologies; and Product Management at AT&T. Bob has seen several thousand US and foreign films in his lifetime, loves theater, chess (was a member of the Manhattan Chess Club) and acting. He is delighted to be able to pursue these interests at OLLI. Bob is a Platinum Facilitator and an OLLI member since 2010.

Larry Matten

Larry Matten, Botanist, Paleobotanist, Elder Law Attorney, Spellbinder, Rotarian, docent at Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and OLLI Platinum Facilitator, has been doing movie courses since 2017. He and Greg Petty have cofacilitated 16 movie courses together and they really enjoy the discussions with the students. Larry has facilitated courses in science fiction literature, dinosaurs, human evolution, mass extinctions, evolution, fossil stories, Darwin, Fitzroy, baseball and botany. While at The Academy, he also did courses in Estate Planning. Larry and his wife enjoy traveling and visiting with their 6 children, 14 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren.

Mac McHugh

Mac McHugh, Platinum Facilitator, joined OLLI Denver in 2011. Mac spent 38 years with the Department of Defense in the areas of accounting, auditing, and systems development. He is a lifelong movie buff and a World War II history buff and has facilitated numerous courses on technology, film, and history at OLLI.

Gregory Moody

For the past 50 years, Greg Moody has been a media reporter, critic, and historian in all news radio, newspapers, online, and television. He has covered film, Hollywood history, Broadway theater, music, books, television, and news media extensively. He is the author of five novels, all available on Amazon, as well as two produced plays. He is a 1974 graduate of Western Michigan University in Theater and English. Moody is an eight-year United States Naval Reserve veteran and a former standup comedian. While those two career paths seem to have very little in common, he has made a number of admirals laugh at Navy dinners.

Sydney Myers

Sydney Myers, OLLI Platinum Facilitator, is a former retail executive who lived in Mexico for seven years. She returned to Denver in 2006.

Phil Nelson

Phil Nelson has been offering OLLI courses on climate change and the energy transition since 2017. Currently he offers three different OLLI courses: (1) How Bad Is It Really, (2) Living in the Energy Transition, and (3) The Ministry for the Future-A Climate Change Adventure. Phil is a member of the Golden Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, offers presentations to civic organizations, and hosts a weekly Zoom call on energy

transition. He holds BS and PhD degrees from MIT and is retired from a career in mineral and oil and gas exploration. He became motivated to think and speak about climate change as he was wrapping up employment with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Terry Ortlieb

Terry Ortlieb started in technology by putting engineering changes on IBM computers in high school. Then after attaining his degrees in Philosophy, he moved on to start his own process and systems engineering company which he built and then sold. Now he is combining his two interests into facilitating classes that integrate technology and philosophy. This will be his 25th class on Harari’s thoughts and he feels that this book does bring almost all of the ideas together.

Deborah Parker

Deborah Parker is a woman of global thought, of selfless service, and of dedication to the role of education in making the world a better place. She has a BA in English from Towson University and a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University. She has over 30 years of teaching experience with a focus on multiple disciplines in history and English. In retirement she has continued her pursuit of service and learning, as a ranger at National Historical Parks, interpreting the story of the park to visitors. She volunteers at various Denver agencies. Deborah has a warm, friendly style and is passionate about examining ideas from all angles. She is excited to explore the advancement of human rights around the world and how these rights center strongly in human wellbeing.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Mark A. Payler

Mark A. Payler is a practicing Colorado landscape, street, and travel photographer. With over four-and-a-half decades of photography and teaching experience, Mark’s work has been highlighted in the landmark book “A Day in the Life of American” as well as the featured doublepaged photo spread in the 50th anniversary issue of “Popular Photography” magazine. Mark’s Route 66 travel photography was also featured in a portfolio-style spread in “Route Magazine.” Mark has extensive travel and photography experiences in Italy, Iceland, Great Britain and Wales, Costa Rica, Jamaica, New York City, and various locations in the American Southwest, greater Yellowstone National Park area, and throughout Colorado. Mark’s current project is photographing musical performances for Denver’s premier jazz club while experimenting with in-camera and postproduction AI techniques.

Dave Peters

Dave Peters has spent his career in IT, also earning a Masters Degree in Telecom. His focus, though sometimes focused on Telecom companies as clients, has been in databases. He managed global teams of Tier 4 technical support teams. He also reads extensively along with other hobbies including woodworking.

Susan Peters

Susan Peters spent her career in IT. With a Masters Degree in Telecom, she became a telecommunications consultant, working for Big 5 consulting firms before becoming independent. Literature has been a passion, and Susan likes to facilitate classes featuring notable books. Another passion has been fostering dogs including new-born litters. She and her husband Dave have taken in almost 200 mainly retriever dogs.

Greg Petty

Greg Petty is a Master Facilitator and has offered OLLI baseball and movie courses for the past 10 years. He has co-facilitated 16 movie courses with Larry Matten on 12 different topics. He has also offered 9 innings of OLLI baseball courses. His career was primarily administrative positions in colleges and universities in Illinois and Colorado, and as Executive Director of a not-for-profit serving blind/vision impaired and deaf/aquired hearing loss people. He is a board member of Rocky Mountain SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) and his home town Mt Carroll (IL) Community Foundation. His passions are family, ancient and new friends, baseball, bridge and mental health/suicide issues.

Dan Putman

Dan Putman is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy. He received his BA from Marquette University, his MA from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and his PhD from the University of Southern California. Dan taught Philosophy for 37 years at the University of Wisconsin - Fox Valley, a freshman-sophomore branch of the UW. (Since his retirement in 2011 UW-Fox Valley has become part of UWOshkosh.) Dan has published over 40 articles in Philosophy. He and his wife Elaine have two children, one in New York City and the other in Boulder. Dan started teaching OLLI courses in winter 2013 for OLLI-UA in Green Valley, Arizona. In 2014 he and Elaine moved from Wisconsin to Colorado to be near the grandchildren. He has facilitated courses for OLLI at DU since 2015.

Richard Reinish

Dick Reinish, OLLI Platinum Facilitator is a retired antitrust lawyer which required that he learn about various industries from nuclear power to cat litter. His interest in documentaries and foreign films evolved at the suggestion of his wife. Dick has a daughter who has made four documentary films (one of which he showed in a prior documentary class). Dick has given several classes on both documentary and foreign films with an abundance of positive comments about his film selections and follow-up discussion. He and his wife Barbara moved to Denver from Chicago in 2001.

Ira Rifkin

Ira Rifkin is a physician who had been in private practice in Metro Denver as well as on staff of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for over 30 years until his retirement in 2009. He has had a lifelong interest in economics, political science, history, and science.

Leonard Sahling

Leonard Sahling earned a PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan. His first job was as a macroeconomist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His second job was as a macroeconomist at Fannie Mae in DC. From there, he reinvented himself as a real estate economist/REIT analyst and started up a real estate research group at Merrill Lynch in New York City. Then, after 9/11, Leonard took a job as an economist and started up a real estate research operation at ProLogis, an industrial Real Estate Investment Trust based in Denver, CO. When ProLogis was acquired by another REIT, he reinvented himself once again as an agricultural economist and accepted a job at CoBank, where he started up and then managed a research group. He is now retired and, among other things, enjoys teaching an OLLI class on economic issues.

David Savitz

David B. Savitz is an attorney, who earned his BA in Psychology in 1965 from Penn State and Juris Doctorate in 1968 from the University of Colorado. He was admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court on February 21, 1978. During his fifty-plusyear career as a trial lawyer, David specialized in criminal defense. He has lectured and published regionally and nationally on trial practice, childhood trauma, wiretapping and terrorism. He is the author of a true-crime book, Just in the Nick of Time, and has taught two Olli On-the-Move courses regarding the Trump Indictments. He has been featured in the television programs Hard Copy and Larry King Live, and in several true-crime podcasts. His professional awards include: Super Lawyers of Colorado, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Nation, and Nation Top One Percent of Distinguished Counsel. Besides Colorado, he has litigated cases in Florida, California, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C., and internationally in Canada, Japan, and Kazakhstan. He is currently retired and devoting his time to writing and teaching. He presented a preview of this upcoming course at an Olli event on October 8, 2024.

Betsy Schwarm

With a background in classical radio, preperformance talks, and university teaching, Betsy Schwarm has developed a user-friendly approach to sharing her enthusiasm for great music. The Colorado Symphony declared her an “icon” of the business, and she has been Opera Colorado’s performance speaker for over twenty years. Listeners to the vintage KVOD Radio 99.5fm, “The Classical Voice of Denver,” came to value what she said and how she said it. Music lovers who wish to know more of what goes on behind the notes, how this great music came to be, and how to listen to it more effectively, regularly find that Betsy Schwarm is exactly what they need.

OLLI @ DU / 2025 WINTER

Rabbi Yossi Serebryanski

Rabbi Yossi Serebryanski, with his wife, is the co-director of Chabad at DU, a Jewish campus ministry. Rabbi Yossi is a popular teacher of adult education in the wider Jewish community and is excited to remain with the OLLI team of lifelong learners.

Sharon Sherman

Sharon Sherman has trained and consulted for thousands on various platforms with over 30 years in the technology and business sector. Sharon is CompTia certified and an Excel expert with an MBA/-MIS focus. She has a small consulting agency to troubleshoot, repair, purchase, configure, and solve technology problems. This involves working extensively with mobile technology, Windows and Mac PCs, small networks, software - and people, all of which lends experience to the research she does for her classes. She also designs and manages small websites to stay creative. She takes many photos of her travels and loves her geek life. Recently she accepted the Chair of the Leadership Council for OLLI Sedona Verde Valley where she has also taught for 5 years.

Patty Smilanic

Patty Smilanic, frequently told she’s too much of a literalist, wonders how she graduated with a PhD in 19th century American literature. During the pandemic, Patty first encountered Amor Towles in an OLLI class offered by the energetic duo of facilitators Bob and Carol Steele. Their engaging course on “A Gentleman in Moscow” motivated her to read Towles first novel, Rules of Civility. From its first paragraph, she realized that his historical novel would make a fascinating Olli course. She brings her academic training and her love of literature to this exploration of the art of Towles. She and Peggy Winn enthusiastically invite you on this journey.

Doug Sparks

Douglas Sparks has a PhD in Anthropology focused on traditional Chinese religious practice. He has extensive teaching experience in graduate school and five years teaching in an MBA program. In his international business career, Doug delivered many presentations at conferences and in senior corporate roles. He lived and worked in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, China, Canada, and France, and traveled extensively for work and pleasure in Francophone Africa and many other regions of the world. Doug has facilitated OLLI classes on Kabbalah, the Mythology of Judaism, and Angels and Demons in Judaism. Current interests are the history of Judaism and early Christianity; Kabbalah and other mystical belief systems; and apocalyptic visions throughout history

Bob Steele

Bob and Carol Steele are products of the American Midwest (Carol from Chicago and Bob from Indiana), yet their hearts are in Ireland. They’ve travelled around the Emerald Isle from Dublin to the Dingle Peninsula, from the Connemara region to County Cork. And they are big fans of Irish literature. They love the lyrical novels by Niall Williams as well as his non-fiction book with his wife Christine Breen, “A Year in An Irish Garden,” set in their County Clare village of Kiltumper. Carol and Bob facilitated an OLLI class two years ago with that book. They are excited to use Niall’s just-published novel “Time of the Child” for this Winter term class.

Carol Steele

Bob and Carol Steele are products of the American Midwest (Carol from Chicago and Bob from Indiana), yet their hearts are in Ireland. They’ve traveled around the Emerald Isle from Dublin to the Dingle Peninsula, from the Connemara region to County Cork. And they are big fans of Irish literature. They love the lyrical novels by Niall Williams as well as his non-fiction book with his wife Christine Breen, “A Year in An Irish Garden,” set in their County Clare village of Kiltumper. Carol and Bob facilitated an OLLI class two years ago with that book. They are excited to use Niall’s just-published novel “Time of the Child” for this Winter term class.

Timothy Steele

Dr. Steele’s career encompasses 58 years in water-quality hydrology and regional assessments of water resources. During 40 years as a consultant, he managed many multidisciplinary projects and has directed hydrologic baseline and modeling studies for water-resources planning and management studies as well as coal mining, oil-and-gas properties, minerals mining, and several oil-shale projects. He has consulted on numerous projects dealing with groundwater contamination, aquifer and lake/ reservoir restoration, tailings disposal, hazardous waste management, design and evaluation of hydrologic monitoring networks, pollution-control plans, water-quality stream standards and total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) assessments, and regional/ international ground-water planning and integrated water-resources management (IWRM). His professional career has included overseas experience in 13 foreign countries. Over a recent period (2000-2006), Dr. Steele conducted a numerous block (short) courses dealing with concepts of integrated watershed approaches, global water issues, and climate change at two German universities and through OLLI in Denver and Ann Harbor (invited).

Mitchell Stewart

Mitchell Stewart received his BA in International Studies from The American University and his Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. He spent 16 years with the State Department and then 21 years with the Bureau of Reclamation (Interior Department) before retiring. He began taking OLLI courses in 2010 in lieu of returning to graduate school, and started facilitating in 2014, leading seminars in political and moral philosophy with occasional side trips into political theory and intellectual history. In addition to taking OLLI courses, he sits in on political theory courses at DU’s Korbel School of International Studies and philosophy courses at DU’s philosophy department. He is a member of the Hunting Working Airedales, Inc., though he does not hunt, and his Airedale does not work.

Dan Strammiello

Dan Strammiello’s work in government service as a China analyst included writings focused on China’s economic growth models, political strategy, both long and short term, military forces development and the tendencies of China and the US to be natural allies and mercantile competitors. He holds a BA from Trinity College, an MA in International Affairs from George Washington University, and studied at Georgetown Law School. Dan was a member of the Political Science Faculty at the Air Force Academy and taught as an adjunct at CU Denver for many years. He is currently associated with the Institute of International Economic Policy in Washington, D. C.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Ken Sweet

Ken Sweet is a mining geophysicist primarily looking for uranium, gold, and copper. He has worked in many locations including Mongolia, Zambia, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and even in the US.

Steve Swenerton

Steve Swenerton has a BA in Political Science and an MBA in International Business. He served 3 years as a U.S. Coast Guard officer. He managed sales and marketing departments for three different residential building products companies in the U. S. for a total of 40 years. And he served as an international sales and marketing consultant in Asia, Australia, and South America for 7 years. He has traveled to over 50 countries on business and for pleasure. Steve has taught over 500 classes for Active Minds, 4 for OLLI, and 3 for Boulder JCC.

Dean Tebbe

Dean Tebbe studied computer science and film at the University of Colorado Denver, while building a 35-year career in Network Engineering & Management. He is an avid reader with a wide range of interests including: geopolitics, human ecology, climate, and science fiction. Dean currently spends his time volunteering and permaculture gardening.

Carol Lynn Tiegs

Carol Lynn Tiegs is a dedicated history buff. A tour docent for History Colorado, she holds a masters degrees in German Studies and in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has taught German at CUBoulder and Public Relations at Metropolitan State University Denver. Her communications background includes time as a reporter/editor for local, national and international publications; as a public, community and government relations coordinator for Kaiser Permanente; running a film festival in Crested Butte; and as executive director of the New Mexico Tech Alumni Association. She loves delving into the history of every area she finds herself in.

Alec Tsoucatos

Alec Tsoucatos, PhD, was born to Greek parents in Alexandria, Egypt, a day before Pearl Harbor in 1941. He attended a primary British school in Alexandria and finished junior and senior high school in Athens, Greece. Alec has lived in Egypt, Greece, England and America. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from UC Berkeley and his PhD from CU Boulder under the tutelage of Kenneth Boulding. Alec’s main interests are in new economics, progressive politics, integrative medicine, positive psychology, and mystical Christianity.

Donna Van Dusen

Donna Van Dusen, Regis University Professor Emerita, put her love of abstract and landscape painting on the back burner at a time when her practical needs required a more secure career. Now retired, she paints most days, shows her work at a local gallery, and serves on the board of directors of a non-profit organization promoting the fine arts. Her interest in the creative process evolved naturally from both her academic interests and experience as an artist.

Mitra Verma

Mitra Verma is an art educator, artist, and craft designer. She received a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts (BFA) and completed her master’s from a distinctive handicraft design institute in India. Mitra creates because she loves and wants to feel colors, forms, and nature in her creations. Working in various mediums, Mitra creates paintings celebrating the Indian culture and tradition with distinctive colorful designs, which are treated with religious and mystical motifs and patterns. Mitra is a self-motivated, conscientious, passionate artist and for the past twelve years she held classes and workshops in painting and crafts. She is eager to share her love of art with students who want to venture into new areas.

Dixie Vice

Dixie Vice, Master Facilitator, retired in 2015 from state and federal government where she worked as a computer programmer/ analyst and has been taking OLLI classes in Music, Literature, and Film ever since. Her background includes a degree in Anthropology from CU with an effective minor in Film Studies. Her interest in Foreign Films began at 16 when she was finally old enough to be admitted to the art film theatres in Indianapolis. She lives with her longtime partner, John, and their 3 orange kitty boys Jimmy, Eddie, and Sparky.

Sally Walling

A long-time middle school and high school English instructor, Sally Walling has a lifelong love of the movies, as well as all forms of art and literature. Whether watching films on the big screen or the small one in the living room, modern films can help us understand the complicated world we live in!

Eric Walters

Eric Walters has more than eighteen years of experience advising high-net worth families and managing portfolios. Eric is the cofounder of Summit Hill Wealth Management, a registered Investment Advisory firm that provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services to highnet worth families, endowments, foundations, and retirement plans. Eric has served in leadership positions in national investment firms where he helped lead the Rocky Mountain region and served on investment strategy committees overseeing more than $200 billion of client assets. Eric graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University. He is a CFA Charterholder and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM professional. Eric has been quoted in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Investment News, TheStreet.com, Financial Planning Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and the Denver Business Journal. He enjoys hiking, cycling, camping, skiing, and paddleboarding with his three teenage children.

Dennis Wanebo

Dennis Wanebo was a trial attorney from 1978 until his retirement in 2012. During that time, he tried thousands of court trials and other contested hearings, along with hundreds of jury trials. At the time of the “Anatomy” events, Dennis was a Chief Deputy District Attorney in Colorado’s 20th Judicial District (Boulder County). Ultimately, he would leave prosecution and would work on “the other side of the courtroom,” again trying cases ranging from traffic to murder. In addition, Dennis handled a large civil trial practice.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Wilson Wiedenheft

Wilson Wiedenheft has degrees in Electrical Engineering, Master’s in Business Administration, and Master’s of Science in geology. After spending most of his engineering career directing software and hardware development programs at Motorola, Wilson retired in 2012 to finally engage with his love for science. His interest and research have ranged broadly and are reflected in the classes has taught for OLLI at DU since 2016, which include physics, cosmology, geology, and the history of science. His passion is making the complex and fascinating topics of science accessible to the curious general public.

Peggy Winn

Peggy’s love for reading has been a lifelong journey. In 4th grade, she was probably the only kid who eagerly anticipated book reports, relishing the chance to delve into new stories and share her insights with classmates. Her enthusiasm for literature has never waned; it led her to establish a book club, which has flourished over the past 18 years. Through literature classes offered by OLLI, Peggy has further deepened her understanding and appreciation of books, continually honing her skills as an avid reader. She is looking forward to partnering with Patty Smilanic in exploring the artistry of Amor Towles.

Gary Wyngarden

Gary Wyngarden has a BA from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Loyola University. His career was spent in the health care industry and included tenure as CEO of a $2 billion company. He is a Master Facilitator with OLLI and a member of the OLLI South Curriculum Committee.

Photo credit: Mark A. Payler

MEET THE STAFF

Tamara Barkdoll, OLLI at DU Central Campus Program Coordinator

Tamara Barkdoll, Central Program Coordinator, comes to OLLI with a background in adult training and administering adult classes in a non-profit setting, as well as with several volunteer groups. She is very active with a variety of volunteer activities throughout the Denver Metro area. She is an alumnus of the University of Denver and a strong believer in lifelong learning.

Amber Barthel, OLLI at DU Technology Coordinator

Amber Barthel has spent her professional life in various positions in education, primarily at the Pre-School and Elementary School levels. Her experience ranges from volunteer to teacher to leadership roles and many others in between. Training and technology have been a constant part of her responsibilities throughout her career, and she is excited to support OLLI at DU as the Technology Coordinator.

Ana Cadury do Prado, West Program

Assistant

Ana Cadury do Prado moved from Brazil to the US in 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Literature and has always been involved in education teaching English as a Second Language classes and supporting educational institutions as an administrator. She really enjoys reading, learning new languages, hiking and taking pictures of nature, and is really happy to be able to support OLLI at DU as a Program Coordinator.

Sherry

Feinbaum, OLLI at DU West Campus Manager and Volunteer Manager

Sherry Feinbaum joined OLLI as a member in 2019 after a long career in sales selling in both business to business and directly to nonprofits. She became the program assistant at Boulder campus before becoming the West Campus Site Manager in May 2022. In addition to work life, she spent many years as a volunteer for multiple non-profits in the Boulder area and now serves on the board of Congregation Har Ha Shem in Boulder. She is an avid outdoor person and especially enjoys time hiking or bicycling in addition to traveling and taking dance classes.

Maria Elena Garcia, OLLI at DU Curriculum Director and DU On Campus Manager

Maria Elena Garcia has over 30 years’ educational leadership experience in schools, school districts, universities, and state departments of education. She was a managing consultant, program designer, and trainer with an international, educational research and development organization. Her focus areas are systems improvement and organizational development. She really enjoys working for OLLI at DU and thinks she saved the best workplace for last!

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / MEET THE STAFF

Candace Hyatt, OLLI at DU Central Campus Manager

Candace (Candy) has been an educator, preK-adult for over 50 years with experience as a middle school teacher and principal, an elementary school principal, a professional development central office administrator and a leadership and English language acquisition consultant in an educational research and development non-profit setting. Her work is characterized by a mission to provide access to high quality educational opportunities for learners of all ages, cultures, and abilities in a wide variety of both formal and informal settings. She’s a long-time Colorado resident with a love for reading and the outdoors.

Dave Johnson, OLLI at DU Support Specialist

Dave Johnson has been employed as Support Specialist by OLLI at DU since June of 2022. He is semi-retired with a background in theater. He has worked for the Denver Center for Performing Arts, Chicken Lips Comedy Theater, Town Hall Arts Center and was a co-owner of the Avenue Theater in downtown Denver. He’s worked in all areas of theater including box office, administration, marketing, performing, maintenance and cleaning.

Christine Liptak, OLLI at DU Support Specialist and Zoom Assistant

Christine Liptak has an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Master’s of Business Administration and over 30 years of experience in business administration consulting with start-ups, training and analysis for the telecommunications industry, retail management and office administration.

Mary Ann Mace, OLLI at DU On Campus Program Coordinator and Curriculum Assistant

Mary Ann has had an extensive career in the non-profit sector, working as an assistant to executive management. Mary Ann’s experience includes nonprofit/corporate executive support, project management, special events, client services, social media maintenance, marketing, and operations. In addition, Mary Ann assists undergraduate and graduate students with research papers and writing assignments as a writing consultant.

Kim

Penoyer,

OLLI at DU Operations Coordinator

When Kim Penoyer retired from the University of Colorado, a friend introduced her to OLLI at DU. She decided that OLLI was a wonderful way to ease into retirement. While working for CU Kim was Manager of the Online Program Development for CU Online/Office of Digital Education, Director of CU at Interlocken and Executive Director of the Continuing Engineering Education Program. Her CU experience has proven helpful with her work at OLLI. Kim earned her MBA from the University of Colorado Denver and her BS in Education from Michigan State University.

David Schoenhals, OLLI at DU CoExecutive Director for Curriculum, Operations, and Finance

David Schoenhals is an experienced educational leader with a track record of implementing strategic initiatives to drive excellence and ensure financial stability. He has held various roles in education including teacher, coach, coordinator, principal, and director. Skilled in data-driven decision-making, program management, and collaboration, he graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Mathematics and obtained his Principal License from the University of Denver.

Sherilee Selby, OLLI at DU South Campus Program Coordinator

Sherilee Selby joined OLLI in 2009 after retiring, first from her role as a child and family therapist, then from retail management. Sherilee accepted the OLLI South Program Coordinator role in 2017. She loves reading and values travel and exploring other cultures, whether in print or in person. Sherilee and her husband live in the Denver area and treasure time with their adult grandchildren and son. Connection with OLLI members has enriched her life.

Laura Uzzle, OLLI at DU Co-Executive Director

for

Marketing, Communications, and Development

Laura Uzzle has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, specializing in partnership development and community engagement. Her background includes leadership roles at two national nonprofit organizations where she focused on member recruitment and retention, communication/marketing, program development, and building strategic partnerships. Laura earned her BA from the College of William and Mary. She enjoys traveling with her family, reading, and taking long walks with her dogs.

Darcey VanWagner, OLLI at DU South Campus Manager and Membership Engagement Manager

Darcey VanWagner, South Campus Manager, joined OLLI at DU in 2016. Prior to working at OLLI at DU she worked in the financial industry and has been actively involved in public education. She is a Colorado native and graduate of Colorado State University. She is married and parent to two great kids. She enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, gardening and exploring Colorado. She is honored to be part of OLLI and getting to know and work with a wonderful diverse group of people.

Mitra Verma, OLLI at DU Support Specialist and Graphic Designer

Mitra Verma joined OLLI at DU in December 2021 as a program coordinator. In her current role with OLLI, she assists members, managers, and the executive directors, ensuring smooth operations and effective communication. She excels in graphic design, creating engaging flyers and mini catalogs for OLLI at DU. Mitra holds a master’s degree in handicraft designing and has been recognized as a Handicraft Designer by the Development Commissioner Handicraft (DCHC) in India. She has over 20 years of experience in art, design, and education and has taught art fundamentals and conducted research and documentation in the field. Her art reflects the richness of her diverse cultural background.

OLLI@DU / 2025 WINTER / THANK YOU

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO

OLLI thrives because of its volunteers! Thank you to our facilitators, class assistants, and our Site and Core Curriculum Committees.

Curriculum Committees work diligently to create a robust catalog of in-person and online courses. Thank you to each committee and to individual committee members. You have made this extraordinary lineup of courses possible!

OLLI at DU Core Curriculum Committee

David Schoenhals, OLLI@DU

Maria Elena Garcia, OLLI@DU

Candace Hyatt, Central

Darcey VanWagner, South

David Lippman, Central

Sherilee Selby, South

Mitch Stewart, Central

Patty Smilanic, South

Michael Prevedel, Central

Patricia Paul, South

Sherry Feinbaum, West

Linda Lange, Ad Hoc

Mary Ann Mace, OLLI@DU

Shelly McHugh, Ad Hoc

Penny Friedberg, West

Dennis Wanebo, West

Central Campus

Curriculum Committee

Susan Lauscher, Curriculum Chair

Barbara Holme

Mike Prevedel

Gordon Appell

David Lippman

Jon Young

Gloria (Lori) Eastman

South

Campus

Curriculum Committee

Bob Steele - Crriculum Co-Chair

Janet Kester - Crriculum Co-Chair

Bill Baird

Anne Bennett

Anne Christner

Karen Dvorchak

Sheila Jones

Charlotte Moreno

Pat Paul

Patty Smilanic

Ralph Winn

Gary Wyngarden

West Campus

Curriculum Committee

Sherry Feinbaum

Penny Friedberg