Winter 2026 Catalog - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

www.olli-umich.org

As an independent, locally owned firm for over 30 years, our commitment to the community remains as strong as ever.

We are longtime advocates and supporters of area nonprofits, the arts, education, athletic events, and greenways. We are honored to have a part in helping build a community that’s a wonderful place to live, work, play – and ultimately enjoy a fulfilling retirement.

Located in Ann Arbor, we’re one of the top investment advisors in the area. From retirement planning to college funding and wealth building, our goal is to lead a sound financial plan for you and your family, for every season of life.

Learn about our team and strategies to help grow and preserve your wealth. 734-769-7727 | risadvisory.com

The OLLI Leadership Team Welcomes You

Welcome to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Michigan! OLLI is an amazing organization that offers opportunities to create friendships, experience new opportunities, and engage in stimulating conversations. We are a volunteer-centered membership organization providing engaging and interesting programs created by older adults.

In OLLI you not only take classes, but you can also travel with us, create programming, teach, volunteer at events or with committees, watch our video catalog with more than 300 recordings, and take advantage of member benefits from our Community Partners (discounted tickets, special events and more).

Be sure to check out a new remote programs option in this catalog. You can select from several online-only lecture series developed by the Osher National Resource Center (NRC). These “Osher Online” programs utilize instructors and involve participants from across the country.

We hope you will join us at the OLLI Winter Open House, Tuesday, January 13, at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) Morris Lawrence Building from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm to meet us, our volunteers, our community partners, and some new friends. Doors open at 9:30 and the Open House is free and open to the public.

Stay curious!

Angela Bingham and Terry Smith

Angela A. Bingham, OLLI Director

Terry Smith, OLLI President

Your Overview of OLLI-UM

We invite you to become part of the OLLI-UM community of lifelong learners! Our members enjoy learning and socializing in many different ways, so we have developed a vast array of programs to meet your interests and needs. For more information about the committees below please contact OLLI staff at 734-998-9351 or email olli.info@umich.edu

PROGRAMMING COMMITTEES Lectures

Academic and professional experts speak on a wide range of cutting-edge social and political issues, science and technology, music, and the arts. Our lectures include the weekly Thursday Lecture Series and the monthly Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lecture Series.

Conversations

Through interview style discussions, each program features a diverse array of guests, including individuals with real-world expertise, who delve into subjects and issues that have a personal impact on us.

Evenings with OLLI

Enjoy the lighter side of Ann Arbor and beyond as we explore Michigan together. Our monthly programs feature interesting people, places, and current issues within our community, as well as highlight the compelling stories of local personalities.

PitchLine

The PitchLine offers OLLI members the opportunity to pitch an innovative idea for programming, events and other projects. As an OLLI member you can offer an idea or

propose a project by sending an email to ollipitchline@umich.edu.

Out of Town

OLLI members can look forward to both in-person and virtual educational travel experiences around Detroit, southeast Michigan, and, occasionally, even further afield.

OLLI Reads

A shared experience where we read and discuss a common book, then come together for a presentation by the author, followed by a discussion.

Community Engagement

Works to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment by fostering programs and events that celebrate the diversity of our members and the world around us.

Study Groups

Do you prefer to learn in small groups? Do you enjoy meeting people who share your interests? Join a study group! Have fun perusing the plethora of study groups in this catalog and choose from a wide selection of topics.

Shared Interest Groups (SIGs)

People come together with a common interest for monthly meetings or activities designed by group members. There is an emphasis on community and friendship as well as enhancing skills, education, or experiences.

Social Interaction

Engaging with other members adds richness to all of OLLI’s activities. Consider OLLI your invitation to connect with other lifelong learners -- an embedded benefit of membership!

OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES Finance

Safeguards the organization’s financial health—overseeing budgeting, monitoring financial performance and ensuring transparency and compliance.

Development

Establishes fundraising goals, builds donor relationships, and oversees the strategies and progress needed to secure the resources essential for the organization’s mission.

Strategic Communications

Guides the organization’s messaging and outreach by setting communication goals, aligning them with the strategic plan, and ensuring consistent, targeted engagement.

Leadership Council

OLLI-UM members elect an 18-member Leadership Council which sets priorities and policies on behalf of OLLI’s more than 1,100 members. Volunteers who serve in a leadership role or as a committee chair enjoy a rich experience. This deep member participation provides opportunities to use expertise developed over a lifetime, apply it in new ways, and form close connections with fellow OLLI members.

OLLI has been a big part of my life for the past 7 years. I first started attending classes that stimulated my curiosity and expanded my views on subjects new to me. Facilitating classes is also great fun, which led to volunteering with this fine organization. A great way to broaden my retirement.”

― Bernie Beach, OLLI Volunteer

Memberships & Registration

BASIC MEMBERSHIP

$50/year

With a Basic Membership, choose OLLI programs via a la carte. Each event has its own fee, which is listed in both the catalog and on the website. Pay for each event when you register. Some programs/events may charge an additional fee for books or materials.

ALL-INCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP

$375/year

This option includes access to all lectures, study groups, shared interest groups, virtual Out of Town, Osher Online and other events OLLI offers. Please note: you’ll need to register for each event you’d like to attend. (In-person Out of Town trips are not included). Some programs may charge additional fees for books or materials.

SCHOLARSHIP BASIC MEMBERSHIP

To ensure that everyone is able to afford our programming, OLLI instituted scholarship assistance. Follow the instructions on the website during the payment process. This program is on the honor system.

REGISTRATION INFO

Registration for study groups and shared interest groups takes place in two phases to accommodate the frequent oversubscription of these programs equitably.

The oversubscription lottery takes place with all prospective attendees’ names regardless of the order of sign-up or membership level. Notifications are then sent out promptly and a waiting list is also created. In some cases, the presenter is asked to expand the class size or give an additional presentation if interest in the topic is high. OLLI strives to make study groups and shared interest groups as available as possible, and your understanding is deeply appreciated.

KEY REGISTRATION DATES

Winter Registration opens: Thursday, December 18th at 10 am

Initial registration period: Thursday, Dec. 18th - Tuesday, Jan. 13th

Oversubscription Lottery for Study Groups: Wednesday, January 14th

Class Lists Finalized and Notices

OLLI memberships run for a year from August 1 to July 31 and must be renewed annually.

Sent to All Who Signed Up: Thursday, January 15th

Offerings begin the week of January 19th

STUDY GROUPS

OLLI at U-M

Who We Are

OLLI is a volunteer-centered membership organization that offers programs for lifelong learners. It capitalizes on the skills, knowledge, and experience of our volunteers who plan and implement the learning programs for their peers.

Our Mission

OLLI fosters lifelong learning designed by member volunteers for a diverse community of older adults seeking stimulating discussion, fellowship and wisdom.

OLLI Staff

The OLLI

Way

As members of OLLI-UM, we value free expression of ideas. In doing so, we agree to abide by these guidelines.

◆ I will be respectful of another’s point of view.

◆ I will demonstrate through words and actions that each OLLI member and staff person is a person of value to be respected.

◆ I will be accountable for my words and actions.

◆ I will be an ally, I will respond, and I will act with and for others in pursuit of an organization where inclusion is valued.

OLLI Winter Open House

Save The Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Location: Washtenaw Community College Morris

Lawrence Building

Please join us for fun, friends and new OLLI programs. Light refreshments will be served.

Doors open: 9:30 am

Program: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Free and open to the public.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volunteers Make All the Difference!

All the programming in this catalog is created by our dedicated volunteers. Please see our Volunteer Handbook to see the many ways to use your skills to volunteer with OLLI.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our volunteers who generously share their passions, expertise, and skills to create the incredible programming we offer. Your dedication is the cornerstone of our success! There are many ways to use your skills to volunteer with OLLI. Committees are the foundation for recruiting our speakers and making policy and organizational decisions. Contact the OLLI office for more information 734-998-9351 or email olli.info@umich.edu.

John Abraham

Kathleen Alfonso

Faye Askew-King

Robin Axelrod

Char Bacon

Bernie Banet

Karen Bantel

Jeff Barnett

Richard Barron

Bernadette Beach

Ginny Bentz

Jill Binkley

Betty Bishop

Ron Bogdasarian

John Bohn

Jim Boughton

Lynn Boyer

Steve Bredernitz

Derek Brereton

Ronald Brown

Justine Bykowski

Jim Cameron

Peter Caplan

Alice Carter

Dick Chase

Ken Chavis

Barb Cherem

Donna Clack

Judy Cohen

Barbara Comai

Gwendolyn Copeland

Kevin Dacey

Laurie Dean

Jackie Deron

Susan Doyle

Kal Dutta

Gloria Edwards

Avi Eisbruch

Emily Eisbruch

Julie Endress

Larry Engelhardt

George Ferrell

Martin Friedburg

Bruce Friedman

Ron Frisch

Bonnie Gabowitz

Jerry Gardner

Richard Garrett

Jeff Gaynor

Steve Geiringer

Savvas Giannakopoulos

Jacqueline Goodman

Judy Gourdji

Elliott Greenberg

Hank Greenspan

Linda Grekin

Joan Gumbel

Gayle Harte

Will Hawk

Sigrid Hermon

Julie Herrada

John Hill

Jessie Hitt

Joan Homyak

Alice Horning

Mary Ellen Hoy

Gayle Hubbard

Gregory Humbel

Larry Imerman

William Ingram

Jerry Janusz

Jim Keen

John Kelly

Freddi Kilburn

Diane Knibbs

Zoe Koosis

Kate LaBore

Deborah Lahdji

Linda Lake

Gerald Lapidus

Liz Larwa

George Lavoie

David Lee

Susan Lennon

Chris Lerchen

Tom Lerchen

Carol Levin

Rudi Lindner

Molly Lindner

Sue Linderman

Eleanor Linn

Robin Little

Stuart Lockman

Herb Loner

Tom Longworth

Jim MacBain

Cathy Maher

Soheyla Marzban

Michelle McClellan

Victoria McIntyre

Barbara McLelland

Juli McLoone

Toni McNamara

Wendy Mead

Meta Mendel-Reyes

Bette Michael

Dick Miller

Jerry Miller

Charles Monsma

Deb Mukherjee

Sally Mukherjee

Claire Murray

Mike Murray

Dennis Muzzi

Louis Nagle

Liz Needleman

Jim Nelson

Jerry Newman

Joan Nuxoll

Marjorie Oliver

Camille Orso

Burcu Senyapili Ozcan

Al Paas

Priscilla Parker

Lee Pizzimenti

Carol Pollack-Rundle

Pat Pooley

Anne Preston

Jan Price

Sharon Quiroz

Craig Ramsay

Helaine Reid

Tim Richards

Michele Roberge

Bill Roberts

Jennifer Roberts

Carol Veldman Rudie

Amy Seeto

Marilyn Scott

Michelle Scott

Miriam Shaw

Leo Sheddon

Cliff Sheldon

Mary Sherrill

Donna Schultz

Frances Schultz

Michelle Scott

Sylvia Shippey

Carolyn Siebers

Chris Siehl

Stu Simon

Kathleen Singer

Marta Skiba

Terry Smith

Jan Sockness

Beth Spencer

Jane Spinner

Carol Standardi

Craig Stephan

Robert Stephens

CarolynRose Stone

Melanie Strodel

Jon Swanson

Charlie Taylor

Ann Tomlanovich

Linda Tompkins

Debbie Torch

Janet Torno

Claire Turcotte

Debbie Upton

Sara VanderVoort

Janet VanValkenburg

Mary Vardigan

Lonnie Vitale

Marie Vitale

Terre Voegeli

Tuffin Wagner

Helen Weingarten

Fran Weinstein

Arlene Weisz

Cyril White

Terri Wilkerson

Mike Wixom

Katherine Woo

Angela Yang

Kate Zoeger

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES Alfred Gourdji

OLLI’s Distinguished Lecture Series has been renamed as the Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lectures Series in memory of our friend and colleague who was the heart and soul of the series for many years.

The Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lecture Series features prominent, engaging speakers from “town and gown.” Learn from well-known experts about an array of fascinating topics. Each lecture is followed by a stimulating question-and-answer period. The Series consists of eight lectures, our in the Fall session, and four in the Winter/Spring session.

◆ 2nd Tuesday of every month

◆ 10:00–11:30 am

◆ $15/day pass (members)

◆ $25/day pass (non-members)

◆ $55 for Winter/Spring 2026 series

All programs will take place at: Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Building 4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105

All lectures will also be live streamed through Zoom. We welcome walk-ins at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building day of the lecture.

*The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of OLLI-UM or the University of Michigan

LAWLESS – A Critical Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court

Tuesday, February 10, 10–11:30am

Prof. Leah Litman

In-person and streamed live through Zoom

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Prof. Litman will explain how the current Supreme Court is not ruling based on law, but instead based on vibes—the feelings of the justices and the political zeitgeist of the Republican Party. Among the worst of the bad vibes are the notion of conservative grievance and a commitment to minority rule. She will argue that the Court’s recent decisions reveal these influences, and how several cases the Court is currently hearing do as well.

Leah H. Litman, JD is a Professor of Law at University of Michigan, co-host and cocreator of the podcast “Strict Scrutiny,” about the Supreme Court, and author of the New York Times bestseller LAWLESS: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes She has received several awards for both teaching and research and scholarship.

Did State-Socialism Really Fail?

Tuesday, March 10, 10–11:30am

Brian Porter-Szűcs, Ph.D.

Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Though it’s become a truism that the economic system of the USSR and its allies failed, the actual record is more nuanced. State socialism did not bring the grand achievements that its founders had hoped for, but neither did it leave these countries worse off than they were beforehand. In fact, most Soviet countries did better overall under socialism than under capitalism. Once we recognize this, we face a puzzle: Why did so many economists within the Soviet Bloc come to believe that they were working within a catastrophically dysfunctional economic system? And why, when presented with a crisis in the late 1980s, were they so quick to embrace capitalism?

Brian Porter-Szűcs, Ph.D. is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of History at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and the History Department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. He teaches classes on the history of the economy, the intellectual history of capitalism and socialism, the history of Roman Catholicism, and the history of Poland. Prof. Porter-Szucs has won many awards, including a Michigan Humanities Award, the John Dewey Award for Outstanding Teaching from UM’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and an Excellence

in Education Award from L.S.& A. He’s authored numerous journal articles and books, including Commodified Communism: Socialist Values and Capitalist Prices in the Polish People’s Republic, and Faith and Fatherland: Catholicism, Modernity, and Poland, both published by Oxford University Press.

What Does the Success of New Obesity Medications Tell Us about How Our Body Weight is Regulated?

Tuesday, April 14, 10–11:30am

Prof. Ronald Suny Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide have revolutionized how we treat individuals with obesity. Should it also change how we think about body weight and how it is regulated? Dr. Seeley will discuss body weight regulation and how these drugs work to help individuals lose weight.

Dr. Randy Seeley, Ph.D. is the Henry K. Ransom Endowed Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan School of Medicine. He also serves as the director of the NIH-funded Michigan Nutrition Obesity Research Center (MNORC). His scientific work has focused on the gut-brain axis and its role in regulating energy balance and metabolism, emphasizing new treatment strategies for obesity and diabetes. Dr.

Seeley has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles, and he has received numerous awards including the 2009 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association.

Digital Privacy in the Age of AI: Risks and Protections

Tuesday, May 12, 10–11:30 am Prof. Florian Schaub

Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Advances in Artificial Intelligence have led to innovations from AI chat-bots to smarter phones, cars, and homes. But with these developments also come new risks to your privacy: Is data about you used to assist or manipulate you? What if your private data is part of a data breach? How is AI used by cybercriminals to scam consumers? This talk will answer these

questions, as well as discuss research advances that can lead to better privacy protections and policy, and what you can do now to protect yourself.

Dr. Florian Schaub is Associate Professor of Information and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan. His interdisciplinary research combines privacy, human-computer interaction, emerging technologies, and public policy.

Dr. Schaub holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Ulm and was a postdoctoral fellow in Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. His research has been honored with best paper awards at leading cybersecurity and human-computer interaction conferences. Dr. Schaub is an ACM Distinguished Member. His research has directly impacted industry practice and public policy.

The Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lecture Series was planned by Bernard Banet, Ron Bogdasarian, Ron Frisch, Judy Gourdji, Frances Schultz, Katherine Woo and co-chairs Gerald Gardner and Marie Vitale.

INAUGURAL

Featuring a Fine Arts / Fun Arts Silent Auction

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2026

FROM 5:30 - 8:30 PM

Tickets $125 per person, Sponsorships available

Brief Program

Entertainment: Live Band – Four Roses

Strolling dinner and desserts

Fine Arts and Fun Arts Silent Auction

Morris Lawrence Building

Atrium Washtenaw Community College 4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

For more info call (734) 998-9351 or email 0lli.info@umich.edu.

THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES

The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of OLLI-UM or the University of Michigan.

Take an in-depth look at four different themed topics during OLLI’s Thursday Lecture Series. The topic areas are Country, Law and Politics, Science and Technology, and Arts, Literature and Humanities. Each topic area consists of 5 lectures with expert speakers who cover a wide range of aspects of the given theme. Programs are from 10–11:30 a.m. on Thursdays. Each 60-minute lecture is followed by a stimulating 30-minute Q&A.

◆ 10:00–11:30 am

◆ $15/day pass (members)

◆ $25 day pass (non-members)

◆ $70 for the entire 5-week series

Programs take place in-person at:

Washtenaw Community College

Morris Lawrence Building 4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105

All lectures will also be live-streamed through Zoom. We welcome walk-ins at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building day of the lecture.

THURSDAY

LECTURE SERIES:

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY: CREATION, DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS

Step into the future of medicine with Biomedical Research and Technology: Creation, Development, and Applications, a captivating five-lecture series designed for curious minds. Discover how scientists are harnessing brain signals to control prosthetics, unleashing the immune system to conquer cancer, and supporting life with artificial lungs. Learn how ultrasound is becoming a breakthrough therapy for lung cancer and explore the journey of biomedical innovations as they move from the lab bench to the marketplace. Inspiring, accessible, and eyeopening—a don’t-miss lecture series!

This lecture series was planned by Avi Eisbruch, Jerry Gardner, Mike Wixom, and Co-chairs: Jim MacBain and Leo Shedden.

THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES: BIOMEDICAL

Cyborgs: The Future is Now

Thursday, January 29, 10–11:30am

Dr. Paul Cederna, Michigan Medicine, Department of Plastic Surgery

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

It has been 40 years since Luke Skywalker received a prosthetic hand controlled by his peripheral nerves. Unfortunately, this peripheral nerve interface has not been achieved yet. Our UM research group has developed the regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI), which amplifies the peripheral nerve signals and makes it possible to control an arm or leg naturally. In addition, the RPNI’s can be used as a peripheral nerve interface strategy to provide sensory feedback. In this presentation, Dr. Cederna will discuss the future of this exciting and innovative technology.

Paul S. Cederna, M.D., is the Robert Oneal Professor of Plastic Surgery and Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Academically, Dr. Cederna has authored over 425 manuscripts, published 31 chapters, and presented his work over 900 times at national and international meetings. He has been a Visiting Professor at National and International Universities over 70 times. He has won over 80 national and international research awards. Dr. Cederna has been the Chairman of the American Board of Plastic Surgery,

Chairman of the Plastic Surgery Research Council, President of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve, and President for the Plastic Surgery Foundation. He is currently President of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons.

Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy: How Can we Reprogram our Own Immune System to Fight Cancer

Thursday, February 5, 10:00–11:30 am Prof. Maria Castro, Michigan Medicine

Neuroscience Institute

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

Recent findings from the CastroLowenstein Team at the University of Michigan Medical School and the ongoing results of their clinical trial, which was recently completed at the University of Michigan, highlight the importance of harnessing the patient’s own immune system to elicit effective anti-cancer therapies. Recent exciting data related to immunotherapies and their use in treating incurable cancers will also be shared. Maria and Pedro have devoted more than two decades to pursuing the immunemediated genetic treatment of cancer –medicine’s “ultimate frontier.” This genetherapy strategy enables the human body to fight malignant brain cancer (and potentially other solid cancers) by employing genetically engineered viruses (vectors) to kill the tumor cells and elicit an anti-tumor immune response. Maria will

also discuss the Phase I clinical trial at the University of Michigan and exciting developments that have revolutionized the treatment for lung cancer and melanoma.

Prof. Castro completed her PhD from the National University of La Plata, Argentina. And her postdoctoral training from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. She is currently Professor of Neurosurgery and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School. Her program is developing immunotherapies that block brain tumor growth and recurrence, which led to an exciting Phase 1 trial (NCT01811992) for malignant gliomas, completed in 2023. A second trial for pediatric and young adult patients with recurrent brain tumors (UMCC 2024.064) has been approved by the FDA and will begin in 2025.

Groundbreaking Advancements

in the Robert H. Bartlett Extracorporeal Life Support Laboratory

Thursday, February 12, 10–11:30am

Prof. Joseph Potkay, Michigan Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, Potkay Biomedical & Microsystems Research Lab

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

Dr. Potkay’s presentation will cover groundbreaking advancements developed in or in collaboration with the Robert H. Bartlett Extracorporeal Life Support Laboratory. These advancements include

the long-term support of living hearts outside the body, the development of an artificial placenta to support extremely premature infants, biomaterial development toward enabling life support without anticoagulation, and pioneering work in microfluidic artificial lungs and smart artificial lung systems. Since receiving his PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan under microsystems pioneer Ken Wise in 2006, Dr. Potkay has dedicated his career to harnessing the latest advancements in electronic circuits, microsystems, and microfluidics to advance medicine, with a strong focus on rehabilitation from lung disease. Dr. Potkay is currently a Research Associate Professor in Surgery at the University of Michigan and a Research Biomedical Engineer at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. He is Head of Biomedical Engineering for the Robert H. Bartlett Extracorporeal Life Support Laboratory at the University of Michigan. His artificial lung research has been continually funded through VA and NIH awards since 2007 and has received international attention and news coverage, including at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Weil Institute and the Commercialization of Critical Care Technology

Thursday, February 19, 10–11:30am

Dr. Kevin Ward, Michigan Medicine and Biomedical Engineering

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

Death from critical illness and injury such as those from trauma, sepsis, traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest and others exceed that of cancer and heart disease. Due to the complexity of these diseases, little progress has been made in developing technologies that could improve outcomes. The Weil Institute is a transdisciplinary research enterprise composed of clinicians, basic scientists, and engineers dedicated to researching solutions combined with entrepreneurship that accelerate the potential for moving new discoveries to the bedside. Examples of successes, failures, and barriers will be presented and discussed.

Dr. Ward is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Biomedical Engineering and the Executive Director of the Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation at the University of Michigan.

Tiny Bubbles: Harnessing Their Power in Medicine

Thursday, February 26, 10:00–11:30 am

Prof. J. Brian Fowlkes, Michigan Medicine Radiology and Biomedical Engineering

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live on Zoom.

When we think of tiny bubbles like those in a glass of beer, we might never expect the power such a small object could produce given the right conditions. From the erosion of ship propellers to industrial cleaning to breaking of kidney stones and liquification of tissue, we will explore a few of the many ways bubbles can be used to affect their surroundings and be engineered to provide diagnostic and therapeutic tools in medicine.

Dr. Fowlkes conducts research on diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound including quantitative imaging such as volumetric blood flow for OB/GYN and traumatic brain injury and bubble production for drug release and high intensity ultrasound including histotripsy. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, the American Institute of Medical and Biomedical Engineering, the Acoustical Society of America, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES:

DIVERSE DIMENSIONS OF ART

Embark on a five-lecture journey exploring photography’s expressive power, the intricate visions layered and stitched into art quilts, a poignant answer to the issue of museum relics authenticity, the history and role of food in literature film and community and the fascinating mechanics of screenwriting’s story structure. Each lecture invites participants to ponder creativity’s role in shaping culture and history, fostering fresh perspectives on artistic practice and ethical stewardship. Whether you are a seasoned artist or curious observer, join us as we unravel the threads connecting visual innovation, storytelling, and cultural responsibility in the ever-evolving world of the arts.

This lecture series was planned by Jeff Gaynor, Camille Orso, Frances Schultz, Mike Wixom, and chair Savvas Giannakopoulos.

Moving Target: Photography Between Modern and Contemporary Art

Thursday, March 12, 10–11:30am

Dr. Brendan Fay

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

Photographs hang in museums, and art schools train photographers. It seems clear that photography has claimed a permanent place in art and art history— but the story is, in some ways, a recent one, unfolding during a period of radical changes in art itself. From the G.I. Bill to the present, this presentation traces photography’s winding path through a rapidly shifting era.

Brendan Fay is an associate professor of art history in the School of Art and Design at Eastern Michigan University. He is the author and curator of Photography as a Way of Life: Minor White, Aaron Siskind, and Harry Callahan, a book and exhibition about teaching, learning, and living photography in the postwar United States (forthcoming April 2026).

THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES:

DIVERSE ART

Piecing Together a Movement: Art Quilts and the Fabric of Change

Thursday, March 19, 10:00–11:30 am

Leslie C. Levy, JD

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting on Zoom only

An introduction to the Art Quilt movement, including the visionary artists who created the genre, their individual styles and examples of their work, and how art quilts changed traditional notions of what constitutes a quilt.

Leslie C. Levy was named the Ardis & Robert James director at the International Quilt Museum in 2014. After earning her Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska's College of Law, Ms. Levy worked in both private and public services, including two international non-profits and 12 years as the Chief of the Consumer Protection & Antitrust Division for the Nebraska Department of Justice.

Michigan’s Mystery Relics: Fact or Fraud?

Thursday, March 26, 10:00–11:30 am

Prof. Lisa C. Young

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live through Zoom

Over a century ago, tablets with ancient writing were discovered in Michigan. Some argued they were relics of a lost civilization, while experts identified them as fake artifacts. Interest in these relics continues to this day. This lecture explores questions about the evidence used to identify the authenticity of ancient artifacts, why these relics continue to intrigue people, and the ramifications of archaeological frauds.

Lisa C. Young is a Teaching Professor in anthropology at the University of Michigan. Her archaeological research examines changes in community organization and foodways of small-scale farming communities in the American Southwest. She also researches the histories of museum collections to explore the changing relationships between anthropologists, museums, and communities of origin. Public outreach and community engagement with diverse stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, are an integral part of her work.

“Tell

Me What You Eat”: Literary Perspectives on Food and Culture

Thursday, April 2, 10:00–11:30 am

Prof. Supriya M. Nair

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live on Zoom.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well," notes the narrator in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. Amidst an increasing focus on gut health, sustainable food systems, food sovereignty, food (in)security, and other social (and social media) topics, the place

of food in literature and culture has come in for renewed interest in scholarship that goes beyond the gustatory text. How do a range of literary forms (fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks) and visual media help us imagine the significant ways in which food relates to our lived experience? If food has power, as Anthony Bourdain insists in Kitchen Confidential, how does literature reveal its power?

Supriya M. Nair is a Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of MichiganAnn Arbor. She is the author of two monographs, Caliban's Curse: George Lamming and the Revisioning of History and Pathologies of Paradise: Caribbean Detours. She is also co-editor of Postcolonialisms: An Anthology of Cultural Theory and Criticism and editor of Teaching Anglophone Caribbean Literature. She regularly teaches courses on Food and Culture at the University of Michigan.

I’ve learned so much from OLLI programs over the past several years. At the same time, I’ve met wonderful people and enjoyed the collaborative work as an OLLI volunteer.”

― Emily Eisbruch, OLLI Volunteer

THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES: DIVERSE ART

Screenwriting: The Hero’s Journey in 3 Acts

Thursday, April 9, 10:00–11:30 am

R. J. Fox

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live on Zoom.

The speaker will demonstrate how just about every movie – from Hollywood blockbuster or to small, indie film – follows the same story structure, divided by three acts and 12 steps along the “the Hero’s Journey.” In addition to providing examples of story structure in popular films, Fox will also touch upon screenplay

formatting. There will also be an interactive component in which participants can explore these concepts through their favorite films.

R.J. Fox is the award-winning writer of three published books, several short stories, plays, poems, a memoir, and 15 feature-length screenplays. He is also the writer/director/editor of several award-winning short films. He teaches English and film at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, MI. His movie Love & Vodka (based on his book of the same name) premiered at the 2024 Cinetopia Film festival.

CONVERSATIONS

“CONVERSATIONS” provides OLLIUM members with a reprieve from digital devices and the outside world, offering opportunities to explore edgy and occasionally controversial topics that broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding. We’ll interview distinguished faculty members who are captivating and sometimes controversial. They are all helping shape the future through their interaction with students, our future leaders.

The interview will be one hour long with 30 minutes for audience Q & A.

◆ 10:00 – 11:30 am

◆ $15 Member

◆ $25 Non-Member

Programs take place in-person at:

Washtenaw Community College

Morris Lawrence Building Pond Room

4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Presidential Power Unleashed: Trump, The Unitary Executive, and What Comes Next

Tuesday, January 20, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Mitchel Sollenberger Ph.D.

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member In-person only

When a President proclaims that he may ‘do whatever he wants,’ one must ask: what becomes of the delicate balance that the Framers sought to establish? Political scientist Mitchel Sollenberger invites us to interrogate the core of American constitutional government by asking whether the doctrine of the unitary executive has shifted from interpretive theory into a partisan instrument of political power. In an era in which the presidency under Donald Trump is redefining the breadth of executive reach, the essential question is no longer simply what powers the President holds, but rather what meaningful powers remain for Congress, the courts, and, ultimately, the citizenry.

Mitchel A. Sollenberger, Ph.D stands out as a scholaradministrator whose intellectual rigor and public spirit illuminate the contours of American constitutional order. As Professor of Political Science at UM-Dearborn and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success, he blends deep academic expertise with institutional leadership. His award-winning research—books like The Unitary Executive Theory: A Danger to Constitutional Government and The President’s Czars—and his prolific writings in top journals show unflinching clarity in confronting how executive power is expanding.

When Good Intentions Go Wrong: Campus Activism vs. Academic Freedom

Tuesday, March 17, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Jeffrey Veidlinger, Ph.D.

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member In-person only

When do the noblest intentions betray the very freedoms they endeavor to safeguard? In this interview, we will probe the tension between zeal and expression, between cause and constraint. Can activism that aspires to justice become a form of silence? Join us in exploring the paradox inherent in protecting vulnerable communities while preserving open scholarly discourse.

Jeffrey Veidlinger, Ph.D., the inaugural director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan,

is a distinguished scholar whose work bridges history, culture, and human rights. As the Joseph Brodsky Collegiate Professor of History and Judaic Studies, he has authored acclaimed books such as In the Midst of Civilized Europe, which examines the pogroms of 1918–1921 and their role in the onset of the Holocaust.

Healing the Mind: Must We Accept Cognitive Decline? The Role of Psychedelics (Psilocybin) in Treatments

Tuesday, April 21, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Omar Ahmed Ph.D..

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member In-person only

What if the path to healing the mind isn't just about suppressing symptoms, but about rewiring the brain itself? Dr. Omar J. Ahmed's research challenges conventional wisdom by demonstrating that psychedelics can induce lasting neuroplasticity, even in regions previously thought unaffected. His work invites us to reconsider: Could a single dose of a psychedelic compound be the key to unlocking long-term relief from Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Depression, and possible other cognitive disabilities, reshaping our understanding of mental health treatment?

Dr. Omar J. Ahmed is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, specializing in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biomedical Engineering. His lab, OmarLab, investigates how neural circuits, particularly in the retro splenial cortex, encode space, time, and speed.

EVENINGS WITH OLLI

Evenings with OLLI (EWO) offers fascinating Wednesday Evening Programs at the Kellogg Eye Center Auditorium, 1000 Wall St., Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

Attending Evenings with OLLI is a perfect way for pre-retirement friends or new folks to get to know OLLI, including meeting current OLLI members. As always, the first OLLI program is free to any non-member. These presentations are in-person only, with light refreshments available prior to each program.

Healthy Together: Your Local Health Department

Wednesday, February 11

5:30 – 6:00 pm: Refreshments, Socializing 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Program and Q&A

Jimena Loveluck, MSW, Health Officer, Washtenaw County Department of Health

$15 Member | $25 Non-Member

Animal bites, immunizations, disease surveillance and reporting, emergency preparedness, environmental permits, restaurant inspections, maternal and child health: these are just some of the areas under the purview of the Washtenaw County Health Department. Hear from Health Officer Jimena Loveluck about what we might be surprised to learn about public health and the biggest public health challenges in Washtenaw County.

An Ann Arbor Beloved Institution: The Washtenaw Dairy

Wednesday, March 18

5:30 – 6:00 pm: Refreshments, Socializing 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Program and Q&A

Mary Jean Raab

$15 Member | $25 Non-member

Mary Jean Raab, who had a successful corporate career, will tell us how she transitioned from an executive position to the business of selling donuts and ice cream. She will share her personal journey and recount the history of Ann Arbor’s beloved Washtenaw Dairy. She will tell us about every-day activities of the Dairy and how the Dairy survived the two years of the Covid epidemic. She will share accounts of the cross-section of a day’s customers and what’s kept them coming back year after year for the tasty treats. Mary will talk about how the Dairy has helped support various organizations throughout Ann

Arbor and expand on what is in the future for the Washtenaw Dairy. The story of the Washtenaw Dairy will provide insights into the evolution of personal careers, changes in a business over 87 years, and current issues faced by many local businesses.

U-M Campus Plan 2050: Blueprint for the Future

Wednesday, April 15

5:30 – 6:00 pm: Refreshments, Socializing

6:00 – 7:30 pm: Program and Q&A

Sue Gott, Associate Director of Planning and Communication, University of Michigan

$15 Member | $25 Non-member

Campus Plan 2050 is U-M’s most transformative and comprehensive physical planning effort to date. The plan was developed to align with the university’s new strategic vision–Look to Michigan. Please join us on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, as Sue Gott, Associate Director of Planning and Communication (AEC) at University of Michigan highlights some of the plan’s key elements in support of the university’s academic, research and clinical missions. This is also your opportunity to learn about some of U-M's newest buildings (Hadley Family Recreation and Well-Being Center, D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion, New Building for the College of Pharmacy) as well as some that are eagerly anticipated to open later this year (Central Campus Residential Development Phase 1).

OLLI offers a wealth of opportunities for learning across many disciplines in a variety of formats, from study groups to lectures to field trips. Leaders and teachers are generally experts in their fields, offering a wide array of different educational experiences. For me personally, a retired university professor, it’s a chance to continue teaching on topics related to language meaning and use in relation to contemporary issues, and it’s a wonderful, rich, fun experience.”

― Alice Horning, OLLI Volunteer

The PitchLine Bringing Your Unique Idea to Light

Four exciting PitchLine-originated offerings are available for Winter/Spring 2026!

Collaborate with the PitchLine to bring your own innovative idea to OLLI-UM!

The PitchLine offers OLLI members the opportunity to pitch an innovative idea for programming, events and other projects. As an OLLI member you can offer an idea or propose a project by sending an email to ollipitchline@umich.edu. A PitchLine volunteer guide will be in touch with you within three business days to talk through the idea. This will help you, as the idea originator, to know what support is available and how to proceed.

◆ Send your idea to OLLI’s PitchLine at ollipitchline@umich.edu.

◆ Type “I have an idea” as the subject.

◆ Pitch your idea in the message section with 50 words or less.

◆ Include your name and contact info.

◆ Expect a call within three business days from a PitchLine volunteer guide who will talk with you about your idea and how you could bring it to fruition. Be assured the volunteer guide will remain available to you as a resource throughout development of your idea.

Poetry Between Us: An Intergenerational Event

Wednesday, February 18, 2:30–4:30pm

In-person | Neutral Zone, 310 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor, 48104 $15 Member / $25 Non-Member

Join us for a poetry circle planned and led by teens at the Neutral Zone (NZ), a youth-driven community established in downtown Ann Arbor in 1998. NZ and OLLI members taking part in this generationbridging experience will discuss a featured poem and then write poetry of their own in a relaxed and welcoming environment with sharing encouraged. We welcome all OLLI members, not just those who write poetry. This is an opportunity for us to

interact with young people and to learn more about the NZ organization and its mission – and for the teens to learn more about us. For more information about Neutral Zone, see neutral-zone.org.

This event was developed by OLLI volunteers Bonnie Gabowitz, Richard Garrett, Linda Tompkins, and Mary Vardigan in collaboration with Brittany Barron at Neutral Zone and OLLI's PitchLine.

PITCHLINE SERIES: GAINING CONTROL OF THE DYING PROCESS

April 2026

The Pond Room, Morris Lawrence Building, WCC | In-person and Zoom, recorded. This workshop includes three sessions. Each session will include a lecture, discussion and Q&A. Coffee and pastry before each session.

All of us have experienced the loss of friends and family. But in American culture, it is common to deny one’s own death. As older adults look ahead, it can be liberating to plan for the future and provide a road map for families should we become ill or actively dying. This workshop will examine ways in which we can educate ourselves about options and gain some control over the dying process.

We’re Old! What Now? Pre-planning for Our Futures

Monday, April 13, 1:00–3:00pm

$15Member | $25 Non-Member

Preparing well for our futures includes learning about options, making difficult decisions, and having hard conversations. Decisions about where and how to live, what our wishes are if we become seriously ill, and how to approach conversations with families and friends about what we want will all be discussed. An overview of terminology and concepts related to death and dying will be presented.

What Are Your Choices: Personalized Options for the Dying Process

Monday, April 20, 1:00–3:00pm

$15Member | $25 Non-Member

Multiple approaches to the dying process will be illuminated in this session, with input from physicians, as well as some personal experiences. Topics will include Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED), Palliative and Hospice care, and the role of Death Doulas.

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)

Monday, April 27, 1:00–3:00pm

$15Member | $25 Non-Member

Medical Aid in Dying is a controversial topic. This session will include an overview of US legal and policy options; ethical and psychosocial issues; legal, financial, and medical considerations. An in-depth account of a personal experience with a dying sibling in Vermont will be presented.

Beth Spencer, MSW, MA, MA, has been at many bedsides of dying individuals throughout her career as a geriatric social worker, care manager, and hospice social worker. Personally, she has had friends and relatives use hospice, voluntarily stop eating and drinking, deny that they are dying, choose not to have treatment – hence, her interest in understanding available options. For 30 years she taught courses on aging, caregiving and dementia-related topics at three Michigan universities.

Kathy Laing, MD has been a physician, directly caring for patients, for 40+ years until her retirement in 2022. As she aged along with her beloved patients, she noted the great differences in the way we all age, and how the choices we make in our maturity greatly impact our trajectories: whether we decide to treat this as an adventure for which we plan or wait for the crises to occur.

Dr. Adam Marks, MD, MPH, completed a combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency followed by a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the University of Michigan, where he joined as a faculty member in 2012. His clinical work focuses on caring for adult and pediatric patients living with serious illness. Since 2016 he has also worked as a Faculty Ethicist within the Clinical Ethics Service at Michigan Medicine.

Dr. Palmer Morrel-Samuels received an MA in research methodology from University of Chicago, an MPhil & PhD in social psychology from Columbia, and a MS in Law from Northwestern. He has been an expert witness specializing in discrimination, testified on that topic to Congress, and has taught several related courses at University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. As his sister’s dying wish, he brought her to Vermont and helped her receive Medical Assistance in Dying.

These offerings were developed by OLLI volunteer Beth Spencer in collaboration with OLLI's PitchLine.

When I retired, I was a bit at loose ends. The opportunity to create and facilitate groups gave meaning to my retirement. I learned so much from all the women who attended and made some new, good friends along the way.” ― Beth Spencer, OLLI Volunteer

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

What’s In the News? African American Newspapers and Community Uplift

April 16, 10 – 10:30am

Members: $15 | Non-Members: $25

Washtenaw Community College | Morris

Lawrence Bldg | Towsley Auditorium

In the process of recording life events and accomplishments, African American newspapers emerged as the life blood of their communities during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This talk will focus on the content and visuals of some of the most significant African American newspapers, such as The Chicago Defender, The Indianapolis Freeman, and the Michigan Chronicle, which will illustrate the importance of this media in the interpretation of local and national news for an African American audience

A native of Indianapolis, Deirdre Spencer is the Librarian for History of Art at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She holds an AB in Art History from Indiana University, Bloomington, an MA in Art History from the University of Chicago, and an MLS in Library and Information Science from Indiana University Bloomington. She is currently working to complete her doctoral degree in Art History alongside her primary role as a librarian at the University of Michigan.

Immigrant Justice and Non-Citizen Rights: What You Should Know, and What You Can Do -- Local, State, and National Perspectives

Members: $15 | Non-Members: $25

Date & Location: TBA

This panel will discuss the Immigration Crisis in the US and offer details on how policies are impacting immigrants (legal or undocumented) are feeling, the fears that exist and what we can do to help. It is an opportunity for engaging dialog between our panel members and the audience.

Chuck Kieffer is a former local social services agency director, State of Michigan homeless policy and programs administrator, national consultant and trainer in community-based homeless programs implementation, and adjunct lecturer in Psychology and Social Work at the University of Michigan. Marjorie Ziefert, Professor Emeria in Social Work at Eastern Michigan University, served more than 36 years in a variety of faculty roles, including long stints as both BSW Director and School of Social Work Program Director. Her areas of research and teaching included focus on human rights, public policy, and empowering practice with women, adolescents, and families.

OLLI OUT OF TOWN

IN-PERSON TRAVEL:

Spend an educational day or more with OLLI-UM friends at noted sites around Michigan, nearby states, and even further afield to include both international & domestic travel opportunities. Trips vary in cost and length of time. Trip times are approximate.

DIA & The Whitney

Wednesday, March 25

7:00 am Bus boarding begins

8:00 am Bus departs Meijer Lot

4:00 pm Bus returns to Meijer Lot

Cost: Members $151 | Non-members $171

Please note: Payment is due in full upon registration, but no later than January 15, 2026. Price includes gratuity for driver, museum fee for docent led tour, lunch and tour at the Whitney. No refunds within 30 days of departure.

Location: Meet at Meijer Parking Lot, 3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti

Join our OLLI travelers for a day in Detroit. First, we will have a docent-led museum tour of the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). After our docent-led tour, members will

have option of a self-guided tour of the Native American Anishinaabe Art Exhibit which includes basketry, beadwork, painting, sculpture and more. Alternatively, members may choose to explore other areas of the museum and visit the museum store. At half-past noon, our OLLI group will board our bus to head down the street on Woodward to the historic Whitney for luncheon. Completed in 1894, the Whitney is a Detroit landmark that you will want to visit again.

A Visit to the Purple Rose

Wednesday, April 15

12:00 pm Lunch at Weber’s 2:00 pm Bus departs Weber’s 5:30 pm Bus returns to Weber’s

Cost: Members $121 | Non-members $141

Please note: Payment is due in full upon registration, but no later than March 13, 2026. No refunds within 30 days of departure. Price includes bus transportation, gratuity for driver and theater ticket. Lunch at Weber’s is on your own and is not included in the cost.

Location: Meet at Weber’s, 3030 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor.

Let’s arrive by 12pm to lunch with our OLLI friends at Weber’s Restaurant in Ann Arbor. Seating will be together to talk and mingle. Lunch is on your own from the menu. We will depart by bus from Weber’s to the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea to enjoy a matinee performance of ‘Murder on the Links’ – one of Agatha Christie’s most intricate whodunits. This new, lively and fun adaptation is described as a thrilling comic mystery.

Mackinac Island & the Grand Hotel

Friday, May 29 - Sunday, May 31

7:30 am Friday, Bus boarding begins 8:00am Friday, Bus departs Target Lot 8:30pm Sunday, Bus returns to Target Lot

Cost: Member Double: $1199 | Single: $1499 Non-members add $20 to costs above

Please note: Payment due in full upon registration; but no later than February 11, 2026. No refunds after March 1st; unless a fully paid traveler substitute to take your place is secured. Stricter payment policies are policies of the Grand Hotel. Price includes roundtrip transportation, lodging plus 2 breakfasts & 2 dinners at Grand Hotel, lunch at the Great Turtle Brewery, a guided tour across Mackinac Bridge, ferry to & from Mackinac Island, luggage handling, all taxes & tips. The dress code for the Grand Hotel and a full itinerary will be provided to each traveler at time of registration.

Location: Meet at Target Parking Lot, 3749 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti

Carol’s VIP Adventures welcomes OLLI to join this travel experience to Mackinac Island. This Mackinac travel experience

builds upon many years of travel to this destination by Carol’s Adventures. Stops along the way to Mackinac include Clare (for coffee & donuts) and the Outdoor Adventure Store in Mackinaw Crossings for a ride across the Mighty Mac. The Grand Hotel first opened its doors in 1887 as a summer retreat for vacationers traveling by train, steamer and boat to the Island. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark and a desired destination that continues to beguile guests with old-world charm and hospitality. In addition to your stay at the Grand Hotel, ample free time is provided to explore the island. This sought after destination and stay at the Grand Hotel fills up quickly, so register early so you don’t miss out on this OLLI trip.

Genitti’s Hole-in-the Wall

Wednesday, June 17

9:45 am Friday, Bus boarding begins 10:15 am Bus departs Meijer Lot 4:00 pm Bus returns to Meijer Lot

Cost: $118 Member | $128 Non-member

Please note: Payment is due in full upon registration, but no later than May 15, 2026. Price includes bus transportation, gratuity for driver, lunch-theater tickets. No refunds within 30 days of departures.

Location: Meet at Meijer Parking Lot, 3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti

Join our OLLI group for lunch and entertainment at Genetti's Hole in the Wall in Northville. Our family style meal will include soup, antipasto, pasta, Italian sausages, steak with potatoes, chicken with vegetables, a beverage and dessert. This will be followed by an interactive Murder Mystery Comedy production in the adjacent building which will be sure to entertain you. Genetti’s opened their restaurant in 1979 after knocking a hole in the side of their meat market. Expansions occurred in 1981 and 1985, adding a downstairs dining room, bar and gift shop. In 1992, the Little Theater was added in an adjacent building through yet another hole-in-the-wall renovation. Since then, Genetti’s has been offering delicious meals and interactive entertainment in downtown Northville.

VIRTUAL TRAVEL:

Spend an educational 60 to 90 minutes online as you visit geographic locations. The virtual tour presentation will be followed by Q&A. This programming is intended to encourage your interest in travel and venturing outside of Michigan. The cost for one event is $20, or $70 for all four virtual events.

A Walk Through Old Chinatown

Tuesday, January 27, 3:00 – 4:30 pm $20 Member | $25 Non-Member | Online

Between 1896 and 1898, architect-turnedphotographer Arnold Genthe made the first photographic study of Asian culture in the Western world. Employing Genthe's photos, San Francisco's bestselling author and filmmaker James Dalessandro shares the stories behind Genthe's remarkable photos, bringing to life America's first Chinatown - one of the nation's most unique cultures and neighborhoods. We'll learn of their numerous struggles and many contributions to American culture.

Eat and Celebrate

Friday, February 6, 3:00 – 4:30 pm

$20 Member | $25 Non-Member | Online

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington D.C. is home to more than 46,000 objects from the Islamic world, the ancient Near East, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the United States. Join our OLLI members for a docent-led tour of selected artworks to learn about special cuisines and the celebration rituals across cultures and time periods. We will explore works of art to discover what special foods are eaten in different Asian cultures and the special meanings these cuisines have.

Art Exploration at the Frick

Friday, February 20, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

$20 Member | $25 Non-Member | Online

Recently renovated and reopened to the public in 2025, the Frick Library and former residence is located on 70th Avenue in Manhattan, NY. The Frick was founded by the American industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919), who left his art collection and Gilded Age residence for the enjoyment of the public. Originally opened in 1935, the Frick Collection is one of the world’s foremost collections of European fine and decorative arts, with masterworks ranging from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. Join our OLLI members for a docent led virtual tour of selected works from the Frick Collection. This tour provides members only a glimpse of this collection & the recent renovation.

A Tale of Three Cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow & London

Friday, March 6, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

$20 Member | $25 Non-Member | Online

Our presenter George Jabol says of this journey, “It was a personal mission to honor the memory of my partner, Jean Burns and, in celebration of her life, an opportunity to explore and experience closely the places she loved.” George traveled first to Edinburgh, arriving at the height of the city’s annual International Festival and just in time to attend the Military Tattoo entertainment at Edinburgh Castle. Then, going by train to Glasgow, he explored the most populated city in Scotland, and the nearby Loch Lomond. A short flight to London, George visited Buckingham Palace, and climbed to the top of a double-decker tour bus, with its comprehensive views of this fabulous city. Reflecting on his travels, George knew he had fulfilled Jean’s wish that he should enjoy and not be saddened by this journey. George Jabol received his Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Michigan and is a well-known presenter in our Ann Arbor community. Fully retired now from a career with the federal government, George creates photographic slide shows as a way o remember his travels and share them with others.

OLLI READS

Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution by Molly Beer

Friday, February 6, 10 – 10:30am

Cost: $15 (Members only)

Washtenaw Community College | Morris Lawrence Bld. | Pond Room (Rm 150)

Few women of the American Revolutionary period have come through 250 years of United States history with such clarity and color as Angelica Schuyler Church. For Hamilton fans, yes, that Angelica. She was Alexander Hamilton's "saucy" sister-inlaw, and the heart of Thomas Jefferson's "charming coterie" of artists and salonnières, and she was also in the redhot center of American history at its birth: in Boston; in Newport; in Yorktown; in Paris and London, helping to determine the standing of the new nation on the world stage. In this enthralling and revealing woman's-eye view of a revolutionary era, Molly Beer breathes vibrant new life into a period usually dominated by masculine themes and often dulled by familiarity. In telling Angelica's story, she illuminates how American women have always plied influence and networks for political ends, including the making of a new nation.

Molly Beer is an essayist and documentary nonfiction writer and a lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Michigan. She received her BA in English from Duke University; her MA in English from the Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College; and her MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing, University of New Mexico.

James Baldwin: The Life Album

By Magdalena J. Zaborowska

Friday, May 8, 10:00am – 11:30am

Cost: $15 (Members only)

Washtenaw Community College | Morris Lawrence Bld. | Pond Room (Rm 150)

James Baldwin was a pivotal figure of the twentieth century, an influential author, intellectual, and activist who led a celebrated public life— and whose words, image, and persona remain current in our culture today. Yet it is the private, vulnerable, and messier Baldwin—the man behind that image —who is the focus of this book. Magdalena J. Zaborowska draws on Baldwin’s archives and material legacy— from his unpublished papers to his books to his house in France—to offer a fresh look at the writer’s understated and obscured private life. She offers a fresh understanding of his life and works as seen through his close relationships and complicated private life.

in Paris and James Baldwin’s Turkish Decade: Erotics of Style. Her work can also be seen in an online exhibit devoted to Baldwin’s house in France at the National Museum of African American History and Culture / Smithsonian in Washington DC.

Professor Zaborowska is professor and chair of the Department of American Culture and professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree from Warsaw University, Poland and her Ph.D., University of Oregon. She has taught and been a Distinguished Visiting Professor at several universities in the United States and abroad. She has several published works on James Baldwin including Me and My House: James Baldwin’s Last Decade

Shared Interested Groups (SIGs) provide their members with long-term opportunities for pursuing common interests and activities. SIGs foster a sense of community, friendship and enjoyment among its members, while supporting increased skills and knowledge. Group members decide the structure of meetings and activities, which continue through the year. Membership in a Shared Interest Group is ongoing. Members may continue with their group until they decide to leave. If you find a SIG full, please call the office to be placed on a waiting list for openings at 734-998-9351.

Have your own idea?

We encourage you to start a new Shared Interest Group! Contact Assistant Director Ryan Luttermoser at lutterj@med.mich.edu.

Interested in joining a SIG?

Please contact the office at 734-998-9351 or olli.info@umich.edu to register.

Women Awakening HOPE led by Char

Bacon and Bernadette Beach

Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, 1:00 – 3:00pm, beginning 1/27

$85 | In-person only

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

A woman’s group centered on building an accepting community with a shared belief in the universal capacities for compassion, generosity and creativity, as described by Margaret Wheatley in her book Restoring Sanity. We meet twice monthly, striving for regular attendance, using a combination of resources, guests, texts, videos, movies, local events, exhibits and talks to shape our explorations and active discussions relevant to the group. There will be opportunities for shared leadership from within the group by interested participants. As a cohesive supportive group we experience increased hopefulness in these challenging times.

Meets 2nd Tuesday of the month, 1:00 – 2:30pm, beginning 2/10

$80 | Online only

Most of us have a visceral reaction to Supreme Court decisions that affect us, but few of us take the time to delve into the issues presented and the various views of the Justices. This SIG will examine both current cases pending or decided by the Court, as well as some of the more important historical cases. Our purpose is to gain a better understanding of what issues were presented and decided, and what the different viewpoints were on those issues. Non-lawyers are especially welcome.

The Supreme Court led by Stu Lockman

Advances in Health Care and Health Policy with Jeff Barnett and Steve Geiringer

Meets 1st Wednesday of the month, 1:00 – 3:00pm, beginning 2/4

$80 | Online only

Health care and health policy are changing rapidly. This SIG has recently considered topical issues including telemedicine, long Covid, the aging brain, chronic pain and addiction, bone health and therapeutic marijuana. Other recent discussions include controversies regarding Medicare Advantage plans, direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising and the use of AI in clinical medicine. Members in this SIG will consider one issue each month with a lecture/discussion led by an outside expert or a SIG member. While medical topics are discussed, you need not be a health practitioner to join and contribute to this SIG.

The Schmoozery: At Our Age, In This Age led by Hank Greenspan

Meets every Wednesday, 1:00 – 2:00pm, beginning 1/21

$95 | Online only

A free-flowing discussion that develops organically. There are no set topics, but we often schmooze about family, work memories, friendship and other key relationships, core hobbies and current commitments, legacy, faith traditions, optimism and pessimism regarding the future, etc. We avoid cliches and, as comfortable, candidly share our thinking, questions, curiosities. Regular members include many who are or have been teachers, healthcare providers, or both and more. The Schmoozery began early in the pandemic and has kept going.

Current Events led by Tom Longworth

Meets every Tuesday, 3:00 – 5:00pm, beginning 1/20

$95 | Online only

On a weekly basis, this group will discuss all contemporary events that are of interest, including but not limited to domestic, international, political and academic developments that are of current and historical significance. What is discussed depends on the group's members. Our conversations are civil, and no topic or perspective is off limits.

A Study of Ethics led by Stu Simon

Meets the third Wednesday of the month, 1:00 – 3:00pm, beginning 1/21

$80 | Hybrid

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

The Ethics SIG has been meeting monthly since 2020. Our discussions, facilitated by SIG members, focus on contemporary issues that pose ethical questions. Research for our topics is drawn primarily from internet-based resources. The SIG members choose future topics by vote. All new members are provided with background material on major ethical theories, as well as guidelines for facilitating discussions.

A Group for Novel Writers led by Chris Siehl

Meets every other Friday, 3:00 – 5:00pm, beginning 9/12

$85 | Online only

Have you ever thought about writing a novel or novella? Perhaps you've even jotted down notes for one. If so, this group may be for you. We are a small group, focused on writing novels. We are different from memoir-writing groups; also,from creative writing groups. Most writers working on novels will benefit from being part of a small writing community, regardless of where they are in the writing process or what genre they prefer. We critique each other's work in a supportive and constructive manner. The group is kept small, with a limit of eight members.

Syd Kaufman Mystery Authors

Book Cleub led by Wendy Mead and Tim Richards (FULL)

Meets the second Wednesday of the month, 1:00 – 3:00pm, beginning 9/10

$80 | Hybrid

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

The Syd Kaufman Mystery Authors Special Interest Group offers those who share an interest in mystery novels an opportunity to explore the work of mystery writers who may be new to them. We select a different mystery author to read and to discuss each month. While we may disagree in our assessments of authors, our discussions are informative, lively, friendly and often accompanied by laughter. Membership renews annually in September and is limited to fifteen participants. We are currently at full capacity.

Literary Short Fiction led by Deb Mukherjee

Meets Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00 pm, about half the year.

$80 | Online only

This Shared Interest Group is a gathering of literary short fiction aficionados, who enjoy close, critical and joyful readings of classic as well as contemporary short story masterpieces pulled from The New Yorker and other well-regarded anthologies. This SIG meets about half the year - typically 8-10 contiguous weeks at a time, followed by 10 week long breaks beginning in September.

STUDY GROUPS IN ALPHA ORDER

STUDY GROUPS BY DAY OF THE WEEK

vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder

Idioms

Water Protectors from Standing Rock to the Straits of Mackinac: Non-Violent Protests Matter (S)

Only Hope: My Mother and the Holocaust Brought to Light (S)

Ringgold: Painter, Quilter, Activist (S)

Movements:

A Complaint Free World: Stop Complaining, Start Living 2/3

Living Space: Architecture in the World of Russian Influence 2/11 64 Liberal Economic Policies in a Time of Division 3/25 57

Chinese 6 1/21 58 "Brain Rot" and other News: The Dictionary Revisited 3/11 59

The History of the Atlas: "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" and Beyond (S) 5/13 62 REMNANTS and What Remains: Moments from a Life Among Holocaust Survivors 2/11 63 Vienna from the Habsburgs to Hitler (repeat) 2/4 65

Jongg, Baggaley Style 3/11 68

Finance (S) 5/20 70

Absurd! 1/24 71 Pain: Is it All in Your Head? 2/18 73 Future of Life with AI (Winter Session) 1/21 74 Future of Life with AI (Spring Session) 5/20 74 Write from Your Heart

Climate

Women of Science in the Archives (S)

"The Hidden Half" Uncovering Women's Untold Stories

Michigan Firehouse Museum Tour (S)

Ypsilanti Historical Museum and Archive Tour (S) 3/19 67 An Afternoon with Oedipus (S) 3/19 71

Women's Travel Stories

Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism at the University of Michigan (S)

Detroit Historical Museum by D2A2 Bus

Miraculous Silence of Gregorian Chant 2/20 72 Writers Unlimited 1/23 78 Writing Our Stories 1/23 78

STUDY GROUPS BY START DATE

Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960's by Doris Kearns Goodwin

and What Remains: Moments from a Life Among Holocaust Survivors

Digestion and Nutrition Through the Science of Ayurveda (S)

"The Hidden Half" Uncovering Women's Untold Stories

vs. Democrats:

Water Protectors from Standing Rock to the Straits of Mackinac: Non-Violent Protests Matter (S)

Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism at the University of Michigan (S)

O

O LLI STUDY GROUPS

Across a world of topics, Study Groups offer wonderful learning and discussion possibilities that may promote new knowledge, greater insights and better understanding.

This season, you may choose from some sixty Study Groups in twelve different categories, brought to you by OLLI volunteers!

Study Groups may differ in their formats. In many study groups, the invited presenter introduces material and facilitates discussion afterward. Some groups engage in ongoing discussions throughout the session, with the presenter serving as a moderator. In certain cases, both the presenter and group members take turns introducing material and leading discussions.

Each presenter may set a limit on the number of participants, which may range from six to thirty. If a study group proves to be popular (and oversubscribed), the presenter may be asked to enlarge the class or come back for another session. Oversubscribed classes go into the oversubscription lottery. Please see the registration page (4) for details.

STUDY GROUPS

Image:

Veristic portrait bust, either a priest or paterfamilias

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Masterpieces of Early Imperial Art: Public and Private

The Late Republic (2c -1c centuries BCE) was overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of slaves and hordes of artistic booty from Mediterranean conquests. Republican restraint was gone, and new wealth unleashed greed and tastes for everything expensive. Wealthy Romans could not get enough of art never seen before. Artists who were among the captured slaves brought their skills to Rome and created unforgettable relief sculptures of generals and emperors (1c BCE - 2c CE). In Roman homes, wall paintings messaged wealth and education. We will look at all art media made by artists of this time in the city of Rome and in Roman towns like Pompeii and Herculaneum. Despite the virtual format, learners always make fine observations and ask good questions about art. Readings on specific topics will interest some learners.

Dr. Molly Lindner (Ph.D. University of Michigan) has very much enjoyed teaching the history of art in OLLI study groups since winter 2020. Her book, Portraits of the Vestal Virgins, Priestesses of Ancient Rome was published in 2015 by the University of Michigan Press.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 2:30-4pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 2/10-3/10 (5 Sessions)

Instructor: Dr. Molly Lindner

Location: Virtual Cost: $55

Art Journaling: Self-Expression for Everyone (repeat)

Art journaling is a visual, tactile way of getting in touch with our intuitive, deeper self, using visual free association. Anyone can make these personal art works, with no special expertise in drawing or lettering. The simple, 3-step technique I teach easily encourages a flow state, a proven way to de-stress. This method will put you on the road to discover own visual journaling process and your own style of selfexpression. In the first week, we’ll gather the materials for our artwork. Week 2, we’ll assemble our materials into a collage, drawing out the first layer of meaning. In the third week, we’ll add paint and ink to reveal associations between the images in our collages, deepening and enriching their meaning.

Kate LaBore is a cultural anthropologist, educator, visual thinker and lifelong learner. She promotes artmaking as a rewarding practice that supports emotional wellness.

Day/Time: Thursday, 2-4pm (2hrs)

Date: 4/2-4/16 (3 Sessions)

Instructor: Kate LaBore

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $35

STUDY GROUPS

OLLI Painters

Join us to share, learn, and stay inspired— bring your art materials and choose your subject: landscape, portrait, flowers, or abstract. During Monday online sessions we stream YouTube videos on art history, instruction, and inspiration. All levels welcome. We meet two Fridays each month for painting sessions (in-person or online), one Friday for a plein-air outing, and two Mondays for online video sessions.

Painting sessions: 1st & 3rd Fridays, 12:00–3:00 pm (location TBD).

Plein-air outing: One Friday per month, 10:00/11:00am–12:00/1:00 pm (weatherdependent) in Washtenaw County.

Online video sessions: 2nd & 4th Mondays, 1:00–3:00 pm (no videos in summer).

Kathleen Alfonso is a lifelong artist with an associate degree in Art. She has worked with a variety of venues and was represented by galleries. Her practice has encompassed acrylics, watercolor, pastel, figurative, floral, and abstract. As well as fiber arts and weaving. Her current practice is abstract acrylic painting, working with natural images. This group is for all kinds of materials and subjects.

Day/Time: Monday/Friday

(Virtual – 2 hours | In-person – 3 hours)

Dates: Begins Monday, 1/19/2026. The Friday sessions will continue thru July and the Monday video sessions will end on May 22nd, 2026. (46 Sessions)

Instructor: Kathleen Alfonso

Location: In-person TBD/Virtual Cost: $65

Living Space: Architecture in the World of Russian Influence

Exploring how people created space for their lives is a fascinating look into the culture itself. From homes to businesses to churches, each building is designed around visionary use and practical needs. This series gives brief glimpses into the variety of styles that define the very earliest church architecture in Ukraine and Northern Russia. Starting with Kiev’s adoption of Christianity, the survey will then move to Northern Russan architecture, including the considerable group of wooden churches.

Carol Veldman Rudie uses her college teaching skills to research and to present background to Russian Empire and Soviet art and culture. She has received multiple invitations to share her research through power point presentations. She has led tours to Russia and is recently retired as the education outreach coordinator at The Museum of Russian Art. She has her MA from the University of Minnesota and subsequently did graduate work that included Art History.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 1:30-3:30pm (2hrs)

Dates: 2/11-3/4 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Carol Veldman Rudie

Location: Virtual Cost: $45

Paintings & Poetry: Vermeer & Brueghel (S)

Poets have often been inspired by paintings and vice versa. In this session we will look at and discuss several paintings by Vermeer and Brueghel (Dutch painters) and some of the poetry that has been written in response to these paintings. Short bios on the painters and poets will also be provided. Class participants will view and discuss the paintings. Poetry will be emailed in advance for those who want to print them.

Beth Spencer has taught study groups in the past on women and aging and women’s memoirs. She has used the humanities to broaden horizons and build empathy as a lecturer in social work and gerontology departments. CarolynRose Stone is a writer, teacher, and lover of art. She has taught composition to students and older people, aiming to help writers look deeply and examine conflicts in themselves and art. Together they recently taught study groups in person using paintings and poetry. This session is adapted from a previous class.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 5-6:30pm (1.5hrs)

Dates: 1/27 (1 Session)

Instructors: Beth Spencer, CarolynRose Stone

Location: Virtual Cost: $15

Paintings & Poetry: Hokusai & Van Gogh (S)

Poets have often been inspired by paintings and vice versa. In this session we will look at and discuss several paintings by Hokusai and Van Gogh and some of the poetry that has been written in response to these paintings. Short bios on the painters and poets will also be provided. Class participants will view and discuss the paintings. Poetry will be emailed in advance for those who want to print them.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 5-6:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 2/24 (1 Session)

Instructors: Beth Spencer, CarolynRose Stone

Location: Virtual Cost: $15

Faith Ringgold: Painter, Quilter, Activist (S)

This single session will explore the life, narrative quilts, paintings, and activism of Faith Ringgold, an extraordinary artist who died in 2024 at the age of 93. Two of her collections will be presented in some detail: The American Peoples Series and The French Collection. In her words, “You asked me once why I wanted to become an artist, and I said I didn’t know. Well, I know now. It is because it’s the only way I know of feeling free. My art is my freedom to say what I please.”

Day/Time: Tuesday, 5-6:30pm (1.5 hrs)

Date: 3/24 (1 Session)

Instructor: Beth Spencer

Location: Virtual Cost: $15

STUDY GROUPS

CURRENT EVENTS, LAW, POLICY AND POLITICS

Climate Chaos & Climate Solutions: Here Comes The Sun

This is a discussion class that will address the causes, solutions, & any personal experiences with climate change. Students will present a chapter of Bill McKibben’s (2025) Here Comes the Sun to the class to elicit discussion, including prevalent myths surrounding climate change. Students can supplement McKibben’s book with straightforward Q&A on climate science Joe Romm’s (2023) Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know; Oxford Univ Press as well. Students will incorporate any personal experience with climate chaos and/or climate solutions into their presentations. For those interested in sharing their climate knowledge, experience, & solutions with others we will address different communication

strategies: the “elevator pitch,” “climate business cards,” understanding LCV’s “environmental scorecard,” and search for common values. Required: Bill McKibben (2025) Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization W.W. Norton & Co. Strongly recommended: Joe Romm (2023) Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know; Oxford Univ Press.

Jacqueline Goodman is a Professor Emerita, Sociology; State University of New York Potsdam College; retired Dept. Head & Professor, WGST Dept, Eastern Michigan University. She is a former Co-Facilitator, Third Act Educators, (Bill McKibben’s environmental organization); Climate Reality Project Leader, member, Washtenaw County.

Day/Time: Thursday, 4:30-6pm (1.5hrs) Date: 1/22-3/12 (8 Sessions)

Instructor: Jacqueline Goodman

Location: Virtual Cost: $65

Memories and Movements: Comparing Our Activism Then and Now

Since the beginning of the year, many of us in OLLI have been protesting here in Metro Detroit, like older people across the country. If you've gone to a rally recently, you've seen many members of our generation standing up for what we believe in. We've been marching in the streets, attending town halls, writing letters to the editor. How does our activism today compare to our memories of the sixties, especially our

participation in civil rights and the anti-war movements? What does our generation have to offer the young people of today?

Meta Mendel-Reyes is a former labor organizer and professor who's been an activist since the sixties. You're as likely to find her at a march in Detroit or in a classroom with other OLLI members.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 1-3pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/17 & 3/24 (2 Sessions)

Instructors: Meta Mendel-Reyes

Location: Washtenaw Community College

Cost: $25

Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder

Based on Michael McFaul’s book, we will explore how the old global order has ended with the rise of China, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the reelection of President Donald Trump. McFaul, a preeminent thinker on American foreign policy, provides us with an in-depth historical analysis with a forward-looking perspective, crafting a new grand strategy for America in this age of global disorder. We will have four highly interactive discussion sessions, with an overview, framework, and discussion questions provided by the instructor.

Karen Bantel has an academic and consulting background in strategic planning and entrepreneurship. She has facilitated a number of classes for OLLI, focusing primarily on national and international political and economic issues, and has served as a lectures moderator.

Day/Time: Monday, 2-4pm (2hrs)

Dates: March 16, 23, 30 and April 6 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Karen Bantel

Location: Washtenaw Community College

Cost: $45

Liberal Economic Policies in a Time of Division

The Democratic Party is actively seeking to build a stronger economic platform. Abundance Liberals advocate for policies designed to expand economic opportunity and increase supply in key areas—namely housing, childcare, clean energy, and poverty reduction. Their focus is on making government more effective through streamlining restrictive zoning and other regulations. Populist Progressives prioritize anti-corporate policies, including efforts to break up monopolies, implement stricter financial regulation, and shift the tax burden toward higher earners. This study group will examine the merits and challenges of both the Abundance and Populist Progressive economic platforms. We will also compare these economic policies to those of the current administration. This study group is dedicated to fostering a safe atmosphere for constructive, open dialog. Success will rely on weekly readings to ground our

STUDY GROUPS

discussions in facts and analysis, participant involvement in directing research and discussion topics, and a shared curiosity about understanding and engaging respectfully with differing views.

Dennis Muzzi, MSW is a retired clinical and community social worker and part time social work faculty. He works with Braver Angels, a national group committed to reducing polarization. This is the fifth study group in his Bridging Divisions series, which works to make talking about politics fun, safe and productive again.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/25-4/29 (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Dennis Muzzi

Location: Washtenaw Community College

Cost: $60

After retiring from an intensive career, OLLI gave me intellectual stimulation that I missed from working and I met some interesting people.”

― Gerry Lapidus, OLLI Volunteer

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Chinese 6

In this study group students will continue their study of the Chinese language with a focus on conversation, while also exploring aspects of Chinese culture and history.

Angela Yang retired from a career in medical research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/21-5/22 (18 Sessions)

Instructor: Angela Yang

Location: Virtual

Cost: $65

Chinese 11

This Chinese study group will focus on studying the Chinese language, culture, and history, with an emphasis on developing conversational skills.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 11am-1pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/20-5/22 (18 Sessions)

Instructor: Angela Yang

Location: Online

Cost: $65

Chinese Idioms

Unlock the elegance of Chinese fourcharacter idioms to transform your speech into something concise, cultured and compelling. Learn them, understand the logic and culture behind them, and show your language skills and refined outlook.

Day/Time: Monday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/16 & 3/23 (2 Sessions)

Instructor: Angela Yang

Location: Virtual

Cost: $25

HISTORY AND CULTURE

"Brain Rot" and other News: The Dictionary Revisited

The Oxford English Dictionary named “brain rot” the word of the year in 2024, only one of many new words added to the OED along with an entirely new Dictionary of African American English in development (publication expected in 2027). If you missed the fun we had in my previous study group on the dictionary in 2022, now’s your chance to join in. We will consider the ways that the dictionary does or does not offer authoritative guidance on usage and “correctness” with some review of commentary on the dictionary by UM linguist Anne Curzan; Anne served on a dictionary advisory board. We will review the history of dictionaries in English, and update developments at the OED in Oxford. The larger issues of authority and standards will be the focus in the second

STUDY GROUPS

half of the course, but we should have time for reruns of a fun exercise and a round of the Dictionary Game too.

Alice Horning is retired from Oakland University where she taught linguistics and writing for more than 30 years.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/11-4/1 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Alice Horning

Location: Virtual Cost: $45

Women of Science in the Archives (S)

The Bentley Historical Library serves as the home of the University of Michigan's archives as well as archives documenting life in the state of Michigan. During this session, we'll talk about how our staff identifies and preserves untold stories from across the state and how you might contribute to future research. In honor of women's history month, we'll share how archival collections at the Bentley illuminate the lives of a few notable women of science. Following the session, we will take a behind the scenes tour of the Bentley's facilities and participants will have a chance to consult with archivists.

Meghan Courtney is the Associate Director for Public Engagement at the Bentley Historical Library.

Day/Time: Thursday, 5-7pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/19 (1 Session)

Instructor: Meghan Courtney

Location: Virtual Cost: $15

STUDY GROUPS HISTORY AND CULTURE

Community Cookbooks from the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive (S)

The Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive holds one of the nation’s largest collections of community cookbooks, typically published by churches, temples, and other organizations. Early community cookbooks offered opportunities for women to develop organizational and business skills, from selling advertising space to copyediting, while raising money for charitable causes. Titles like Buckeye Cookery and The Settlement Cookbook transcended their initial scope & purpose to become household titles, but hundreds more community cookbooks remained known only in their own small towns. Nonetheless, they provide valuable historical evidence of community foodways and community organization. Join Special Collections Research Center Curator Juli McLoone for a short introductory lecture, followed by hands-on exploration and an opportunity to explore these unique documents of cooking & community.

Juli McLoone is a Curator in the University of Michigan Library Special Collections Research Center, where she builds collections and provides instruction and outreach for a wide range of print and

archival materials from the 18th to the 20th centuries. One of her principal areas of focus is the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive, which focuses on the history of food & drink in America from the 18th-20th centuries.

Day/Time: Friday, 10-11:30am (1.5hrs)

Date: 5/8 (1 Session)

Instructor: Juli McLoone

Location: Special Collections Research Center, Hatcher Graduate Library, 913 S. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Cost: $15

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960's by

Doris Kearns Goodwin (repeat)

This two-session book study takes us on a vivid journey through the 1960s, guided by An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book offers a unique insider’s view of the decade, as told through the experiences of Dick Goodwin— speechwriter for JFK, LBJ, Eugene McCarthy, and RFK—who was present for many pivotal events, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the shaping of LBJ’s “Great Society,” a term he coined himself. The story is also a personal one, chronicling the decades-long partnership between Dick and Doris, two committed political thinkers and activists. Their shared passion for history and reform animates this account of a transformative era. We’ll reflect on both the personal and political forces that defined the '60s and shaped the nation. Please read the book—or at least the first half—before our first session.

Barb Cherem spent five decades teaching in P-12 and higher education. A passionate history enthusiast, she recently led book studies on The 1619 Project, American Nations, and Combee. This current book has quickly become one of her favorites.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/20 & 1/27 (2 Sessions)

Instructor: Barb Cherem

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $25

Journeywomen: Women's Travel Stories

Growing older has given many women a chance to travel all over the world, discovering new places and cultures, meeting new people, and finding new ways to contribute to the global community. At a time when many in this country are turning away from the rest of the world, travel is a way to bring us together. In this study group, we will read some great travel writing by women, but our focus will sharing our own experiences as women travelers.

Meta Mendel-Reyes is a former labor organizer and professor who's been an activist since the sixties. You're as likely to find her at a march in Detroit or in a classroom with other OLLI members.

Day/Time: Friday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/20 & 3/27 (2 Sessions)

Instructor: Meta Mendal-Reyes

Location: Jewish Community Center

Cost: $25

STUDY GROUPS

HISTORY AND CULTURE

The History of the Atlas: "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" and Beyond (S)

Have you ever been in the same room as maps that made history? Clark Library recently acquired a first edition of the first modern atlas: Abraham Ortelius’s "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum," published in Antwerp in 1570. Join us to learn how this volume changed the way that the western world encountered knowledge about distant places; how U-M’s Conservation Lab is bringing our copy back to life; and how atlases have continued to shape and be shaped by history up to the present.

Tim Utter is the Director of the Social Sciences and Clark Library at U-M Library, where he has worked with the Clark Library’s collection of over 440,000 maps and atlases for nearly 35 years. He holds an MLS degree from Wayne State University. Anna Rohl is Map Curator at Clark Library and has an MLIS and MA in History from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her favorite maps are related to World’s Fairs. Trina Parks-Matthews is the Assistant Book and Paper Conservator at U-M Library. She holds an MS in Conservation and an MA in Art History from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 1-3pm (2hrs)

Date: 5/13 (1 Session)

Instructor: Tim Utter, Anna Rohl, Trina Parks-Matthews

Location: Clark Library, 2nd Floor of Hatcher Graduate Library South Cost: $15

Creating the Future of Medicine for 175 Years (S)

Join us for a guided tour of the exhibit "Celebrating 175 years of the UM Medical School" as we travel through decades of accelerating progress in medical education, health care and biomedical research including the 1925 opening of the famous "Old Main" University Hospital that served patients for 60 years. See artifacts, photographs and documents and learn how one of the nation's leading academic medical centers -- Michigan Medicine -- came to be. The exhibit was curated by Kara Gavin, Michigan Medicine Department of Communication, the Medical School's Center for History, Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Ethics in Medicine and includes photos and information from the UM School of Nursing Historical Society, the Bentley Historical Society and Washtenaw County Historical Society.

Bev Willis is the Administrator for the Washtenaw County Historical Society, presenter of local history, and alumni of the UM School of Art.

Day/Time: Saturday, 2-3:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 4/11 (1 Session)

Instructor: Bev Willis

Location: The Museum on Main Street | 500 N Main St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Cost: $15

REMNANTS and What Remains: Moments from a Life Among Holocaust Survivors

We will read and discuss the instructor’s recently published literary memoir (same title as the course) which includes watching a video of the play, REMNANTS, which has been performed on more than 300 stages worldwide and the script of which is in the book. Other topics include how survivors confront their own deaths, how survivors contend with the losses they endured, and what we have assumed about the loss of survivors themselves. Copies of the book will be provided to the participants at no cost.

Hank Greenspan has been writing and teaching about his collaborations with Holocaust survivors for over fifty years.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 3:30-5pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 2/11-2/25 (3 Sessions)

Instructor: Hank Greenspan

Location: Virtual Cost: $35

"The Hidden Half" Uncovering Women's Untold Stories

This four-week journey invites participants to explore the overlooked, erased, and silenced narratives of women across history, culture, and community. Each session will illuminate a different dimension of “the hidden half”—from forgotten pioneers and unsung change-makers to the everyday wisdom of women whose stories never made it into textbooks. Through storytelling, reflection, and collaborative inquiry, we’ll examine how these untold

stories shape our understanding of identity, agency, and collective memory. Participants will identify and present famous women who formed them and honor the hidden stories within their own lives and circles, weaving personal insight with historical recovery. Together, we’ll ask: What becomes possible when the missing voices are finally heard.

Sig Hermon and Bernie Beach share their interest in uncovering the wisdom of historical women and what that wisdom tells us today.

Day/Time: Thursday, 1-3pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/5-3/26 (4 Sessions)

Instructors: Sig Hermon, Bernie Beach

Location: Jewish Community Center Cost: $45

Lessons from the Vietnam War

Learn about the events that led up to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War that led to 58,000 Americans dead. We will also look at the French colonial era, the rise of Ho Chi Minh, South Vietnam politics and questionable U.S. policy decisions and its conduct in the war. Considerable time will be spent examining lost opportunities to have avoided the war.

Ed Linz is a graduate of the Naval Academy and holds advanced degrees from Oxford University and George Mason University. He has authored numerous books including one on the Vietnam War.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 2-3:30pm (1.5hrs)

Dates: 4/14 & 4/21 (2 Sessions)

Instructor: Ed Linz

Location: Virtual Cost: $25

STUDY GROUPS

HISTORY AND CULTURE

Water Protectors from Standing Rock to the Straits of Mackinac: Non-Violent Protests Matter (S)

Using personal stories and photographs travel with Terri to learn about the Dakota. Access Pipeline protests, the ticking bomb called Line 5 in the Mackinac Straits, broken indigenous treaties and why non-violent protests matter. If time permits and there is interest Terri will also share some de-escalation techniques used during tense times.

Terri Wilkerson is a leader in the Crossroads Group Sierra Club who spent five months in the largest non-violent protest camp opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Day/Time: Monday, 10-11:30am (2hrs)

Date: 4/20 (1 Session)

Instructors: Terri Wilkerson

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $15

Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism at the University of Michigan (S)

The first teach-in. Lawsuits. Nazi resistance. U-M has long been home to campus activism, and this walking tour will allow you to see historically significant locations on campus where you will learn about protests on campus. We will cover women’s activism, the legacy of the Treaty of Fort Meigs for Native students, the Black Action Movement, anti-Vietnam War activism, and more. While this tour will emphasize the 1960s and 1970s on campus, we will also go

back in time to the founding of U-M and explore more recent instances of activism. Join us to learn about U-M’s role as a leader for student protests.

This tour was adapted from a public history course at U-M and brought to you by the Detroit Observatory docents.

Day/Time: Friday, 2-3:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 5/22 (1 Session)

Instructor: UM Detroit

Observatory Docents

Location: This walking tour meets at the Michigan League and concludes on the Diag. 911 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Cost: $15

Everyone Has a Story to Tell (Repeat Course)

Whether you want your grandchildren to learn your story or wish to interview others, join us in learning how to prepare the person you want to interview, develop the right set of questions using the Biographical Data sheet, and manage difficult moments that may arise in the interview. Also learn how to select the right recording equipment, save your recording in a transcript, and, if you choose to, save your transcript in an archive.

Jim Cameron is the president of the Michigan Oral History Association and received the Historical Society of Michigan’s History Hero Award for 2023. He is the author of Voices Over the Valley and Tales Come Alive! Matt Jones is the Director of the EMU Center for Oral History Research (COHR), an entity at EMU. Andrew Schneider is a Great Lakes Maritime

Historian and Historic Preservationist. He has master’s degree in Historic Preservation and currently works at the Henry Ford Museum.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 10-11:30am (1.5hrs)

Date: 3/10-3/24 (3 Sessions)

Instructors: Jim Cameron, Matt Jones, Andrew Schneider

Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $35

Only Hope: My Mother and the Holocaust Brought to Light (S)

Before she died in 1974, Felicia Bornstein Lubliner wrote about her internment in ghettos and concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Poland, powerful stories shedding light on her experiences and indomitable spirit, telling a story that Rabbi Dennis J. Eisner described as “deeper than a number—6,000,000— giving us a human touch in the midst of inhumanity.” You will learn about the Holocaust through his mother's eyes, as well as how he, the child of two survivors of Auschwitz, was impacted by his parents' experiences.

Irv Lubliner, professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University, published his mother’s Holocaust-themed writings and has spoken about them to numerous adult education programs throughout the country.

Day/Time: Monday, 1:30-3:30pm (2hrs)

Date: 4/6 (1 Session)

Instructor: Irv Lubliner

Location: Virtual

Cost: $15

Vienna from the Habsburgs to Hitler (repeat)

From 1870 through 1945 Vienna was one of the cultural, political, and social centers of Europe. In this study group we will view and discuss some of the more important and intriguing international trends in so many fields that began in this queen city of the Danube. We will accomplish this through illustrated presentations, group discussions, and remembrances of figures all the way from the inventor of the Sacher Torte to Harry Lime.

Rudi Lindner taught history at the university level for nearly sixty years. He claims to be the last of the Habsburg Jews.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 2/4-3/11 (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Rudi Lindner

Location: Virtual

Cost: $60

Detroit Auto Show by D2A2 Bus

Please join us for an exciting day at the Detroit Auto Show. We will take the D2A2 bus from the Blake Transit Center in Downtown Ann Arbor and then ride the People Mover to the fourth floor of Huntington Place. From there we will ride the elevator down to the entrance of the Auto Show. Please come to the planning meeting for this event where we will decide the length of time spent in Detroit and well as the important question of where to eat lunch. All questions will be answered at the planning meeting. Auto Show admission and D2A2 round trip price are included.

STUDY GROUPS

HISTORY AND CULTURE

Please note that there will be a fair amount of walking with this trip and the cost of lunch is not included.

Will Hawk has been a member of OLLI for seven years and is always looking for new adventures. He has led many study groups and is currently Co-chair of the Study Group Committee.

Day/Time: Monday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: January 19 & 23 (2 Sessions) One 2hr session on 1/19 & one 8hr on 1/23

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center/Detroit

Cost: $45

Ann Arbor's Walking Smart Tours

Please join me in exploring Ann Arbor’s Walking Smart Tours which celebrates the Bicentennial of the founding of Ann Arbor in 1824. In all, there are 15 tours of Ann Arbor with 177 tour sites. Each tour site includes a photograph and narrative describing its significance to Ann Arbor. In this study group we will attempt to cover 4 of these walking tours. Instead of trying to read your smartphone as we walk these tours, I will provide the narrative and point out the building site that is being referenced on the tour. Please join me as we walk around Ann Arbor and understand the significance of buildings that we have passed by many times. You should be capable of walking a minimum of two miles before embarking on these tours. *Note the class meets in a classroom for only the first class. Be prepared to walk on the first day of class. These walks will include previous walks as well as 2 new walks.

STUDY GROUPS

Day/Time: Tuesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 4/21 - 5/19 (no class 5/12) (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center (1st session)

Cost: $45

Ann Arbor's Walking Smart Tours - Sundays

Same info as previous Study Group.

Day/Time: Sunday, 2-4pm (2hrs)

Date: 4/26-5/17 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Michigan Union (1st session)

Cost: $45

Michigan Firehouse Museum Tour (S)

Please join me in exploring the Michigan Firehouse Museum. Encompassing over 26,000 square feet, the Museum is an educational treasure trove that includes an original 1898 firehouse and modern, multilevel exhibit display area. Walking through the restored firehouse, visitors can see fire engine steamers replete with horses ready to go on their way to a fire. The large, modern addition offers 25 changing exhibits of antique fire trucks and early fire rigs, multiple displays of historic artifacts including tools, equipment, memorabilia, and the largest collection of fire truck bells in the country!

Day/Time: Thursday, 2-4pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/12 (1 Session)

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Michigan Firehouse Museum- 110 W. Cross Street, Ypsilanti

Cost: $25

Ypsilanti Historical Museum and Archive Tour (S)

Entering the Museum is like stepping back in time to visit a family in an original 19th Century Ypsilanti home. You can pretend to be their guests in the Informal Parlor, share the preparation of a meal with a wood stove, do the laundry without electricity, and imagine an overnight stay without indoor plumbing. For the adventurous historian, visiting the Archives will be an opportunity to explore over 200 years of Ypsilanti heritage. Search and discover exciting facts about your family, home or business.

Day/Time: Thursday, 2-4pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/19 (1 Session)

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Meet at 220 North Huron Street Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Cost: $25

Detroit Historical Museum by D2A2 Bus

Join us for an exciting day trip to Detroit, leaving from the Blake Transit Center on Fifth Ave in downtown Ann Arbor at 8:30 a.m. After arriving in Grand Circus Park, we will hop on the Qline to the Detroit Historical Museum. The Detroit Historical Museum brings Detroit’s vibrant history to life with interactive exhibits, engaging displays, and family-friendly experiences that celebrate the city’s industries, culture, and stories. After a late lunch, we’ll decide whether to explore more of the city or head back to Ann Arbor. The cost of lunch is not included in the class fee. The trip will be

broken down into two sessions: a planning meeting, and then the adventure itself. Be prepared for at least two miles of walking throughout the day. The bus will return us to the Blake Transit Center in Ann Arbor. Please join the planning meeting to discuss the length of the trip plus the important selection of where to eat lunch.

Day/Time: Friday, 10am-12pm (One 2hr session on 4/3 & one 8hr on 4/10)

Date: 4/3 & 4/10 (2 Sessions)

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Washtenaw Community College (1st session)

Cost: $45

STUDY GROUPS

HISTORY AND CULTURE

HOBBIES, GAMES, AND SPORTS

Mah Jongg, Baggaley Style

Learn to play this simplified version of Chinese Mah-Jongg, developed and popularized by the late Stuart Baggaley. Stuart taught this version at libraries and senior centers in Washtenaw and Lenawee Counties beginning in 2002. Learn the basics of play, strategies, and scoring, and then join an existing group in Washtenaw County or start your own!

Amy Seetoo, a resident of Ann Arbor since 1980, having relocated from Urbana-Champaign. She has taught MahJongg Baggaley Style solo and alongside Stuart Baggaley, Nancy Howard, and Susan McCarthy.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 1-3pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/11 - 4/1 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Amy Seeto

Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $45

STUDY GROUPS

2 Mile Hikes for Health and Wellbeing

This study group offers a set of 5 natural foundation trails. These trails are in the Ann Arbor area. This program promotes relaxation, health and group socialization. Participants will be contacted via email with information about the upcoming trail. The email will include directions, trail type, and basic suggestions for the trail.

James Nelson is an avid hiker and trail guide for Take A Hike Adventures LLC, program creator for hiking at WCC and CPT. He adheres to the principles of Holistic Health and Fitness.

Day/Time: Monday, 1-2:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 3/16-4/13 (5 Sessions)

Instructor: James Nelson

Location: Site of the Trailheads

Cost: $55

How to Play American Mah Jongg

Join OLLI for a four-session, novice-level class and learn the basics of American Mah Jongg. Mah Jongg is a fun, challenging, tile-based game for three or four players. Popular worldwide, it originated in China and came to the U.S. in the early 20th century. Each class session will include an explanatory lecture, game play, and opportunities for questions. Participants will learn the rules, conventions, and basic strategy to play the game in person and online. Enrollees should commit to attending all four classes for their benefit and that of their classmates.

Barbara Spreitzer-Berent is an experienced lecturer, trainer, and

HOBBIES, GAMES, AND SPORTS

mah-jongg enthusiast. She has been playing Mah Jongg for ten years and teaching the game for three. In this class, she will present a different aspect of Mah Jongg in each session, allowing participants to build knowledge and confidence in a systematic way.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 9:30am-12pm (2.5hrs)

Date: 1/27-2/17 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Barbara Spreitzer-Berent

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $45

Theatre Games for Everyone!

Ever wonder what those drama kids were up to? Were YOU one of those theatre nerds? Whether you’re a professional actor, community theatre buff, or have never been around thespians, join us to have fun with Viola Spolin’s beloved Theatre Games. We’ll work around any mobility issues, so we all stay safe and happy. You’ll get a chance to laugh while spontaneity frees our bodies, voices, and imaginations in play that grounds us in the moment. We might even sneak in some easy improvisation.

Kate Zoeger is a classically trained actor who studied with Stella Adler and Harold Clurman in New York, where she changed restaurant jobs every time she got into an Off-Off or Off-Off-Off Broadway showcase! She taught theatre for ten years as an L.A. public school teacher before retiring.

Day/Time: Monday, 11am-12:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 4/6-4/27 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Kate Zoeger

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $45

The Honey Bee Lady (S)

Join us as we explore the fascinating life of the honeybee, both inside and outside the hive. Victoria Dluzen McIntyre, an amateur apiarist with a deep love for honeybees, will guide us through the mysteries of the hive. Her family name, 'Dluzen,' means 'Keeper of the Bees' in Polish, a connection that reflects her natural passion for these incredible creatures. Learn how 50,000 bees work together harmoniously to achieve one common goal and discover the vital role they play in our ecosystem. This session will give you a deeper appreciation of the world of honeybees and their remarkable abilities.

Known as 'The Bee Lady,' Victoria McIntyre has travelled around southeastern Michigan giving talks to schools, garden clubs and civic groups.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 1-2:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 5/5 (1 Session)

Instructor: Victoria McIntyre

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $15

STUDY GROUPS

HOBBIES, GAMES, AND SPORTS

INVESTING, ECONOMICS, AND FINANCE

Personal Finance (S)

Personal finance is the ability to manage your money including savings and investing. The ability to manage spending is a critical part of personal finance. Individuals must ensure their spending is less than their income. If not, they won't have enough money to cover their expenses and may fall into debt. Debt can be devastating financially, particularly with the high-interest rate credit cards.

Steve Bredernitz is a retired contractor, building inspector, and instructor at Washtenaw Community College.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 5/20 (1 Session)

Instructor: Steve Bredernitz

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $15

STUDY GROUPS

LITERATURE, POETRY, AND DRAMA

Medieval Dream Visions

This study group will be an introduction to medieval literature with a focus on Middle English Dream Visions. We will discuss familiar writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, as well as less familiar writers like Julian of Norwich and the Pearl-Poet. The genre of the "dream vision" was particularly popular in the Middle Ages. It allowed writers to experiment with looking and turning inward-- a practice that facilitated divine revelation and often allowed them to grapple with inarticulatable feelings of grief, love, and longing. As we read Middle English dream visions together, we will discuss the genre's use of allegory as an exploratory mode, and I will provide insight into medieval histories of religion, emotion, embodiment, and sensation.

Madeline Fox is a Ph.D. Candidate in English Language and Literature. She studies allegory, affect, and sensation in Middle English allegorical literature.

Day/Time: Monday, 5-6:30pm (1.5hrs)

Date: 4/13-5/18 (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Madeline Fox

Location: First Presbyterian Church Cost: $60

INVESTING, ECONOMICS, AND FINANCE | LITERATURE...

That's Absurd!

We will read aloud and discuss four plays by Eugene Ionesco, a leading French playwright/creator of the Theater of the Absurd. The Bald Soprano - Anti-play (1950); The Lesson -A Comic Drama (1951); The Chairs - A Tragic Farce (1952); and Jack, or the Submission - A Naturalistic Comedy (1955). In his words - "Theater is not literature... It is simply what cannot be expressed by any other means." We will read from the book The Bald Soprano & Other Plays, trans. Donald M. Allen, Grove Press (1958).

Gail Hubbard’s specialty is French (language, culture, history, & literature). Drama is her favorite genre, especially the Theater of the Absurd.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30pm (2hrs)

Date: 2/4-2/25 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Gail Hubbard

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $45

An Afternoon with Oedipus (S)

After a brief introduction by Marilyn, participants will read aloud, then discuss, Sophocles' play, Oedipus The King. The Penguin Classics edition, translated by Robert Fagles, is required, so that we are all reading from the same version.

Marilyn Scott was a lecturer in Classics and Great Books at UM and taught Latin and English at Ann Arbor's Community High School.

Day/Time: Thursday, 1-4pm (3hrs)

Date: 3/19 (1 Session)

Instructor: Marilyn Scott

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $15

Homer's ILIAD

Using Robert Fagles’ translation of the Iliad (required), we will do a close reading and discussion of the poem. Our main focus will be on Homer’s characters and what they tell us about life, death and war. We will also spend some time looking at the forms and devices of epic poetry.

Day/Time: Monday, 1-3PM (2hrs)

Date: 1/27-3/9 (7 Sessions)

Instructor: Marilyn Scott

Location: University Commons

Cost: $65

Homer's ODYSSEY

Using Robert Fagles’ translation of the Odyssey (required), we will do a close reading and discussion of the poem. We will get to know Odysseus, “that man of many ways” (as war hero; as master of disguise; as teller of tales; as skilled craftsmen; and, finally, as husband and father).

Day/Time: Monday, 1-3PM (2hrs)

Date: 3/23-5/4 (7 Sessions)

Instructor: Marilyn Scott

Location: University Commons Cost: $65

STUDY GROUPS

MUSIC, THEATER, AND FILM

Miraculous Silence of Gregorian Chant

This course will proceed as if you were a novice monk taking your very first course leading to performance of plainsong chant. You will learn about solfeging ("doa-deer"); intervals; ancient musical staff (four lines instead of five--simple?); modes; recognizing nouns & their Latin names; and practice of simple hymns from the Liber Usualis, the very text prepared by the famous Monks of Solesmes. You may even come to recognize intervals contained in the current modern repertoire, including the famous Diabolus! This world-famous anomaly was made universally famous-a "paradigm shift"-- by none other than Leonard Bernstein in his beloved lightopera: Westside Story: Dominus vobiscum!

A Secular Franciscan, G. Phil Zepeda studied & applied skills in the practice of Chant for ten years in a Franciscan monastery.

Day/Time: Friday, 1-2pm (2hrs)

Date: 4/24 & 5/1

Instructor: G. Phil Zepeda

Location: Washtenaw Community College

Cost: $25

Families in International Films: Four Great Films from Four Countries

This class uses films for discussions about human relationships. During each of 4 sessions we will discuss one film, using discussion questions, and possibly film segments, selected by the class leader. In order of year of release, we plan to discuss: Autumn Sonata (1978, Sweden), Secrets and Lies (1996, England), Shoplifters (2018, Japan) and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024, Iran). We will adjust our plan if any films are difficult to access for at-home viewing. Discussion will focus on how the films help us think about the world and family interactions. Discussions will range far beyond the discussion topics brainstormed by the class leader and will include opportunities for laughter despite the seriousness of most of these films.

Arlene Weisz is a retired social worker and social work professor who enjoyed using films as part of teaching and learning about families for about 20 years. Now she is happy to have a chance for great conversations with OLLI members!

Day/Time: Monday, 1:30-3:30pm (2hrs)

Date: 2/16, 3/2, 3/16, 3/30 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Arlene Weisz

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $45

RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, AND SPIRITUALITY

Pain: Is it All in Your Head?

Over the past few decades, we've learned more than ever about the true nature of pain. We better understand what causes it, what may best relieve it, and what we can do to minimize or even eliminate some types of pain for the rest of our lives. Many of those life-changing insights have not yet been made easily available to the public

Thanks to Sanjay Gupta’s new book book, we’ve changed that. Our text will be Sanjay Gupta’s new book: It Doesn’t Have To Hurt

Mike Murray is a Clinical Psychologist. His goal, over the past two decades, has been to provide people with tools to enhance their wellness and wellbeing.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 10-11:30am (1.5hrs)

Date: 2/18 - 3/25 (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Mike Murray

Location: Virtual

Cost: $60

The Interface of Language and Religion

Religious practices involve use of language to communication with the superior power(s), and to share the chosen beliefs with others. This course will examine how religions make use of language to meet their spiritual and non-spiritual goals, and how various facets of language are (or have been) influenced by their use as the linguistic medium of religion. Topics to be examined and discussed include legends on the divine origin of human languages, references to language and speech acts in sacred texts, the nature and use of sacred and liturgical languages, the development of the religious vocabulary of a language, the problems involved in the translation and transmission of sacred texts. This course will be a mixture of lectures and discussions.

Steven Dworkin is a Professor Emeritus of Romance Linguistics and Linguistics at the University of Michigan, where he taught from 1979-2019. His principal research interest is the history of the Romance languages. He regularly taught courses about Language and Religion in the Linguistics Department.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 1-2pm (1hr)

Date: 1/27-2/17 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Steven Dworkin

Location: University Commons

Cost: $45

STUDY GROUPS

Self-Inquiry as a

Spiritual Practice

Ever tried meditation or wondered what is meant by “inner work”? Discover your rich inner landscape through a modern spiritual practice of inquiry. This practice awakens and supports a person to explore whatever gets in the way of their deeper personal truth. If you feel stymied by negative selftalk or overly influenced by what others think- this practice helps liberate you from those forces. If you’re interested in learning about the interplay between your personality and the soul consider the possibility of diving into an exploratory experience that opens the vivid, sensory, and dynamic realm of your consciousness. This study group will introduce the practice of inquiry by following the book: The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence by A.H. Almaas.

Julie Endress is a spiritual teacher in a modern path that pulls from depth psychology and ancient traditions. She has practiced inquiry for 20 years. Her background as an executive coach, consultant and engineer bring a real-world perspective to her role as a teacher.

Day/Time: Monday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/26-3/9 (no class 2/16) (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Julie Endress

Location: First Presbytarian Church Cost: $55

STUDY GROUPS RELIGION,

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Future of Life with AI (Winter Session)

The AI era is here. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—on headlines, and in classrooms, cars and workplaces, and in our homes. But is it truly transformative, or just over-hyped? How might it shape the way we live, work, and connect with family and friends? How may routine life change? And how soon? This six-week seminar will have a wide thematic scope: culture, education, economics, politics, ethics, existential angst and meaning of life. Each week, we will read and discuss two recent essays from leading journals such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, HBR, and others, providing contemporary relevance to the topics being discussed. No technical background is required to enjoy this study group, but familiarity with some AI terminology like LLMs and some handson experience with ChatGPT or similar AI

tools might be useful, though not essential. Together we might ask: What does AI mean for us as humans, and how should we respond to this moment in history? (All prep materials will be distributed in advance.)

Deb Mukherjee has been leading study groups and shared interest groups for the past decade at OLLI.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 3-5pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/21-2/25 (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Deb Mukherjee

Location: Virtual Cost: $60

Future of Life with AI (Spring Session)

Same information as previous study group.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 3-5pm (2hrs)

Date: 5/20-6/24 (6 Sessions)

Instructor: Deb Mukherjee

Location: Virtual Cost: $60

Ayurveda Kitchen Pharmacy (S)

As winter lingers, seasonal illnesses can challenge our well-being. The time-tested science of Ayurveda offers a natural, effective solution - your kitchen cabinet! Discover how Ayurveda uses spices as the first line of defense to boost your immunity and help protect your health. Spices are rich in minerals, antioxidants and nutrients, that's why we use just a small amount in cooking and wellness blends. You will learn how to create simple, wellness enhancing spice blends that help boost immunity during this transitional time of year.

Leave with practical knowledge and spice recipes to help you feel your best, now and into Spring.

Curious and a lifelong learner, Laurie Dean has been practicing and teaching Yoga for over 25 years. She is also a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner with well over 3000 hours of study in both sciences, and passionate about sharing the time-tested wisdom to help others live fully and well.

Day/Time: Monday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/26 (1 Session)

Instructor: Laurie Dean

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center

Cost: $15

Understand Digestion and Nutrition Through the Science of Ayurveda (S)

In Ayurveda, healthy digestion is essential to thriving health, yet many people experience digestive issues that compromise their good health. The complete digestion, absorption and assimilation of food nutrients creates the foundational layers of your body. As the saying goes - You are what you eat - but it is truer to say - You are what you digest! Looking through the lens of Ayurveda, we will discuss how we eat in a balanced way to keep our digestion strong and nourish body, mind and spirit.

Day/Time: Monday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/2 (1 Session)

Instructor: Michele Roberge

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $15

STUDY GROUPS

Coping With Artificial Intelligence

We will read and discuss I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique, by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily life, a psychologist explores how it is reshaping human behavior, decisionmaking, and social interaction. Drawing on psychology, ethics, and technology, readers are asked to consider how empathy and self-awareness can help us remain fully human in an increasingly automated world. Using insights into human behavior and relationship with technology, the book helps us cope when many of our information sources should be questioned and decisions are made for us. Please read Introduction and Chapter One for the first session.

Gerry Lapidus has led more than 70 OLLI book discussion classes. He retired as a product manager from AT&T and Lucent Technologies.

Day/Time: Monday, 1-3pm (2hrs)

Date: 3/30-4/20 (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Gerry Lapidus

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $45

The Anxious Generation

We will read and discuss the title book by Jonathan Haidt. At the start of the 2010s, rates of teenage mental illness took a sharp upward turn, and they have been rising ever since. Among US college students, diagnoses of depression and anxiety more than doubled between 2010 and 2018. The mental health crisis has been driven by the mass adoption of smartphones, along with

the advent of social media and addictive online gaming. Children are spending less time socializing in person and more time glued to their screens. Childhood is no longer “play-based”, it’s “phonebased”. Moreover, parents have become overprotective in the offline world but do too little to protect children from online dangers. Please read Introduction and Chapter 1 for the first session.

Day/Time: Monday, 1-3pm (2hrs)

Date: 2/2-3/9 (6 Sessions)

Instructors: Gerry Lapidus

Location: Virtual Cost: $60

A Complaint Free World: Stop Complaining, Start Living

We’ll read and discuss A Complaint Free World: Stop Complaining, Start Living by Will Bowen. The book began with a simple idea—wear a purple bracelet and move it to the other wrist each time you complain. The goal: go 21 days complaint-free. Bowen expands on this practice, explaining why we complain, how it harms us, and how to replace it with gratitude and positivity. His movement inspired millions to stop complaining, criticize less, and find greater happiness and success. Read Chapters 1–2 for the first class.

Will Hawk has been a member of OLLI for seven years and is always looking for new adventures. Will has volunteered for many OLLI committees and currently serves as Study Group Co-Chair.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 2/3 - 3/3 (no class on 2/10) (4 Sessions)

Instructor: Will Hawk

Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $45

STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS)

What Is AI, and How Does It Affect Me? (S)

Artificial Intelligence, or “AI,” is in the news everywhere. But what exactly is it? How does it work and what does it do? Most importantly, how does it affect me? In this seminar, Jim Keen will answer these questions, plus look at some of the potential negative uses of AI, including some that we’re starting to learn about already.

Jim Keen holds a B.A. in communications and an M.A. in educational studies from the University of Michigan. He currently owns and operates Keen Focus Technology Tutoring.

Day/Time: Tuesday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 2/17 (1 Session)

Instructor: Jim Keen

Location: Jewish Community Center Cost: $15

Oceanography

In this course we'll learn about all aspects of the world's oceans and their inhabitants, from tidal zones to the deepest trenches, from how the oceans were formed to humanity's impact on them. We'll look at them from many aspects - geological, biological, chemical, meteorological, and more. The course is based on a Great Courses video series of lectures given by ocean scientist and professor Harold J. Tobin of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In our 12-session study group we'll watch and discuss 24 of the 36 half-hour lectures given by Prof. Tobin. (For details, please visit bit.ly/ocean26.)

Craig Stephan, Ph.D. is a retired physicist from Ford Research and Argonne National Laboratory. He has led many previous science-oriented OLLI study groups including Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Paleontology, and What is Life?

Day/Time: Tuesday, 1-3pm (2hrs) Date: 1/27-4/14 (12 Sessions)

Instructor: Craig Stephan

Location: Trinity Lutheran Church Cost: $65

What I like so much about OLLI-UM is new knowledge, meeting new people, making friends and volunteering with purpose.”

― Ann Tomlanovich, OLLI Volunteer

STUDY GROUPS

STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS)

WRITING

Writers Unlimited

Participants read their original written work to the group and receive constructive criticism (everything from correcting spelling and punctuation to suggestions for extension of the theme). The genre may be short story, novel, memoir, essay, poetry, or any form you can make up.

Jerry Janusz, a retired mathematician from the University of Illinois, has led this study group for more than ten years.

Day/Time: Friday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/23-7/31 (28 Sessions)

Instructor: Jerry Janusz

Location: Virtual Cost: $65

Writing Our Stories

Participants will learn how to tell the stories of their lives and those of their ancestors. We will meet weekly to share and reflect, and each participant should come prepared to read a story they have written. This is a supportive space for developing your voice and preserving meaningful memories through storytelling.

Jan Price calls herself a “very amateur memoirist” who has written her story after being motivated by an OLLI class. She has taught memoir writing for over 10 years.

Day/Time: Friday, 10am-12pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/23-4/10 (12 Sessions)

Instructor: Jan Price

Location: Virtual Cost: $65

Write from Your Heart

Would you like to write something truly exceptional? What if the exercises in Jack Grape's Method Writing surprised you into discovering your most powerful work? Readers seek more than a “reporting voice”—they crave your deep voice. But how do you access it? This class shows you how. If you’re just beginning your journey with Jack’s concepts, pick up Jack Grape's Method Writing (black cover). If you're returning for more, go for Advanced Method Writing (yellow/black cover). Bring your favorite notebook and pen—and get ready to uncover writing abilities you never knew you had. That’s the promise. And more than that—it’s fun!

Kate Zoeger was a National BoardCertified Mentor Teacher in LA public schools. She writes fiction, poetry, screenplays, and participates in local writers’ critique groups.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 10:30am-12:30pm (2hrs)

Date: 1/28-3/11 (7 Sessions)

Instructor: Kate Zoeger

Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $65

We are offering a selection of courses from Osher Online this spring. This is an opportunity to enhance and supplement our local programming. These offerings are open to OLLI members.

OLLI-UM is part of a national organization. The Osher National Resource Center (NRC), hosted by the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies, is a nongoverning center of excellence designed to support and strengthen the 120+ OLLI programs across the country.

Program Details Register at olli-umich.org

Classes are 90 minutes, plus 15 minutes of socialization prior to class and 15 minutes of debrief following class.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Adipiscing enim eu turpis egestas pretium.

The format is primarily lecture-based with discussion and Q&A components; classes are held in Zoom meeting format, not webinar format. Participants join from OLLIs around the United States. Class size ranges from 20 to 150 members; each class has a moderator to support the instructor and students and help manage the virtual classroom. As this is an external OLLI offering, the cost for each 6-week course is $100, including for All-Inclusive members.

Here are the offerings to select from for Spring 2026: JFK's Quest for Peace - Thursdays at 1pm begins, April 2nd

A History of Street Art - Wednesdays at 11am begins, April 1st

Music Controversies and Curiosities - Wednesdays at 5pm begins, April 15th

Great Science Stories -Thursdays at 3pm begins, April 9th

DON'T MISS IT REGISTER NOW!

CONTACT

2401 Plymouth Rd, Ste C, Ann Arbor, MI Ph: (734) 998-9351 | olli.info@umich.edu olli-umich.org

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

ANN ARBOR ART CENTER (A2AC): ANNARBORARTCENTER.ORG

The A2AC is a multipurpose art gallery, studio, artisan shop, and educational facility in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor. Offering over 400 classes and workshops in a variety of artistic mediums each year, as well as hosting rotating exhibitions in our two gallery spaces, the A2AC has an artistic experience awaiting folks of all ages and skill levels. OLLI members receive A2AC membership pricing at select events and drop-ins, including Open Figure Drawing Drop-ins, and our new Artists-on-Artists lecture series, coming in 2026.

ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATRE (A2CT): A2CT.ORG

A2CT, established in 1929, exists to offer opportunities for community members to participate in all aspects of theatre. We also offer classes for youth and adults. For more information, visit our website.

ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY (AADL): AADL.ORG

An AADL library card provides access to hundreds of thousands of physical and digital items in our collection, from books, movies, CDs, online newspapers, audiobooks, musical instruments, board games, art prints, telescopes.

MICHIGAN & STATE THEATERS: MARQUEE-ARTS.ORG

Located in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, the Michigan and State Theaters are historic landmarks that unite our community. The Michigan Theater presents live performances and classic film, including concerts on its renowned 1928 Barton Organ. At the Art Deco State Theatre, contemporary and independent films continue the theaters’ legacy of celebrating the art of cinema. Together, they serve as the cultural heartbeat of Ann Arbor.

PTD PRODUCTIONS: PTDPRODUCTIONS.COM

Since 1995, PTD has been committed to nurturing the cultural growth of our community by providing live theater, and to encouraging everyone to participate onstage and behind the scenes.

SENIOR REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE: SEMISRC.ORG

The Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative (The Senior Regional Collaborative) was established in 2008 to address the needs of the rapidly growing aging population in Southeast Michigan. Today, the Collaborative is a 50+ member organization - nonprofits and public sector entities - each individually, and collectively, dedicated to providing the highest quality of services to older adults. By working together, these organizations are able to reach a broader audience of policymakers, service professionals, family caregivers and older adults.

THEATRE NOVA: THEATRENOVA.ORG

Theatre NOVA is dedicated to raising awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and new playwrights in a diverse and expanding audience.

THE HEALTH & FITNESS CENTER AT WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE: WCCFITNESS.ORG

The Health & Fitness Center is a state-of-the-art facility offering a wide variety of amenities that are designed for all fitness levels. Our MyFitRx Program features ten specialized pathways designed to help improve the level of physical activity in individuals living with chronic disease, managing medical conditions or who need additional support. OLLI members receive a free three day introductory pass to try out the Center.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ART: UMMA.UMICH.EDU

The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) offers programs that cater to a range of interests. Visit UMMA's website (umma.umich.edu) to find up-todate events such as the Zell Visiting Writers Series, the Webster Reading Series, exhibition-related lectures, and lively musical concerts. Exhibitions rotate frequently, so there are new themes to explore in every season.

WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE - EMERITUS SCHOLARSHIP

WCC classes are designed to help you learn, stay active, and connect with others. Washtenaw County residents age 65 and older may qualify for the Emeritus Scholarship, which makes these opportunities available at little to no cost.

Make a Gift to OLLI-UM

We each have our own reasons for enjoying OLLI! Whatever your OLLI passion, your financial support can make a difference in ensuring that OLLI continues to flourish and expand.

IF THEN

◆ OLLI was there for you when you needed it most this year...

◆ you appreciate OLLI’s low fees and scholarships to those in need…

◆ you are proud of how OLLI responded during the pandemic so members could stay connected…

please consider making a donation to OLLI. No amount is too big or too small.

OLLI-UM ANNUAL FUND (HELPS WITH TODAY’S NEEDS!)

While OLLI receives generous in-kind support from UM, a gift to the OLLI Annual Fund ensures membership and events remain affordable and available to all. While OLLI members and volunteers provide a strong foundation of skills, annual support from donors is needed to maintain and grow operations and meet the needs of our community. Donors contributing $100 or more annually are listed on the OLLI Donor Honor Roll. Sponsorships of lectures also support the Annual Fund and sponsors are included on the Honor Roll listing.

FRIENDS OF OLLI-UM ENDOWMENT (HELPS SUSTAIN OLLI’S FUTURE NEEDS!)

The Friends of OLLI Endowment was created to ensure OLLI will continue to enrich the lives of others well into the future. Endowment funds are key to ensuring the flexibility of OLLI to respond to current and future needs such as technology, space, programs and access.

HOW YOU CAN GIVE:

To contribute online by credit card please go to: giving.umich.edu/give/med-osher.

To contribute by mail please see the registration form in the center of the catalog.

CONSIDER

◆ Making an outright donation to the annual fund or endowment

◆ Sponsoring a lecture or lecture series or sponsoring study groups (new!)

◆ Making a donation in honor or memory of a friend or loved one

◆ Pledging a gift over three-five years

Click on the Donate Now button on the weekly OLLI emails - takes you right to the donor page.

To make a gift or for more information, please contact: Janet Torno, OLLI Development Chair, at jtorno@comcast.net.

◆ Making a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA to satisfy your annual required minimum distribution (RMD)

◆ Naming the OLLI Endowment Fund as a beneficiary of your retirement account and/or as a bequest in your estate or revocable living trust

◆ Donations may be specified for membership or scholarships for all OLLI offerings

OLLI Catalog Ad Pricing

The OLLI catalog is mailed to more than 4,000 households twice a year. The mailing includes OLLI members, friends of OLLI, organizational members (independent senior living facilities), community partners and University of Michigan leadership and faculty.

Color Page Options

Outside back cover ad

$2,000 7.5” W x 7.25” H

Inside front cover - Full page $1,500 Full Page (no bleeds): 8” W x 10.5” H Full Page (with bleeds): 8.75” x 11.25 (8.5” W x 11” H + 0.125” bleed on all sides)

Inside front cover - Half page $750 8” W x 5.125” H

Inside back cover - Full page $1,500 Full Page (no bleeds): 8” W x 10.5” H Full Page (with bleeds): 8.75” x 11.25 (8.5” W x 11” H + 0.125” bleed on all sides)

Inside back cover - Half page $750 8” W x 5.125” H

Black & White Options

Full page ad

$1,000 Full Page (no bleeds): 8” W x 10.5” H

Full Page (with bleeds): 8.75” x 11.25 (8.5” W x 11” H + 0.125” bleed on all sides)

Half page ad $500 8” W x 5.125” H

Quarter page ad $250 3.875” W x 5.125” H

OLLI Catalog Ad Commitment Form

Name: __________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________ Phone: ________________________

Authorized Signature: _________________________________________ Date: __________________

Email completed form to: *OLLI Director, Angela Bingham, 734-998-9356, anabi@med.umich.edu

*Contact for specific deadlines

NOTES

NOTES

Turner Senior Wellness Program

Turner Senior Wellness Program (TSWP) is located at the Turner Senior Resource Cener and o ers health and wellness programs to promote quality of life among older adults through social connection, wellness activities, health education, and community resources.

• Exercise classes

• 734-998-9353

• tswp.info@umich.edu

• www.michmed.org/tswp

• Facebook.com/turnerseniorwellnessprogram

• 2401 Plymouth Rd, Suite C, Ann Arbor, MI 48015

Contact Us: COMMUNITY

HEALTH SERVICES

• Computer mentor services

• Healthy cooking demonstrations

• Support groups

• Writing groups

• Health seminars

• Community / health brochures

• Resource and referrals

• Medicare / Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP)

• Gallery 55+

• Connected Companions

Healthy Living Presentations:

Free- Wednesdays 10am-11:30am Services We O er:

• Thanks for the Memories: Tips for a Brain Healthy Lifestyle (In-Person)

• What's New for Medicare 2026 (In-Person)

• Tips to Managing your Emotional Health and Well-being (In-Person)

* For full presentation list, visit www.michmed.org/tswp

Turner African American Services Council (TAASC)

The Turner African American Services Council (TAASC) is a crucial program under Community Health Services, dedicated to improving the health and wellness of underserved older adults of color.

Established in 1992 under the sponsorship of the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center, TAASC is an organization of educators, healthcare and social service providers, and community and church leaders that strives to bridge the gaps between the community and local healthcare providers. By fostering partnerships, TAASC aims to enhance access to health education, wellness resources, and healthcare services for diverse older adults. The vision of TAASC is to create a community where underserved older adults of color can receive the highest quality of healthcare and achieve an optimal quality of life. This reflects the organization's commitment to addressing health disparities and ensuring that all community members have the resources and support they need to thrive.

U-M Faculty & Fellow-led health lectures

Wellness workshops

Health information and resources

Coordination of community screenings

Cultural competency training

Intergenerational programming

Partnerships with local healthcare providers, community organizations, and faith-based groups

Housing Bureau for Seniors

Silver Club Memory Programs

Silver Club promises a safe, stimulating environment for older adults with mild to moderate memory loss to participate in activities (music, art, fitness and more!), share stories, and have fun. The Silver Club’s unique approach o ers caregivers the opportunity to recharge while their loved one enjoys participating in music programs, creating art, socializing with friends, and engaging in other stimulating activities. Services include:

The Elderberry Club

Tuesdays, 10:30am - 3pm

Designed exclusively for women with mild memory loss

Support, discussion, friendship, creative expression, education, community service, and sisterhood

Silver Club Day Enrichment Program

Monday-Friday, 10:00-3:30 (includes lunch)

Safe, structured activity-based environment tailored to the individual needs of older adults with moderate memory loss

MindWorks

Wednesday, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Safe, positive, strength-based environment for individuals who are newly diagnosed with cognitive change

Washtenaw Support Network for Caregivers

Caring for a loved one? Want some support? Everyone needs a break from time to time. The Washtenaw Support Network for Caregivers is open to anyone who cares for an older adult (age 60+) in your life – be it a parent, spouse, neighbor, or anyone else.

• Social outings o er a chance to relax, have fun, and connect with a community of people who understand.

• Educational programs help you learn more about caregiving and caring for yourself.

• No worries about leaving your loved one alone: respite care is available during every activity to ensure they are safe and comfortable!

• Want more? Try an individualized care-planning consultation……or home chore and handyman services! All O erings are FREE! Contact us for more information.

FRIENDS OF THE ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY

265 Parkland Plaza

Best deal on books in town!

SHOP

FAADL BOOK SHOP

10 AM – 4 PM

• High- quality, low-priced used books, most are $2

• Puzzles, CDs, DVDs, games, and more

• Summer Game and book-themed merchandise

SHOP FAADL SHELVES

at the Downtown Library and all branches!

SHOP ONLINE at faadl.org. High quality books, many are recent releases! Pick up your order at the Downtown Library or any branch.

DONATE

Donate your gently used books and other materials.

Wednesdays – Saturdays 10 AM – 4 PM

Sundays 1 PM – 4 PM

JOIN US

Become a member at faadl.org and receive benefits, including free books!

Funds raised by FAADL support Ann Arbor District Library programs and events.

• Ballroom Dance

• Creative Writing

• Fitness and Well-Being

• Food, Drink and Cooking

• Foreign Languages

• Gardening

• History and Culture

• Painting

• And More

Make Washtenaw Community College your home for lifelong learning. Visit wccnet.edu/ enrichment-classes

Compassionate Guidance for Life’s Next Chapter

At Michigan G.R.and.M.A, we understand the challenges seniors and families face when making senior living decisions. Our mission is to empower you with the knowledge and support needed to navigate the complexities of aging care.

Michelle Miller, CDP, Owner & Family Advisor

“I imagine a world where peace, balance, and a sense of normalcy can be restored while honoring what truly matters. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of assisting over 1,500 seniors in their transitions. In this journey, I have come to understand that many individuals benefit greatly from access to local education, professional support, and resources as they navigate the complexities of moving into senior living.”