National Osher Online
Osher Online was created by the Osher National Resource Center (NRC) at Northwestern University, to expand member access, institute collaboration, sharing of resources, and ensure the legacy of over 120 Osher Institues. These classes are delivered by the Osher NRC, and its staff will provide moderator and technical assistance.
Osher Online classes are $70 each, and available to OLLI members only.
Space is limited. Registration will open February 16 and close March 15, 2026 for the spring term classes below.
We hope you enjoy the opportunity to learn from premiere instructors along with OLLI members from across the nation!
Music: Controversies and Curiosities
Wednesdays, April 15–May 20, 2:00–3:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
Music has long provoked debate, from Beethoven and Stravinsky’s bold innovations to Broadway works like Annie Get Your Gun and South Pacific, now revisited through modern concerns about race, consent, and gender. Is political correctness enriching art or erasing cultural heritage? We will also examine plagiarism and borrowing in pop and film music, with cases involving The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Peter Frampton. This course blends audiovisuals, anecdotes, and humor to explore music’s most controversial moments.
About Your Instructor
Emanuel Abramovits, MBA, is a mechanical engineer and has also been a concert promoter for over two decades. He is directly involved in events by international artists like Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Sarah Brightman, Roger Hodgson, ASIA, Journey, Kenny G., and many more. Abramovits has designed and staged many original orchestral events, including an Event of the Year winner and several world premieres. He served as the cultural director at Union Israelita De Caracas from 2008 to 2019, releasing books and organizing film cycles, concerts, and art exhibits. He consistently teaches online and in-person across the US.
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California Uncovered: A Journey Through Time, Place, and Identity
Fridays, April 10–May 15, Noon–1:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
California is more than a state—it is an idea, a dream, and a contradiction. In this course, we will journey from its earliest Indigenous cultures through Spanish, Mexican, and American rule, exploring missions, the Gold Rush, the railroad, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley. We will challenge myths, highlight overlooked voices, and examine how migration, innovation, and cultural change shaped the Golden State. We will discover what it has meant, and still means, to be Californian.
About Your Instructor
Anthony Antonucci, PhD, is a historian whose teaching and scholarship explore the intersections of foreign relations, nationalism, race, and immigration policy in U.S. history since 1750. A Fulbright fellow, Antonucci has also held research appointments at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, and the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute. He teaches courses in U.S., world, and California history, as well as African American, Latinx, and women’s studies at colleges across Southern California, including Cal Poly Pomona, the University of La Verne, and Citrus College.
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The Lost Generation
Wednesdays, April 15–May 20, Noon–1:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
This course will examine the cultural transformations in thinking and living that reshaped America and Western Europe between World War I and the Great Depression. Known as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the Lost Generation, this period redefined values and norms. We will explore the vibrant world of 1920s Paris through F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited and Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, considering the lasting legacy of the era.
About Your Instructor
Ferdâ Asya, PhD, Professor of English, has taught at universities worldwide and lived in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Specializing in 19th–20th century American literature with a focus on Edith Wharton, her interests include international literature and American expatriate writing in Europe. She has published widely on authors from Achebe to Stein and edited American Writers in Paris: Then and Now (2025), Teaching Edith Wharton’s Major Novels and Short Fiction (2021), and American Writers in Europe (2013).
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Place, Memory, and Environmental Psychology
Tuesdays, April 7–May 12, 10:00–11:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
How much of who we are is shaped by the places we live and experience? This course invites reflection on the psychological and emotional relationships between people and their environments. Drawing on psychology, geography, architecture, and design, we will explore environmental psychology and how physical environments shape behavior, cognition, identity, and memory. Using place-based methods, we will discuss concepts such as place attachment, identity, and cognitive maps. We will reflect on memory, home, trauma, displacement, and nature’s role in well-being.
About Your Instructor
Fernanda Blanco Vidal is a PhD Candidate in Environmental Psychology at the Graduate Center, CUNY. She holds degrees in Psychology and Sociology from the Federal University of Bahia, where she published Nostalgia, but not Sadness – Psychology, Memory and Forced Displacement. Her dissertation explores how people’s sense of place shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. With over a decade of higher education experience in Brazil and the US, she develops place-based methodologies linking psychology, memory, and displacement.
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JFK’s Quest for Peace: Lessons for Turbulent Times
Thursdays, April 2–May 7, 10:00–11:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
Throughout his 1000-day presidency, John Kennedy pursued peace through a broad spectrum of initiatives. He saw a connection between learning and leadership and sought to use military deterrence, diplomacy, and soft power in novel ways. In this course, we will explore how his character and life experiences were the origins of those efforts. We will evaluate his powers of persuasion by listening to key speeches, and we will assess his successes and failures and their relevance to today’s world.
About Your Instructor
Charles Blum served as a US diplomat and trade policy official for 17 years before launching a consulting firm that operated in Washington DC and Central Europe. He has developed more than four dozen courses focusing on global politics, war and peace, and international cooperation. He earned degrees in history from Eastern University and in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Comic Book Literature
Tuesdays, March 31–May 5, Noon–1:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
Comics (blending words and pictures to tell stories) stretch from cave paintings and the Bayeux Tapestry to today’s Batman and Spider-Man. Far more than superhero tales, comics are a versatile literary artform, capturing intimate and epic stories, social issues, and cultural moments through panels and word balloons. In this course, we will trace their history, explore their power, and read and discuss works including Understanding Comics, Watchmen, Maus, Fun Home, and Persepolis
About Your Instructor
Arnold Blumberg, PhD is a publisher, author, artist, and pop culture historian. He has taught courses in media literacy and other cultural topics at University of Baltimore and other Baltimore colleges. Blumberg spent fifteen years in the comic book industry, curated a pop culture museum, and currently runs his own publishing company, ATB Publishing.
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Ghosts in the White House: The People Behind Presidential Speeches
Mondays, March 30–May 4, Noon–1:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
Have you ever wondered who writes presidential speeches? This course traces the evolution of speechwriting from George Washington’s administration to today. Yes, Hamilton helped draft Washington’s Farewell Address, but no, Lincoln did not scribble the Gettysburg Address on an envelope. We will study the writing process presidents used and examine drafts from FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter, and George H.W. Bush. We will view clips from speeches and from former White House speechwriters describing the process.
About Your Instructor
Diana Carlin, PhD is Professor Emerita of communication at Saint Louis University. For 30 years, she has taught courses on and written about First Ladies. She is the co-author of U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies and Remember the First Ladies: America's History-Making Women. Carlin has published articles and book chapters on a variety of First Ladies and researches and writes on the topics of women in politics, presidential communication, and political debate.
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From Leo XIII to Leo X1V: History of 20th and 21st Century Popes
Tuesdays, April 7–May 12, 2:00–3:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
The death of Pope Francis and the election of the first US born Pope have been in the news repeatedly in the last few months, capturing the imagination of many people, including non-Catholics. Who are these men? What are their life stories? How were they similar to and different from each other? In this course, we will discuss the lives and dominant perspectives of the last ten Popes, exploring their most significant positions and their influence on world affairs.
About Your Instructor
Oliva Espín, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Women’s Studies at San Diego State University and the California School of Professional Psychology. She completed her postdoctoral work at Harvard and is a pioneer in feminist therapy with women from diverse cultural backgrounds. Her recent books include Women, Sainthood, and Power: A Feminist Psychology of Cultural Constructions and My Native Land is Memory: Stories of a Cuban Childhood (2021 San Diego Book Award). She received APA’s Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology Award.
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A Beautiful Brain
Thursdays, April 9–May 14, 8:00–9:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
Most conversations about aging focus on lifespan, but brainspan (how long our mind stays sharp) matters more. In this course, we will explore how the brain ages and what science reveals about protecting memory, balance, and clarity. Topics include normal changes versus early dementia, neuroplasticity, nutrition, sleep, stress, social ties, and purpose. Each session blends accessible science with self-tests and take-home practices. We will also build a personalized Cognitive Health Scorecard to track habits and strengthen resilience.
About Your Instructor
Scott Fulton is recognized internationally as a “Redefiner” in the positive aging space. Accustomed to big systems engineering challenges, Fulton focuses his research on improving adult aging outcomes. He teaches Lifestyle Medicine and Aging, is an American College of Lifestyle Medicine member, sits on the prestigious True Health Initiative Council, and is past president of the National Aging in Place Council. His critically acclaimed book, WHEALTHSPAN, More Years, More Moments, More Money, hit #1 on Amazon, and he is known for creating the MEDAC system for optimal aging. Fulton is a multiple Ironman triathlete and lives in a demonstration home he recently designed and built for the future of optimal aging across a lifespan.
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Frank Lloyd Wright and Modern Architecture
Tuesdays, April 21–May 26, 4:00–5:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 1,000 buildings and helped define modern architecture. This course explores highlights of his practice, from Prairie houses to Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum, alongside lesser-known projects like affordable housing and city planning. We’ll examine how Wright’s work reflected cultural shifts in technology, science, and politics, offering a deeper understanding of his lasting influence on architecture and modern design.
About Your Instructor
Jennifer Gray, PhD, is vice president of the Taliesin Institute at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Her research explores how modern architects used design to advance social change at the turn of the 20th century. She has curated major exhibitions, including Frank Lloyd Wright at 150 at MoMA and The Imperial Hotel at 100, which toured Japan. Gray has taught at Columbia, Cornell, and MoMA, and formerly served as Curator of Drawings and Archives at Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library.
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Great Science Stories
Thursdays, April 9–May 14, Noon–1:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
Science is full of surprises. Dyes, accidentally discovered, launched the modern pharmaceutical industry. A failed experiment opened the door to new physics. Discoveries are never just facts. They are moments of creativity, struggle, and chance with far-reaching consequences. In this course, we will explore the human side of science, tracing breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, physics, and more. We will ask not only what was found, but how and why it matters.
About Your Instructor
Dr. Johnnie Hendrickson is a Teaching Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University; he holds a PhD in chemistry, and is the author of the textbook “Chemistry in the World.” His academic work focuses on science communication, the reciprocal relationship between science and society.
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AI for Regular People
Thursdays, April 2–May 7, 4:00–5:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
Back by popular demand, this updated course offers a clear, engaging introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it’s rapidly transforming our world. From self-driving cars to chatbots and precision medicine, we will explore how AI works, where it’s headed, and what it means for society. No tech experience needed—just curiosity! With fresh examples and timely updates, participants will gain a solid understanding of the opportunities and challenges AI presents today.
About Your Instructor
This course is co-taught by Hod Lipson, PhD, Professor of Engineering and Data Science at Columbia University, and author and technology analyst Melba Kurman. Dr. Lipson directs Columbia’s Creative Machines Lab, where his team builds artificially intelligent robots that can design, create, and express emotion. One of the world’s most-cited academic roboticists, his work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, TED, and Quanta. Melba Kurman has held roles at Microsoft, Cornell University, and several tech startups. She writes about emerging technologies and their societal impact. Together, they co-authored Driverless and Fabricated: The Promise and Peril of 3D Printing, and are frequent speakers on AI and innovation. They divide their time between New York City and the Berkshires.
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The Scopes Monkey Trial: Then and Now
Tuesdays, March 31–May 5, 8:00–9:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
In July 1925, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, and others converged on Dayton, Tennessee, for the Scopes Monkey Trial—an eight-day clash over religion, science, public education, free speech, and textbooks broadcast nationwide. One hundred years later, these debates continue. This course explores why the trial happened in Dayton, how Bryan and Darrow became involved, what occurred in the courtroom, whether Inherit the Wind reflects reality, who won and lost, and why it still matters today.
About Your Instructor
Doug Mishkin, an experienced trial lawyer, partnered with Americans United for Separation of Church and State to foster dialogue in Dayton, TN, site of the Scopes Monkey Trial. He has interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson (Summer for the Gods), civil rights attorney Fred Gray, and George Washington Law Professor Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, along with other distinguished lawyers and historians on law, history, and constitutional issues.
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Siberia: Russia’s Frozen Wasteland or Economic Heartland?
Wednesdays, April 1–May 6, 10:00–11:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
Siberia covers three quarters of Russia’s territory but is home to only a quarter of its population. Yet its role in shaping Russia as a vast and wealthy empire is profound. In this course, we will explore Siberia’s economic significance, indigenous cultures, and history as a penal colony, along with its importance for climate change, environmental issues, and Russian-Chinese relations. We will also consider Siberia’s role in both the rise and possible fragmentation of Russia.
About Your Instructor
Asya Pereltsvaig received a degree in English and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD in Linguistics from McGill University. She taught at Yale and Stanford, and has been teaching in lifelong education programs since 2010. Her expertise is in language and history, and the relationship between them. Her most recent book, Languages of the World: An Introduction, 4th edition (2023) was published by Cambridge University Press. Asya is a popular instructor for several OLLI programs around the country and was the faculty host for the OLLI trip to the Baltic countries and St. Petersburg in July 2017.
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A History of Street Art
Wednesdays, April 1–May 6, 8:00–9:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
Art in the streets (including graffiti, murals, stickers, and paste-ups) gives voice to marginalized communities, shapes urban environments, and challenges institutional norms. This course explores graffiti and street art in the U.S. and around the world, examining their histories, motivations, and social impact. Participants will consider the rise of global mural movements, efforts to preserve and present street art, and its evolving role in activism, community identity, and social change.
About Your Instructor
Heather Shirey, PhD, is a Professor of Art History at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Her research explores race and identity, migration and diasporas, and the role of monuments, memorials, and street art in shaping public space. As part of the Urban Art Mapping team, she co-created the George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art Database. Her work examines how street art documents collective experience and functions as activism, healing, and critical engagement.
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Writing the Personal Essay: Finding Your Story
Saturdays, April 18–May 23, 11:00–12:30 p.m. (PST)
Description
The personal essay, one of the oldest forms of creative nonfiction, blends storytelling, reflection, and analysis to give voice to lived experience. In this course, we will explore the personal essay as both art and self-expression. Through readings, discussion, and writing exercises, we will study elements such as narrative arc, scene-setting, and reflection. We will draft our own essays, discovering how this enduring form helps us find our voices and tell our stories with clarity.
About Your Instructor
Lisa Stolley, professor of English at the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University, is a published fiction author. Her short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals, earning an Illinois Arts Council Award, a Pushcart Prize nomination, and first prizes from the Washington Review and Georgia State Review. Her nonfiction has been published in Today’s Chicago Woman and the Chicago Reader. Stolley teaches scientific writing at UIC’s School of Public Health and is a legal writer for immigration attorneys.
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Violinists: Performers and Composers
Mondays, April 6–May 11, 8:00–9:30 a.m. (PST)
Description
Why do so many great violinists also become composers? This course will explore the fascinating legacy of violinist-composers, including Baroque virtuosos like Heinrich Biber, Romantic legends like Niccolò Paganini, and 20th century innovators like George Enescu and Grazyna Bacewicz. Through listening and discussing, we will examine how these artists wrote music tailored to their instruments and themselves. Taught by a professional violinist, this course offers a behind-the-strings look at how performance and composition intertwine.
About Your Instructor
Ilana Zaks, professional violinist, educator, and multidisciplinary artist, is First Violin with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. A graduate of the New England Conservatory and Yale School of Music, she studied under renowned violinists Donald Weilerstein and Ani Kavafian and spent nearly a decade working with Itzhak Perlman through the Perlman Music Program. Recently appointed to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute faculty, Zaks is passionate about connecting audiences to music through storytelling, performance, and dialogue.
