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Lifelong Learning Experiences for the Curious Mind

Osher Online & OLLI Share Classes   

Osher Online is a collaboration hosted by the the National Resource Center (NRC) for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a non-governing center of excellence hosted by Northwestern University, benefiting older adults through the national network of 120+ OLLIs.

  • Osher Online classes are hosted online, offering high-quality, synchronous courses to members of participating OLLIs.
  • This is a unique opportunity for members to learn with experts and peers nationwide.
  • The Zoom (created by Osher Online NRC) will be in your class list as well as in the Osher Online platform sent directly to your email.
  • Space is limited as we are only granted 11 spots per class.
     

OLLI Share is a collaboration program in which mutliple Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes partner to offer a wider range of online courses to their members. Through OLLI Share, ASU members can attend special online courses from partner OLLIs all with membership reciprocity and at a special discounted cost.

  • The classes shared with us are planned and coordinated by the host university.
  • The Zoom (created by the host university) will be in your class list after you complete your registration.
  • All times listed on the OLLI website are in Arizona’s time zone. If a multi-session class overlaps with a change in DST, class times will be adjusted and listed accordingly.
  • 008 | Milestones in Medicine - NRC | In-Person
  • Day of Week: W
    Dates: Jan. 14, 21, 28 & Feb. 4, 11, 18
    Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Gordon Josephson

    REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.

    This course highlights transformative milestones in medicine from the 18th century to today, beginning with Jenner’s smallpox vaccine. We will explore key medical and public health advances, the innovators behind them, and the profound effects these breakthroughs have had on longevity and quality of life. The course offers a compelling look at how science and clinical care have worked together to reshape health outcomes over the past two centuries.
 

  • 009 The Magic Behind Film Scores: Exploring the Role of Music in Great Movies - NRC | Zoom
  • Day of Week: W
    Dates: Jan. 14, 21, 28 & Feb. 4, 11, 18
    Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Mike Agron

    REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.

    Discover how film music enhances storytelling, sets mood and place, defines character, and blends styles— jazz, classical, pop—into powerful cinematic impressions. We will discuss how composers shape emotion across genres like drama, romance, comedy, sci-fi, and westerns. From The Jazz Singer to James Bond, we will trace the evolution of film scores, spotlighting legendary composers such as Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone, and John Williams. Celebrate the artistry of film music and its lasting emotional impact.
 

  • 012 | Invisible Intelligence: The Unseen Algorithms Reshaping Your Daily Life - NRC | Zoom
  • Day of Week: Th
    Dates: Jan. 15, 22, 29 & Feb. 5, 12, 19
    Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Eliot Bethke

    REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) shapes our daily lives in subtle yet powerful ways. In this non-technical course, we will explore six case studies that reveal how AI systems work, the ethics behind machine decision-making, and the impact of these technologies on our world. We will gain a deeper understanding of AI’s current influence — and the possibilities ahead.
 

  • 015 | The American Revolution Beyond the British Empire - NRC | Zoom
  • Day of Week: Sa
    Dates: Jan. 17, 24, 31 & Feb. 7, 14, 21
    Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Rick Bell

    REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.

    This course reframes the American Revolution as a global event shaped by imperial rivalries and geopolitical forces. Each session focuses on a different group—Germans, French, Spaniards, South Asians, and others—revealing how their experiences intersected with the collapse of British rule in North America. By viewing the Revolution through a global lens, participants will uncover new perspectives on its causes, course, and consequences.
 

  • 024 | Brain & Behavior in the Era of Digital Technology - NRC | Zoom
  • Day of Week: M
    Dates: Jan. 26 & Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 & Mar. 2
    Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Elena Labkovsky

    REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.

    Explore how digital technologies and artificial intelligence affect the brain, behavior, and mental health. This course examines the impact of modern devices on attention, memory, emotions, and decision-making, while addressing ethical concerns like privacy and tech-based addictions. We will learn how neuroscience and psychology offer tools to support well-being in a rapidly evolving digital world.
 

  • 102 | Ghosts in the White House: The People Behind Presidential Speeches - NRC  | Zoom
  • Fee: $95.00
    Day of Week: M
    Dates: Mar. 30 & Apr. 6, 13, 20, 27 & May 4
    Times: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Diana Carlin

    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.
 

  • 104 | JFK’s Quest for Peace: Lessons for Turbulent Times - NRC  | Zoom
  • Fee: $95.00
    Day of Week: Th
    Dates: Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & May 7
    Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Charles Blum

    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.
 

  • 123 | The Lost Generation - NRC  | Zoom
  • Fee: $95.00
    Day of Week: W
    Dates: Apr. 15, 22, 29 & May 6, 13, 20
    Times: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Ferdâ Asya

    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.
 

  • OLLI Share 02 | Zen Drawing 101  | Zoom
  • Fee: $75.00
    Day of Week: Th
    Dates: Feb. 12, 19, 26 & Mar. 5, 12
    Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    Sessions: 5
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Chico State OLLI, Susan Levine

    Drawing as a form of relaxation and meditation? Absolutely! This course helps you tap into the creative, reflective side of your brain and take a break from the constant input of modern life. You’ll learn several relaxing styles of abstract, non-representational drawing — no experience or artistic talent required! Please note that the very last session of class takes place after clocks change for DST. As such, the start time for class (March 12) will shift by an hour for participants joining from an AZ time zone. 
 

  • OLLI Share 03 | The Pyramid Age: How Ancient Egypt Reached for the Sky  | Zoom
  • Fee: $45.00
    Day of Week: Tu
    Dates: Mar. 3, 10, 17
    Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    Sessions: 3
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Nic Richmond

    Towering above the desert sands for over 4,000 years, Egypt’s pyramids remain some of the most iconic and enduring symbols of human ingenuity. In this three-session study group, we’ll explore the story behind these massive monuments - from the earliest experiments in stone architecture to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Our journey begins with the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first of its kind, and continues through the reign of Snefru, the “Master Builder” pharaoh whose innovations laid the foundation for the Giza pyramids. We’ll take a close look at the engineering techniques used to build these colossal structures, the workers who labored to bring them to life, and the religious beliefs that gave them purpose. Along the way, we’ll explore enduring mysteries—including a still-unexplained void inside the Great Pyramid, uncovered by modern scanning technologies. We’ll discuss what we know, what we guess, and what still puzzles experts today. Whether you're fascinated by ancient engineering, intrigued by pharaohs and the afterlife, or just want to better understand one of the world’s greatest architectural traditions, this study group offers a window into a civilization that quite literally moved mountains.
 

  • OLLI Share 04 | What’s New in Neuroscience: Part 2 | Zoom
  • Day of Week: W
    Dates: Jan. 14, 21, 28 & Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 & Mar. 4, 11, 18
    Times: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
    Sessions: 10
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Alex Marcus

    REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.

    Discover what current research in neuroscience is revealing about how the brain and mind work — and how that knowledge is transforming patient care. Topics include AI, brain imaging, immunology, and genetics, with selected discussions on health, medicine, and biotechnology. Please note that the last two sessions of class take place after clocks change for DST meaning that class start time (Mar. 11 & 18) shifts by an hour for participants joining from an AZ time zone.
 

  • OLLI Share 05 | Impressionist & Art Patron: Gustave Caillebotte  | Zoom
  • Fee: $15.00
    Day of Week: M
    Dates: Feb. 16
    Times: 9:15 AM - 10:45 AM
    Sessions: 1
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Chris Ryan

    Gustave Caillebotte, a French Impressionist painter and art patron, used his family’s wealth to support his fellow artists. This class explores his paintings and his profound influence on the Impressionist movement.
 

  • OLLI Share 06 | More Space Junk  | Zoom
  • Fee: $30.00
    Day of Week: M
    Dates: Feb. 23 & Mar. 2
    Times: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
    Sessions: 2
    Building: Online
    Room: Zoom
    Instructor: Dr. Tom Jones

    Space junk, once consisting mainly of old satellites and booster rockets, is now dominated by small spacecraft from projects like Elon Musk’s Starlink. Each launch adds about 40 or more satellites to orbit, but one or two deorbit daily. While posing minimal safety risk, these satellites clutter low orbit and could make the region unusable — much to astronomers’ dismay.
 

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