Staff
Kathryn Williams, Director
Kathryn Williams became the Director of OLLI at Illinois in June 2021. Prior to moving to Illinois, she lived in Buffalo, NY where she was a professor and chair of the classics department at Canisius College.
Kathryn received her BA in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MA and PhD in classical philology from the University of Virginia. She taught in the classical studies department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before moving to Buffalo.
In 2017 Kathryn co-founded the Institute for Classical and Medieval Studies with a classics colleague. The institute serves as a consortium of faculty from the departments of art history, religious studies and theology, philosophy, history, and English to collaborate with one another and students in the different departments who shared interdisciplinary interests. As director of the institute Kathryn also established a lifelong learning program for people in the Buffalo community to take courses from institute faculty and to attend lectures presented by faculty and students. The joy of her experience with lifelong learners and learning led her to explore Osher Lifelong Learning institutes and to OLLI at Illinois.
Read the Letter from the Director
Janet Summers, Outreach Specialist
Janet Summers has been with OLLI since its inception in October of 2006. Janet’s duties include coordinating OLLI study groups and lectures as well as membership and outreach events.
Janet received a degree in Social Work from Illinois State University in 1980 and worked in child welfare for 15 years. She worked in numerous child welfare agencies where she trained foster care providers and worked in the area of child abuse and neglect. She co-owned Milo’s Restaurant in Urbana from 1997 – 2007.
Janet is inspired to “age well” by her involvement with OLLI. Members are continually engaged in numerous activities through OLLI, the university, and the community. Janet is amazed at how OLLI membership has grown and programs have expanded over the years and believes OLLI is a wonderful place for members to meet new people and become involved in meaningful social and learning experiences.
Kelsey Marsh, Office Manager
