FALL SEMESTER 2024 - COURSES

The 8-week semester September 3, 2024 - October 28, 2024
 

Fall 2024 Course Schedule at a Glance

Fall 2024 Course Downloads

Browse courses by subject:

• THE ARTS, MUSIC, LITERATURE & RELIGION
• CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
• FILM STUDIES
• HISTORY
• SCIENCE
• WELLNESS & SAFETY

About OLLI Fall Courses:

OLLI courses meet for either four or eight weeks. Fall 2024 courses will be offered in three formats: in-person, hybrid, and zoom only. For our hybrid courses, members will register to participate either in person or online. Members should register for the in-person format if they expect to attend the majority of classes in person. They can get online access when needed. The online component of the hybrid courses will be offered via Zoom.

In-person courses will have capacity limits, and so interested students are encouraged to register early. Courses with low enrollment may be cancelled around August 20, 2024. Early registrations will help avoid cancellations!

We are pleased to present these descriptions of our Fall courses, arranged by subject area.

THE ARTS, MUSIC, LITERATURE, & RELIGION

Claude Monet and Georges Clemenceau: Highlights from an Historic Friendship
Bruce Michelson
Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 4 through September 25 (4 weeks, Session I)
In-person only; Illinois Classroom
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester.

It was a one-of-a-kind friendship: a sequestered great artist and a world-shaking, headline-grabbing political leader; and it lasted forty years. As the most famous of the Impressionists, Claude Monet is a foundational figure in the history of modern art; as an eloquent speaker, writer, journalist, legislator, Prime Minister, hot-head, and polymath, Georges Clemenceau was crucial to the evolution of France as a state and as a center of western culture, and also to its very survival. What brought these people together, and how does their friendship resonate in their respective achievements and legacies?

Instructor: Director of the University of Illinois Campus Honors Program for nineteen years, Bruce Michelson is Professor Emeritus of American Literature, a member of the Graduate College, and a Fulbright Scholar Ambassador. Author of four books and numerous articles, Bruce has been President of both the American Humor Studies Association and the Mark Twain Circle of America. He has won several awards for teaching and academic advising, and he was selected as a University of Illinois Distinguished Teacher-Scholar in 2007. His most recent work includes four one-act comedies about Mark Twain and his family, and a translation of Georges Clemenceau’s writings on the arts. With OLLI, Bruce taught “Mind Science and Modern Cultural Response” as an eight-week in-person class in the Spring 2022, "Gallery Brawls" in Spring 2023, and "The World's of Mark Twain" in Fall 2023. His course evaluations are regularly excellent.

Early Music History: From Ancient Music to the Baroque Period
Kelli McQueen
Tuesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
September 3 through October 22
Hybrid: Orange Classroom and Zoom Webinar

This course will look at the development of musical philosophy, style and genre, and musical instruments from ancient Mesopotamia and Greece through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, up to the Baroque period circa 1750. We will also discuss the life and works of famous musician- composers of early music including the Comtessa de Dia, Guillaume de Machaut, Josquin De Prez, Barbara Strozzi, Antonio Vivaldi, and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Instructor: Kelli McQueen holds a PhD in musicology and medieval studies from the University of Illinois. Some of her research interests include cultural contact and exchange in medieval music and literature, gendered organology, and American popular music. She enjoys playing fiddle, finger-style guitar, and other period string instruments (lute, viola da gamba, and vielle). She occasionally performs with the Flatland Consort and the Skalds of Bragi at various small venues in the CU area.

History of the Art of India, Part II: Mughals through 20th Century
Bernard Cesarone
Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 3 through October 22
Hybrid: Illinois Classroom and Zoom Webinar

This course surveys the art of India from the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (early 17th century) to the late 20th century. The first four weeks examine the principal painting traditions in India, 16th-19th centuries: Mughal, Deccani, Rajasthani, and Pahari. These traditions ended with the arrival of the British. Besides one class dedicated to miscellaneous topics (e.g., folk and tribal art, tantric art), the last four weeks examine British art in India, 18th-19th centuries; Indian artists’ response to modernity, early 20th century; and their response to independence and post-modernity, late 20th century.

Instructor: Bernard Cesarone retired in 2015 after a career working on information and data projects in the UI’s College of Education. During this time, he pursued his decades-long interest in art, receiving a doctorate in art history, with a specialization in Spanish colonial art, though his interests range widely, to the art of India and elsewhere. He has owned and operated a gallery showing folk art from India and Latin America, and he has curated exhibitions of folk art at KAM and at the Tarble Arts Center at EIU. He has taught art history courses at EIU and previously at OLLI.

COURSE CANCELED

Launching the Imagination: Contemporary Topics in the Visual Arts 
Lisa Costello
Wednesdays, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
September 4 through October 23
Hybrid: Illinois Classroom and Zoom Meeting

This course will explore current issues and topics relevant to today's world. By sharing everyday experiences and provocative narratives, the artists featured in this course will shed light on contemporary art and the language that connects artists to their audience. The discussions will include various artworks and artist interviews to expose and create building blocks for interpreting contemporary works of art.

Instructor: Lisa Costello, Director of Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, earned two B.F.A. degrees in art history and metalsmithing at the University of Illinois and an M.F.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She recently completed a Museum Studies Certificate from Northwestern Illinois University. Costello aims to foster a better understanding of contemporary art and art history in our community. She facilitates visiting artist lectures, curates exhibitions, and gives gallery tours. She has taught metalsmithing, design, sculpture, and art history at several institutions, including Parkland College, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the University of Illinois. She enjoys traveling and visiting museums. This love of museums and interest in architecture and art led her to organize and lead bus trips through Parkland Community Education. When not in the Giertz Gallery, she can be found taking groups of amazing people on trips all over the Midwest.
 

The Sound and the Fury
Parley Ann Boswell
Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 5 through October 24
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Meeting

William Faulkner’s fourth novel The Sound and the Fury, was met with tepid reviews and poor sales when it was released in 1929. Ninety-five years later, The Sound and the Fury is considered not only Faulkner’s masterpiece, but also one of the most influential novels written in English in the twentieth century. Faulkner’s tale of the shabby chic Compson family in the ante-bellum South can be challenging to read but well worth the effort. We will read slowly and carefully as we explore the epic tapestry of Faulkner's mythical Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi.

Instructor: Parley Ann Boswell graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign just months after Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather Part II was released. Now Professor Emerita of English, at EIU she taught Film Studies and American Literature—from colonial through early 20th century—for thirty years. She has had the great honor to teach at OLLI since 2018. Her course evaluations are consistantly excellent.

Zen Buddhism and Zen Meditation
Florence Caplow
Fridays, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
September 6 through October 25
Hybrid: Orange Classroom and Zoom Meeting (first session on Zoom only)

In this course you will learn about the history, literature, arts, and philosophy of Zen Buddhism, as well as having a direct experience of Zen meditation practices. Zen is grounded in Buddhist understandings and teachings, but has its own playful, iconoclastic, powerful approach, including zazen (seated meditation) and koans (stories of awakening). Zen is the foundation for many Asian arts. This class is taught by a Zen Buddhist teacher with over 30 years of study and practice. Each week will include some history, philosophy, poetry, visual arts, and practical instruction, with plenty of time for questions.

Instructor: Rev. Zenshin Florence Caplow is an ordained Soto Zen priest and teacher, ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, writer and editor. In 2013 her co-edited book, with Susan Moon, was released, The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women. This collection of 100 koans and stories is accompanied by reflections from 100 contemporary women teachers. Rev. Caplow teaches workshops and gives talks at Zen centers around the country and internationally. She leads a monthly retreat in Urbana and teaches online through Cloudway.live.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Banned Books and the Culture Wars in the USA
Barbara Jones
Mondays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 9 through October 28
Hybrid: Orange Classroom and Zoom Meeting

With the Comstock Law and other historical censorship in the news, and with the current "Culture Wars" in education and today's political environment, this course will consider "banned books" in the broader context of U.S. history and popular culture. The course will survey censorship legislation old and new, with Illinois as an example. It will consider the "Culture Wars" impact on censorship of books, films, and social media. Finally, we will look at 5 books that exemplify the major historical and societal concerns that often lead to censorship. In October the course will look at the American Library Association's announcement of the Banned Books of 2023 and how they fit our course thus far.

This course grows out of an earlier Study Group on banned books. The Study Group revealed a need to delve into the deeper U.S. values regarding sexuality, religion, protection of youth, and historical representation.

Instructor: Barbara Jones received her Ph.D. in U.S. History at the University of Minnesota/Twin Cities. She received her MLS in Library Service from Columbia University in the City of New York. She spent over 40 years with book banning as her professional interest. Her last job before retirement was Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director, Freedom to Read Foundation, at the American Library Association. She presented workshops on book banning in the USA, Eastern and Western Europe, South America, and Asia.

Identity and Ethnic Conflict
Paul Diehl
Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
October 1 through October 22 (4-week, Session II)
In-person only: Orange Classroom
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.

Identity-based conflicts in the world are not new phenomena, and many trace their roots back hundreds of years. Yet recent outbreaks are more numerous and significantly more deadly. The first part of this course focuses on identity formation. Identity is broadly defined to include attachments to ethnic, racial, tribal, linguistic, religious, or other groupings. The course also considers the relationship between nationalism and the modern state. Issues of cross-cutting cleavages, mass mobilization, and competing identities are covered. Almost all diverse states experience some form of political tension, but most of these tensions do not escalate to violence. The next segment of the course explores the sources of disputes between ethnic groups and the conditions under which such conflict is manifested in violence. In the final segment of the course, solutions to identity conflict are explored. These include those that promote greater understanding between groups, constitutional engineering, and “separation” strategies.

Instructor: Paul F. Diehl is Henning Larsen Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Ashbel Smith Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Texas-Dallas, where he was Associate Provost and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. He is past President of the Peace Science Society (International) and past President of the International Studies Association. Diehl is the author or editor of 28 books and the author of two hundred articles, book chapters, and essays on the causes of war, UN peacekeeping, and international law. He has received ten campus and national awards for his teaching, including LAS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the University of Illinois Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Racial Literacy
Joycelyn Landrum - Brown
Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
September 3 through October 22
Hybrid: Illinois Classroom and Zoom Meeting

In this lecture-formatted course, I hope to clarify some of the major myths and misinformation related to the concepts and ideas of race, ethnicity, and ancestry. The course will examine the historical, political, cultural, psychological, and social contexts in which these ideas and concepts have originated. We will explore the impacts on both dominant and non-dominant racial groups in terms of their classification statuses within the US and to a limited extent globally.

Instructor: Dr. Joycelyn Landrum-Brown earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University in 1984. Before retiring in 2021, she held a position as an adjunct assistant professor in Educational Psychology and a Program Coordinator with the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations (OIIR) at the UIUC. In the Program Coordinator role, she oversaw EPSY203 intergroup dialogue courses offered in with OIIR [now SSIB] through the Diversity & Social Justice Education. For 26 years she worked to train students, faculty, staff, and local community members to build capacity effectively facilitating small group conversations on contentious social justice issues. In retirement, Dr. Landrum-Brown has continued to teach the General Ed class on “Exploring Cultural Diversity” she developed and taught every Fall and Spring semesters from Fall 2000 - Spring 2024.

Resolving Difficult Presidential Elections
Brian Gaines
Fridays, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
October 4 through October 25
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Webinar
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.

In anticipation of 2024, we will review how some close and tricky presidential elections of the past, such as in 1824, 1876, 1960, and 2000, were resolved and what kinds of issue have arisen more recently (2004-2020).

Instructor: Brian Gaines is the Honorable W. Russell Arrington Professor in State Politics at the UI system. Most of his work relates to elections and public opinion.

Trump in Full: Election, Autocracy and the Company He Keeps
Brant Houston
Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 10 through October 29
(Please note that this course begins and ends one week later than other Tuesday courses.)
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Webinar

This course will dig into the current state of affairs of Trump, his quest for the presidency, his autocratic aspirations and aspirations, and his supporters and aides and hangers-on. This syllabus will be flexible because the volatility of overall situation. (I would like to start a week late and end on election day.)

Instructor: Brant Houston holds the Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois. Houston teaches investigative and advanced reporting in the Department of Journalism. He also oversees the online newsroom at Illinois, CU-CitizenAccess.org, which serves as a lab for digital innovation and data journalism. Houston is the author of Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide, co-author of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, and author of CHanging Models for Journalism: Reinventing the Newsroom. He teaches regularly at OLLI and receives excellent evaluations.

War in Ukraine and the Revolution in Modern Warfare
Frank Chadwick
Wednesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
September 4 through October 23
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Meeting

The course covers the background to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the course of the campaign so far. It further explores the implications for European and global security as well as the dramatic changes in warfare it has brought to light: the proliferation of open-source intelligence, drone warfare, the importance of secure communications, the changing roles of major weapon systems (tanks, artillery, aircraft, navies), the return of grinding positional warfare, and how the war has exposed divided political loyalties in both Europe and the United States.

Instructor: Frank Chadwick is a military historian, author, and game designer who has taught previous OLLI courses on World War 2, the 1972 Arab-Israeli War, the Plaines Indian Wars, and the Greek- Persian Wars. He is the author of 19 history articles and 14 military history books. His Desert Shield Fact Book (1991) reached number one on the New York Times best seller list.

FILM STUDIES

Classic American Novels on Film and Television
John Frayne
Fridays, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
September 6 through October 25
In-person only: Osher Classroom

This course will study the adaptation from novel to film of great American novels, with a stress on the epic novels "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser and "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. Other famous novels in film form by Hemingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald and Lewis will also be studied.

Instructor: John Frayne was from 1965 to 1997 Professor of English, Comparative Literature, and Film Studies at UIUC, and is now an Emeritus Professor. He specialized in Modern British Literature and Film Studies. From 1985 to present, he has been radio host on Saturdays (formerly also on Sundays) at radio station WILL-FM, where he hosts “Classics of the Phonograph,” and Opera Broadcasts. Since 2000, he has been classical music critic for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette.

Cool Britannia: England on Film 1955–1979
Sandy Camargo
Tuesdays, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
September 3 through October 22
In-person only: Osher Classroom

During the 25 years covered by this course, England lost an Empire, changed demographically, and discovered drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Rationing, dowdy clothing, and a hidebound class system characterized England in the late 1950s. Then, in the 1960s, English people had an experience rather like Dorothy’s in The Wizard of Oz: they emerged from a dark gray world into one of brilliant neon colors. Through the films we will view, we will learn about what English life was like in these two decades, and then we will see what happened in the 1970s after Dorothy returned from Oz.

Instructor: Sandy Camargo retired as a Senior Lecturer in English and Adjunct Professor of Cinema Studies at UI in 2021, after 18 years of teaching film studies at UI (plus 13 years before that at the University of Missouri). She has taught courses on film analysis; film style; genre theory; crime films; teenpics; film in Australia, Britain, Canada, and Ireland; countercultures in the movies; the films of 1999; and American film since the 1950s.

Son of Silent Film Classics
Chuck Koplinski
Wednesdays, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
September 4 through October 23
In-person only: Osher Classroom

This follow-up course will examine the production history of eight silent films as well as their impact when released and influence on the medium. Among the films to be screened will be “The Black Pirate," “The Clash of Wolves," “The Docks of New York," “The Fall of the House of Usher," “The Poor Little Rich Girl," “Souls for Sale," “Stage Struck” and “The Wind."

Instructor: Chuck Koplinski has been a film critic for over 25 years, writing for various newspapers in the community. He currently reviews films for The News-Gazette and The Illinois Times. Chuck is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critics Association. This is his 17th offering at OLLI.

HISTORY

From the Cuban Missile Crisis to the End of the Cold War
Chris Butler
Fridays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 6 through October 25
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Webinar

This course will start with the Cuban Crisis and how close to nuclear armageddon we came, explore the strategies and potential effects of nuclear weapons, continue through the chaos of the 1960s, the malaise of the 1970s, and the winding down of the Cold War in the 1980s.

Instructor: John (Chris) Butler taught history at University High School in Urbana for 42 years. He was awarded numerous teaching awards, notably the Beveridge Family Award, the only teaching award given to K-12 teachers by the American Historical Association.

The Holy Land from Prehistory to the Crusades
Fred Christensen
Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
September 4 through October 23
Hybrid: Illinois Classroom and Zoom Meeting

This class will examine the premodern history of Israel, beginning with an overview of the geology and natural history of the region, and will then discuss the latest archaeological findings. It will describe the inhabitants of the area from Canaanites to Arabs. Their development was shaped by repeated subjugation by Bronze Age kingdoms, Iron Age empires, Hellenistic monarchies, the Roman Empire, and the Islamic and Crusader realms of medieval times. These provide the setting for the emergence of Judaism, the appearance of Christianity, and the arrival of Islam. Instructor- made videos filmed in Israel will illustrate key sites and events.

Instructor: Fred Christensen is a former history instructor at the University of Kentucky and assistant professor of military science at the University of Illinois. He teaches noncredit classes for OLLI and other venues, in five areas of history and archaeology: Britain, Germany, early America, Israel/the Holy Land, and military history in general. Fred is the current president of the East Central Illinois Archaeological Society. He has taught OLLI courses regularly since 2008.

Truths and Trials: The Life of Galileo
Robert Kiely
Mondays, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
September 9 through October 28
Hybrid: Illinois Classroom and Zoom Webinar

“And still it Moves”... the words of Galileo Galilei ring through the centuries, a clarion call for the freedom of scientific inquiry. But what really happened between Galileo and the authorities of the Catholic church in the early 17th century? This course will examine the work of Galileo Galilei in the context of early modern Italian culture. We will explore the impact of his thought on the physics, astronomy, and philosophy of his day, and we will trace the contours of his complex relationship with the church hierarchy. Finally, we will pay special attention to the events of his trial as a study of the construction of truth in a time of ideological conflict.

Instructor: Robert Kiely has served on the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for 32 years. He received his doctorate in history from Northwestern University in 1996, and his interests include the history of ideas and the history of science. He recently published a book on the role of mathematics in world cultures. He delivered a well-received lecture at OLLI this spring. This will be his first OLLI course.

World War I in the Middle East
Janice Jayes
Thursdays, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
September 5 through October 24
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Webinar

WWI transformed every aspect of life in the Middle East. The war didn’t just change the region however, the region shaped the way war itself developed as European states competed to control land, waterways, trade and the new commodity of oil. This class examines the European-Ottoman relationship in the decades before WWI, spies and secret treaties that influenced the post war borders, and the demographic remaking of the region due to state policies and refugee movements.

Instructor: Janice Lee Jayes teaches in the History Department at Illinois State University. She loves teaching this class because students easily see how this era echoes in the news stories of today. She regularly teaches OLLI courses and receives excellent evaluations.

SCIENCE AND MEDICINE

From Genome to Organism: Choreographing Gene Expression
Claudia Reich
Mondays, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
September 9 through September 30 (4 weeks, Session I)
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Webinar
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester.

Gene expression is the most fundamental level at which the genotype, i.e. the entire genetic complement of an organism, gives rise to the phenotype, i.e. the observable traits. Interpreting the information encoded in the genome entails the careful orchestration of how, when and where specific genes are turned on and off. This is accomplished by a sophisticated suite of mechanisms that act to regulate gene expression.

In this course, we will look at the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in this process. From the fairly simple mechanisms employed by microbes to the complicated networks of regulation in higher organisms.

Instructor: Claudia Reich holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the U of I, she has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in Biochemistry, and Research Professor and Senior Scientist in Microbiology and the Institute for Genomic Research. Her research has been on molecular biology and genomics of microorganisms. At OLLI, she has taught many courses and led study groups on subjects related to science and her expertise and regularly receives excellent reviews.

 

Genomics and Microbes: Exploring questions at the intersection of science and society
Paola Mera (lead instructor of IGB team-taught course)
Mondays, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
September 9 through October 28
Hybrid: Osher Classroom and Zoom Webinar

Genomic biology combines information about genes, their functions, and their interactions with the environment to develop a predictive understanding of biological systems and behavior relevant to solving medical, energy and environmental challenges. Microbes are abundant and tiny organisms that quietly shape our health and our world. This course will provide an overview of how genomics has and continues to revolutionize our understanding of microbes and their vital roles in our society. Experts in genomics and microbiology will be drawn from the nationally recognized Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research community.

Instructor: Paola Mera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and a member of the NSF- funded Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology. Research in the Mera lab seeks to uncover the complex molecular machinery that allows bacteria to proliferate. Despite the abundance of bacteria and their impact on human health, our understanding of how bacteria regulate their growth remains limited. This lack of knowledge has prevented us from designing effective ways to enhance the growth of the “good” bacteria and inhibit the growth of the ones that cause disease. Beyond research, Paola is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and community engagement. She has shared her excitement of science outside the university by establishing multiple initiatives that directly worked with underrepresented and marginalized communities. Other lecturers for this course:

Adrienne Antonson, Department of Animal Sciences, UIUC

Sharon Donovan, Nutritional Sciences, UIUC.

Christopher Gaulke, Department of Pathobiology, UIUC.

Chris Brooke, Department of Microbiology, UIUC.

Asma Hatoum-Aslan, Department of Microbiology, UIUC.

James Slauch, Department of Microbiology, UIUC.

Gene Robinson, Department of Integrative Biology, UIUC. Director of IGB.

How we learn and use language: An introduction to linguistics 
Sue Ingels
Wednesdays, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
September 4 through October 23
Hybrid: Orange Classroom and Zoom Meeting

Learning one’s first language(s) seems to occur with little effort. So why does it often feel so challenging to pick up additional languages later in life? In this eight-week class we will address current theories about how first and subsequent languages are learned, focusing particularly on the sound system of languages. Topics include a definition of language, components of a language’s sound system, language accent and dialects, communicating cross-culturally, and language use and creativity.

Instructor: Sue Ingels recently retired from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she taught for UIUC’s Intensive English Institute and the Linguistics Department and coordinated oral English proficiency testing for international graduate students. She completed a master’s in teaching ESL and a PhD in educational psychology, both at UIUC. Her research interests include how second language sound systems are learned and how to teach and assess second language oral skills. Prior to her academic career, Sue worked in educational publishing. This will be Sue’s second time teaching for OLLI.

 

WELLNESS & SAFETY

Cybersecurity Essentials for Staying Safer Online
Cindy McKendall (lead instructor of UIUC Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Team team-taught course
Wednesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
September 4 through September 25 (4 weeks, Session I)
In-person only; Illinois Classroom
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester.

Cybersecurity affects you, whether you use a computer, tablet, smartphone, or smartwatch (or maybe all of the above) in your personal life. Online threats and cyber-criminals’ strategies are constantly evolving. Learning about cybersecurity helps to protect you online, like a lock on the front door protects your home. In this course, participants will learn essential tactics and practical cybersecurity tips to stay safer online.

Instructor: Cindy McKendall is a Senior Cybersecurity Training Specialist at the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, and she brings over 20 years of experience in higher education staff training to the world of cybersecurity training and awareness. She holds certifications as a SANS Security Awareness Professional (SSAP) and Information Accessibility Design and Policy (IADP) and has presented at the CEO Close-Up Conference, TechTeach, and the EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference. Other lecturers for this course:

Isaac J. Galvan, UIUC Manager of Cybersecurity Training and Program Administration

Sandra Delaney Bone, UIUC Cybersecurity Training Specialist

Dimensions of Care
Martin Srajek
Fridays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 6 through October 25
Hybrid: Orange Classroom and Zoom Meeting

In this course we will explore the human capacity for Care in the context of apology, forgiveness, responsibility, healing, repair, duty and hope.

Instructor: Martin Srajek is a native of Germany. He attended seminary in Germany before coming to the US in 1985 to study world religions and philosophy at Temple University. After earning a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in 1992 in modern Jewish thought and French Postmodernism, Martin taught as a visiting assistant professor at various institutions on the East Coast. In 1996 Martin returned to a dual degree graduate program at the University of Illinois to earn a Master’s Degree in Human and Community Development and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Martin became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2000. He opened his private psychological practice that same year and has worked as psychotherapist since then. This is his second OLLI course.

Slow Flow Yoga - the Philosophy and Practice
Jan Erkert
Mondays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 9 through October 28
In-person only: Illinois Classroom

This course is an introduction to yoga history, philosophy, and practice of the eight limbs of yoga, rooted in the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Participants will learn the postures (asanas), meditation practices, and breathing techniques (pranayama) as a springboard for playful explorations of stability and ease, breath and flow, and joy and limitations. These embodied activities build strength and flexibility as well as cultivate increased concentration, focus and mindfulness. Participants who prefer to practice on a mat, should bring a yoga mat. For those preferring not to practice on a mat, modifications on a chair will be provided.

Instructor: Jan Erkert is an embodied practitioner, educator, author/writer, and choreographer. She is Professor Emerita and former Head of the Department of Dance at University of Illinois. As Artistic Director of Jan Erkert & Dancers she created over 70 works that garnered national and international awards. Throughout her career, she has researched and taught dance, vinyasa yoga, kinesiology, and somatic practices, receiving an Excellence in Teaching Award from Columbia College, and a Leadership Award from University of Illinois. Certified by Yoga Alliance (500 Hour RYT) her classes emphasize efficient movement practices, movement flow, and our collective capacity for joy. Jan has taught four courses at OLLI and received excellent evaluations in all of them.

 

Yoga for Resilience
Kim Green
Fridays, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 6 through October 25
In-person only: Illinois Classroom

This course incorporates necessary elements for a complete practice to bring strength, mindfulness, and body awareness into your daily living. While the foundations of the course are rooted in yoga, other modalities will be included to increase strength, mobility, flexibility, and balance.

Instructor: Kim Green has been practicing yoga and meditation since the 1990s. She has studied yoga for bone health and aging extensively and enjoys teaching a variety of yoga styles, self-myofascial release, and meditation. She has a particular interest in teaching yoga for strength, balance, and healthy connective tissues (including the bones). Kim teaches group yoga and self-myofascial release classes, workshops, and themed courses, and works individually with private clients. She is a Certified Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200; currently pursuing RYT-500), as well as a Certified Level II Reiki practitioner. Her OLLI courses have received excellent reviews.

 

Yoga for Bone Health
Kim Green
Saturdays, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
September 7 through October 26
In-person only: Illinois Classroom

Whether you have osteoporosis, osteopenia, or want to prevent these diseases from developing altogether, this course gradually introduces all of the necessary elements for a complete yoga practice that helps holistically to build bone and muscle strength. This progressive series has the primary objectives of accelerating increases in bone mineral density; increasing integrated muscle engagement for strength; and protecting the joints, ligaments, and tendons while stimulating the bones.

Instructor: Kim Green has been practicing yoga and meditation since the 1990s. She has studied yoga for bone health and aging extensively and enjoys teaching a variety of yoga styles, self-myofascial release, and meditation. She has a particular interest in teaching yoga for strength, balance, and healthy connective tissues (including the bones). Kim teaches group yoga and self-myofascial release classes, workshops, and themed courses, and works individually with private clients. She is a Certified Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200; currently pursuing RYT-500), as well as a Certified Level II Reiki practitioner. Her OLLI courses have received excellent reviews.