Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

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Courses & Events

New Year's Eve 1970, Paul McCartney initiated legal action that led to the demise of the Beatles and their amazing era of creative music. Was music innovation dead or was 1971 the beginning of a renaissance? Many record labels were open to creative singer/songwriters experimenting with production techniques that laid the groundwork for disco, punk, indie, new wave, and electronica. All the while, introducing some pretty good sounds. Come join the conversation.

Instructor Bio: Steve Lopes, AE, BA, MA, M Ed, was an educator for 15 years prior to 30years of advocating for teachers as a Kansas-NEA organizer. He enjoys researching Rock 'n' Roll history and sharing it with Osher participants.


January 27, 2025 to February 10, 2025, Northland Innovation Center In-Person
New Year's Eve 1970, Paul McCartney initiated legal action that led to the demise of the Beatles and their amazing era of creative music. Was music innovation dead or was 1971 the beginning of a renaissance? Many record labels were open to creative singer/songwriters experimenting with production techniques that laid the groundwork for disco, punk, indie, new wave, and electronica. All the while, introducing some pretty good sounds. Come join the conversation.

Instructor Bio: Steve Lopes, AE, BA, MA, M Ed, was an educator for 15 years prior to 30years of advocating for teachers as a Kansas-NEA organizer. He enjoys researching Rock 'n' Roll history and sharing it with Osher participants.


January 27, 2025 to February 10, 2025, Northland Innovation Center In-Person
Would you like to learn about highly entertaining annual midwestern music festivals? This class will explore music festivals from a twelve-state area with emphasis on festivals in Kansas and nearby states. These festivals feature a large variety of musical styles. Their settings range from casual to formal, indoors or outdoors, with an admission charge from free to very expensive. An extensive list of festival websites will be provided with the class.

Instructor Bio: Jean Hein recently moved to Kansas from South Carolina, where she was director and recorder performer with Columbia Baroque as well as a clarinetist. She currently teaches online recorder classes for seniors. Hein has served on the Board of Early Music America. She holds music degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University.


Thursday, March 27, 2025, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person
Preventative measures continue to be the best way to control or prevent heart disease. Join us to learn about the various common and less common risk factors contributing to coronary artery disease. Individual topics on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, will be presented covering causative factors and treatment options, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic.

Keith Jantz, a retired internist, enjoys speaking to the public about preventative measures to improve one's health. He earned undergrad and medical degrees at the University of Kansas. He completed a 3-year residency at Baptist Hospital in Memphis and practiced internal medicine in Kansas City for 35 years.


Friday, May 9, 2025, Roeland Park Community Center In Person
Preventative measures continue to be the best way to control or prevent heart disease. Join us to learn about the various common and less common risk factors contributing to coronary artery disease. Individual topics on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, will be presented covering causative factors and treatment options, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic.

Keith Jantz, a retired internist, enjoys speaking to the public about preventative measures to improve one's health. He earned undergrad and medical degrees at the University of Kansas. He completed a 3-year residency at Baptist Hospital in Memphis and practiced internal medicine in Kansas City for 35 years.


January 9, 2025 to May 9, 2025, Roeland Park Community Center In Person

German is the most prevalent language after English and Spanish spoken at home in 77 counties in Kansas. Since 1854, thousands of German-speaking immigrants have sought better lives here, including Pennsylvania Dutch, Volga Germans, Mennonites, Austrians and Swiss. German churches dot the prairie, and some rural Kansans still speak a dialect of German.


Instructor Bio: William Keel, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of German at KU, having taught the history and culture of German settlements in Kansas and Missouri.


February 26, 2025 to March 12, 2025, Brandon Woods Smith Center In-Person

German is the most prevalent language after English and Spanish spoken at home in 77 counties in Kansas. Since 1854, thousands of German-speaking immigrants have sought better lives here, including Pennsylvania Dutch, Volga Germans, Mennonites, Austrians and Swiss. German churches dot the prairie, and some rural Kansans still speak a dialect of German.


Instructor Bio: William Keel, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of German at KU, having taught the history and culture of German settlements in Kansas and Missouri.


February 26, 2025 to March 12, 2025, Brandon Woods Smith Center In-Person

The class will examine the first Congress to the present day on how productive they were in passing legislation to make America what it is today. How the Congress will work with the President and Supreme Court will be discussed. Sometimes the Congress was very productive in getting states added to the country, the expansion of civil rights, and fighting wars. Other times a stalemate over political ideas and conflicts with the President and Court. Deadlock versus full cooperation will be discussed. We will look at each President and Congress and see the progress and lack of progress as the country moves forward from 1791 to 2025. Join us for a trip to explore the Acts of Congress.


Instructor Bio: Russ Hutchins teaches U.S. history, Western civilization, economics, business, philosophy, and business management at Friends University. He is a retired public-school administrator and educator. 




April 21, 2025 to May 5, 2025, Zoom Facilitated Sessions
We will look at eight U.S. First Ladies who lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. They are not as well-known as some of the other first ladies, but they made impressive contributions to the United States. We will study Lou Hoover, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush.

Instructor Bio: Anita Tebbe is a retired professor of the Legal Studies Department at Johnson County Community College. She earned an undergraduate degree in history, a graduate degree in education and a juris doctor degree in law. Anita is a Kansas licensed attorney and has more than 40 years at the high school and college levels.


March 24, 2025 to April 7, 2025, Northland Innovation Center In-Person

The first three industrial revolutions created 100 to 1 productivity increases and created new industries. The class will review the first three industrial revolutions and then examine how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, and 6G wireless will likely form the foundation for the fourth Industrial Revolution. Potential changes in how life might change in this new environment will be examined. 


Instructor Bio: Charles "Chick" Keller is a retired senior executive and retired professor. He worked 15 years each at Sprint, and Black and Veatch in strategic planning and strategic marketing rising to VP level both times. In 2000, he began a career as a professor in KU's engineering management program where he taught finance and strategic planning.



Monday, May 5, 2025, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person

So, your relative is in the military; what does that mean? How is the Department of Defense organized? What are the responsibilities of the military services? What do they mean when they say "joint service"? What is a combatant command? This course attempts to make some sense of today's Department of Defense and the missions of the maritime, land, air, and space components. We'll discuss how they are organized and what they do as the military instrument of national power.


Instructor Bio: Thomas Gray, one of the Army's first nine space operations officers, is a retired educator and training specialist who served in the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command teaching at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth as well as other institutions across the country.



February 27, 2025 to March 13, 2025, McCrite Plaza at Briaracliff - In Person

So, your relative is in the military; what does that mean? How is the Department of Defense organized? What are the responsibilities of the military services? What do they mean when they say "joint service"? What is a combatant command? This course attempts to make some sense of today's Department of Defense and the missions of the maritime, land, air, and space components. We'll discuss how they are organized and what they do as the military instrument of national power.


Instructor Bio: Thomas Gray, one of the Army's first nine space operations officers, is a retired educator and training specialist who served in the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command teaching at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth as well as other institutions across the country.



February 27, 2025 to March 13, 2025, McCrite Plaza at Briaracliff - In Person
An exploration of the music and artistry of the world's foremost cellist and music ambassador. Learn about Yo Yo Ma's upbringing and his appreciation for the music of different cultures and the importance of preserving these musical traditions.

Instructor Bio: Jean Hein recently moved to Kansas from South Carolina, where she was director and recorder performer with Columbia Baroque as well as a clarinetist. She currently teaches online recorder classes for seniors. Hein has served on the Board of Early Music America. She holds music degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University.


Thursday, April 3, 2025, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person