Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Courses

Geography

Courses & Events

Astro- & Geophysics in Antarctica I

This is the first of a series of presentations that discuss the scientific opportunities offered at the coldest, driestlocation on the planet, starting with some history of the continent and a description of its physical characteristics.This will be followed by consideration of what has been learned about the universe and its evolution based oncurrent and future experiments. Instructor Bio: Dave Besson, Ph.D., University of Kansas professor of physics and astronomy, is a failed rock-and-roller who migrated from Ithaca, New York, to Lawrence over 20 years ago and is currently ensconced on Mount Oread.

October 20, 2026 to November 3, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online

Geography of the British Northern Isles: Orkney, Shetland & Outer Hebrides

Have you ever wanted to play the game of Ba', walk the Ring of Broghdar, sit in a Black House, smell a peat fire, speak Orcadian or sail Scapa Flow? If the answer is yes, come aboard the ferry departing from the Scottish mainland on Nov. 3 for Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. We will explore the physical, economic and cultural geography of these fantastic islands. After an introduction to the geography of Highland Scotland, we will discuss topics such as archaeology (why Orkney is the "Egypt of the North"), land tenure (clans, crofts and clearances), ecology (the machair) and economies (sheep and oil) of each of the three island groups. Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.

November 3-17, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility and Online

German Settlements & Culture in Kansas

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 the University of Kansas, having taught the history and culture of German settlements in Kansas and Missouri.

August 19, 2026 to September 2, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person

Nordic Noir Book Discussion: Crime, Culture and the Scandinavian Imagination

Nordic noir - crime fiction from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland - has become a globally influential literary phenomenon in the past 50 years. Most readers encounter it without any sense of the rich cultural and historical tradition behind it: the Marxist origins of the genre, the Viking literary heritage, the peculiar social codes of Scandinavian egalitarianism, and the welfare state and its discontents. In four sessions we cover six interlocking themes through four landmark novels and 45 minutes of open, book-club-style conversation each week. The four books we will read are "The Laughing Policeman," "Don't Look Back," "Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow" and "Jar City." Instructor Bio: Vic Peterson is the author of "The Berserkers" (Hawkwood 2022/Recital 2023), set in a fictional Nordic country. He worked as a business executive and now divides his time between Lawrence, Kansas, and Northport, Michigan.

October 19, 2026 to November 9, 2026, Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person

Walking the Weary Miles: A Social and Geographic History of the Santa Fe Trail

Join historian Michelle M. Martin for a look at America's first superhighway, the famed Santa Fe Trail. The Santa Fe Trail is a part of Kansas and Western history that brought together people from various socio-economic, cultural, racial and religious backgrounds. Despite the differences between those who traveled on this 19th century superhighway, the trail had a way of making everyone equal. Over two weeks, we'll explore the trail, how and why it developed, and the people who traversed its path. We'll also connect you to historic locations you can visit to learn more about the Santa Fe Trail travel experience. Instructor Bio: Michelle M. Martin is a Michigander by birth and a Kansan and Oklahoman by choice. Martin earned her doctorate in history at the University of New Mexico. Her research probes interracial marriage, gender, race and power in the Mvskoke Nation in Indian Territory from 1870-1897.

September 10-17, 2026, Online