Instructor: Robert Thurston

Biography: Robert Thurston, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of History at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). He earned a BA in History from Northwestern University and a PhD in modern Russian history from the University of Michigan. His writing spans twentieth-century Russian/Soviet history, witch hunts (Europe and Salem), the body in the Anglosphere (1880-1920), and coffee as an economic and social force. A devoted coffee educator, he has opened a roastery and coffee shop and has visited coffee farms from Asia to South America.

Classes by this instructor

National Osher Online - Endless Grounds: Coffee's Social, Economic, and Cultural Life

Coffee will be our lens on climate change, social life, health, North/South dynamics, social and economic justice, tourism, and slavery. We will trace coffee's journey from planting through its arrival in our cups. We will explore coffee's history, its shift from elite beverage to everyday staple, and research on health, income, and climate resilience. The instructor will share experiences from coffee farms around the world, discuss different brewing methods, and demonstrate how coffee is brewed. Note: The new refund policy applies.
July 9, 2026 to August 13, 2026, Synchronous Online