At Osher, summer school is cool. Our summer term will run from May 11 through the end of August this year. Registration opens Thursday May 7 at 9:00 am. We are offering 84 classes with 8 new instructors, and 37 classes are brand new topics. Plus, if that’s not enough, we have a whole new line up from Osher Online with Northwestern University. We will continue with about 70% of our offerings meeting in person and 30% held via Zoom. Some classes will be full six-week sessions, and some will be shorter, bite size opportunities to suit busy travel schedules. Sign up and learn something fabulous to keep you happy, challenged, and engaged with our instructors and fellow Osher members throughout the coming summer months!
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Ian Ferguson is currently the IT Supervisor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Ian began working in technology as a student aide at his high school, before moving to Salt Lake City for college. In Salt Lake, he worked as an IT Specialist for the Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science. Following this stint, he landed at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. He is expected to graduate with both BSIS and MSIS degrees in Spring 2026 and will carry with him several certifications in concepts like networking, security, and project management. His experience touches on most IT topics, including device management, operations, security software, Microsoft products, and networking. The son of academics, Ian is passionate about education, thrives in a classroom, and enjoys teaching about all sorts of IT concepts. If you catch him on a weekend, odds are you’ll find him talking about the Formula 1 race that happened that morning.
Ian will teach Intro to Computers and Technology on Tuesdays at 9:30 am.
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Isha Patel is an Urban Designer and Placemaking Strategist based in South Jordan. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Placemaking from the Pratt Institute in New York City. As the Principal of Ground Plane Lab, she specializes in "tactical urbanism", designing inviting, human-scale public spaces that bring people together. With a background in architecture, Isha bridges the gap between high-level city planning and the daily human experience. Her practice focuses on transforming underutilized areas into vibrant community assets, with a specific emphasis on safety, accessibility, and social connection for residents of all ages. She brings a global perspective to local challenges, helping Utahns understand how thoughtful design can turn a zip code into a true community.
Isha will teach Designing Community: Placemaking and the Art of the Neighborhood on Fridays on Zoom at 1:30 pm.
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Kylie Jones-Greenwood is an environmental educator and nonprofit leader based in Utah. They serve as Executive Director of the Utah Society for Environmental Education and have spent more than a decade designing place-based learning experiences across the state. Kylie enjoys helping people slow down, notice patterns, and build relationships with the landscapes and species around them--especially along the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Their work blends ecological context, storytelling, and joyful curiosity, inviting both newcomers and experienced learners into deeper connection with Utah’s people and places.
Kylie will teach Science Writing Book Club: Vanishing Treasures on Wednesdays at 1:30 pm.
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Lori Zoun of Neptune Divers
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Neptune Divers has been serving the Utah diving community for over 25 years, providing top-notch scuba training, equipment, travel, and support for divers of all levels. As a proud SSI Training Center, they are dedicated to making scuba diving safe, accessible, and fun for everyone—whether you’re just starting with your first Open Water course or looking to advance your skills with specialty and professional-level training. Their team of experienced instructors and staff are passionate about diving and about creating a welcoming, supportive environment for all who want to explore the underwater world. They believe in building community, and their divers often say that Neptune feels less like a shop and more like a family. In addition to training, they offer a full range of high-quality rental gear, equipment sales, servicing, and group dive travel to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. Locally, they organize regular dive events and activities that bring people together to share their love of the sport. At Neptune Divers, their mission is simple: to inspire adventure, foster confidence, and connect people through the incredible experience of scuba diving.
Join them for Introduction to Snorkeling on Tuesday June 16 or August 13 at 10:00 am.
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Nikki Wyman is a native Utahn passionate about the outdoors, environmental conservation, and education. She spent 10 years teaching high school science before discovering waterwise landscaping in her Master Gardener course. Since then, she has endeavored to learn as much as possible about municipal water use and serves as the Water Education and Public Engagement Coordinator with Sandy City Public Utilities. In addition to a BA and MAT, she holds a D4 water operator certificate and is QWEL certified.
Nikki is leading a speaker series entitled Water Genius: Understanding and Sustaining Our Water Future on Thursdays at 11:30 am at our Sandy Center.
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Rodney is a recently retired Cardiologist and lectured extensively to physicians in various stages of their careers. His non-profession reading focused on history: Shakespeare's England, American Revolution, and American Civil War. He was drawn into the American Revolution in the South when he happened on the book Partisans and Redcoats by Walter Edgar in the bookstore at Colonial Williamsburg. He had lived very close to many of the battle sites, completely unaware of them. He learned the reason George Washington accepted the surrender of the British at Yorktown is that the Southern patriots, both regulars and militia, essentially drove Cornwallis to Virginia.
Rodney is teaching Daniel Morgan: Forgotten Military Hero of the American Revolution on Tuesday June 9 at 9:30 am.
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Russell Fericks is a 73-year-old retired attorney who has lived in Utah for the past 45 years. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army in the 1970s. His BA degree in economics is from Claremont College (1974) and his J.D. law degree is from the University of Utah (1982). His broad reading and personal study focus on the American experience, specifically, and the human condition, generally. Over the years, he has learned from a wide, sustained variety of professional and community activities. The Intermountain West is his heartland; America is his identity; and learning and discovery are his avocations.
Russell will teach Search & Discovery on the Civil Rights Trail on Tuesdays at 11:30 am.
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Scott is a native of Delta, Utah and a retired thirty-nine-year employee of the Millard County School District, having worked as an elementary teacher, elementary principal, and district-level administrator. He was an adjunct professor for Brigham Young University and Southern Utah University in an ESL (English as a Second Language) endorsement program. He is the husband of one, father of four, and grandfather of nineteen. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors for the Topaz Museum. He is a volunteer docent at the museum and has been an engaged learner of the story since 1973. He is passionate about the unjust incarceration of over 11,300 individuals of Japanese ancestry forcibly removed from the Bay Area in California to the remote and sometimes inhospitable high desert country of our Pahvant Valley. He remains indignant to this day that he was never taught in the Utah public school system about this ugly chapter of World War II history that unfolded in his own backyard.
Scott will be teaching Topaz: Lesson Learned OR Unlearned on Tuesdays at 1:30 pm.
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Meet Kim Beck, the owner of Top Dog Snake Finders. Kim is a dog trainer, specializing in dog-scent training. Once afraid of snakes, Kim is now the only Certified Venomous Safety Instructor in Utah who is not employed by DWR or the zoo. Kim will discuss different rattlesnakes in Utah, with information on where they're found, their toxicity and temperament; the social side of rattlesnakes - they're much more advanced in their behavior than previously thought; how to stay safe when hiking or if you encounter a rattlesnake; how to keep your dog safe while hiking, and more. Kim will bring a couple snakes that will be in secured boxes so people can safely get up close to one to observe; she can also get one out that we can see from a distance. If you have a dog that you take hiking, or just curious about rattlesnakes, join us at this unique special event.
Monday May 4 at 11:30 am - Today!
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Whether you are curious about the future of transportation or if you are simply a train enthusiast, you will be able to embark on a journey through the heart of innovations in this special event as you witness first-hand, the captivating world of passenger train production.
Thursday May 7 at 4:00 pm
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Ever wondered how products in your online shopping cart get from Amazon to you? Join Amazon's tour leaders on a walk through the SLC Fulfillment Center. We will go behind the scenes to witness firsthand the intricate web of people, technology, and processes that help prepare each customer order.
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Please note: You must bring a government-issued photo ID. The name on your ID must match the name you used to register, or you may not be able to participate.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 4 – Today!
Tuesday May 12 at 11:15 am
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Founded in 1904, Utah Food Bank remains true to its mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide by providing food to a statewide network of partner agencies located in each county of the state. Utah Food Bank distributes tens of millions of meals annually to families and individuals facing hunger throughout the state, free-of-charge. Touring Utah Food Bank's 143,000 square foot primary distribution center and headquarters, located in South Salt Lake, will provide insight into the complex operations required to feed Utahns facing hunger.
Tuesday May 12 at 11:30 am
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| Osher Special Events in 2026 are brought to you in part from funding from ZAP
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Did you miss a Lunch & Learn lecture this term? Would you like to re-watch as session you attended in a previous term? Our Lunch & Learn Archives hold recordings of almost every presentation going back to winter 2021. Please enjoy watching at your leisure and share the link with a friend! Lunch and Learn will start up again for fall term on September 23, 2026. Thank you to Sandy Clark, our volunteer coordinator, for organizing so many great lectures for Osher members and our community at large!
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Volunteer to Have More Fun at Osher!
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New! Osher Special Events Club — Join the Conversation
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Osher members are invited to a new monthly gathering designed to spark ideas, build connections, and help shape future Osher special events.
Our next Special Events Club meeting will take place:
Thursday, May 14 at 2:00 pm
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
For questions or more information, contact Sandi Greene: sandi@sandigreenecoaching.com
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This informal gathering is an opportunity for members to come together, share ideas, and collaborate on creative possibilities for future Osher events. Following our discussion, we’ll take a leisurely stroll through the Natural History Museum together. Future meetings may rotate to other Osher partner locations and wonderful places that Osher members can enjoy through their membership benefits.
Whether you love brainstorming, planning, or simply connecting with fellow lifelong learners, we’d love to have you join us. No registration needed, please just show up and have fun!
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Call for Submissions – Osher Reflections
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Attention Osher Members! We are excited to announce that the 2nd Edition of Osher Reflections, our new literary and art publication, is now in the planning stage, to be available by December 2026. We are soliciting 22 stories and poetry for this edition. The selection of these stories/poetry will be done by a juried panel of five Osher members including Holly Webster, the editor.
Guidelines for writing these submissions can be obtained by email: hollyfw@gmail.com .
We know there are many people in our Osher community with intriguing stories, and we look forward to reading them! We are hopeful for very modest donations to help publish this project, but it is not obligatory for submission of your writing. Donations can be made through the Osher website.
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| Artwork: Song Bird by Marjorie Ann McClure
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Our previous newsletters and podcasts are saved in an archive on our main website, so you never have to worry about missing a thing.
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Stay Connected by Joining Us on Social Media
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The Osher Instagram and Facebook pages are a great way to stay connected. We highlight the accomplishments of Osher instructors and members. Special Events are updated, posted, and featured here too. Please like us to stay up to date and share with your friends who would enjoy all that Osher has to offer!
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
801-581-6461 | osher@utah.edu
osher.utah.edu
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Continuing Education at the University of Utah | 540 Arapeen Dr Rm 210 | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
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