Fall term classes will be announced on our website next week! Our fall brochure is about to go to print and will be mailed directly to your home mailbox. Over 120 fabulous fall classes will begin on September 21 and run through November 18. Class descriptions will be posted next week and registration opens at 9:00 am on August 21. Please save the dates and read below to meet some of our new instructors, as well as our new graduate student interns for 2026-2027!
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Our annual Red Butte Garden open house and instructor previews will be held August 24 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm with a complimentary continental breakfast and free admission to the garden. You can meet instructors and learn all about their upcoming classes. We will once again collect school supply donations for local children in need, thanks to dedicated longtime Osher volunteer Connie Reed. Invite friends or neighbors to join you because an Osher membership is not required!
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If you’d like to help us plan our fall term line up of special events, please join Osher instructor and volunteer Sandi Cameron-Greene for our next Osher Special Events Club meeting Wednesday August 19 at 2:00 pm on the Red Butte Garden Patio. Read below for more details about volunteering to help make Osher even more exciting and fun!
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Meet Our New Instructors for Fall! |
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Marc-Anthony Arena was born in the 80s, back when technology was hopeful. He's an honors graduate of both McQuaid Jesuit and RIT. He has been in the IT industry since 2000. He is the author of "How to Protect Yourself from Your Computer," a plain English guide to the concepts, scams, and scandals of the tech industry. After 10 years as a dynamic and outspoken local talk show host, he launched The Computer Exorcist Podcast, available anywhere and anytime. His message is this: ALL of the heartache, headache, and expenditures in this industry are completely preventable.
He will teach How to Protect Yourself from Your Computer on Friday October 9 at 1:30 pm on Zoom.
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Dr. Mariam Azin holds a Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from the Claremont Graduate School and has over thirty years of work experience conducting evaluations and research in the areas of education, social services, mental health and criminal justice. She has been principal investigator on numerous local, statewide, and national evaluation efforts related to at-risk learners and school climate, including serving as principal investigator on several Safe Schools/Healthy Students grants, designed to provide comprehensive, seamless services to at-risk students and their families.
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Mariam is currently serving as the principal investigator on the federal Project AWARE grant, a major goal of which is to expand capacity at the state and local level to make schools safer and improve school climate. She is currently President of Planning, Research & Evaluation Services (PRES Associates), a national research and evaluation firm. Prior to starting PRES Associates, she served as a principal evaluator at Mid-Continent Research for Education & Learning (McREL) and served as the Research Director for the Center for Applied Social & Policy Research in Claremont, CA.
Mariam will teach Psychology in the Headlines: The Hidden Forces Behind Current Events on Thursdays at 11:30 am.
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Joel Cooper holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Utah (2010). He is the founder and CEO of Red Scientific Inc., a Salt Lake City company that designs and manufactures AI-integrated measurement instruments sold to research laboratories in over 15 countries. His active research, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focuses on human-automation interaction, studying how people work with and adapt to intelligent systems. Joel has taught statistics and cognitive psychology at both the undergraduate and graduate level at the University of Utah.
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He runs open-source AI models on his own hardware daily as part of his product development work and brings direct experience across the full range, from the cognitive science of how humans interact with automated systems to the practical engineering of AI-integrated products.
Joel will teach The AI Revolution: A Primer for the Biggest Shift in Knowledge Work Since the Printing Press on Tuesdays at 9:30 am.
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Kristin Cowan is a dedicated American Mahjong enthusiast who finds true joy in the strategy and social connection the game provides. For the past year, she has been instructing beginners throughout the Wasatch Front specializing in making the rules of American Mahjong accessible and engaging for newcomers. Kristin loves sharing this game with others because it perfectly balances mental agility with the opportunity to build a vibrant community. Known for her patient and encouraging teaching style, she focuses on creating a welcoming environment where students can gain confidence and enjoy the thrill of the game. Whether you are looking for a new cognitive challenge or a way to meet new friends, she is excited to help you master the tiles and join the local American Mahjong community.
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Kristin will teach American Mahjong for Beginners on Mondays at 11:30 am.
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Alan Keele began his studies in 1960 at the University of Utah, where he was also in Men's Chorus and the Marching Band. After an LDS mission to Germany from 1962 to 1964, he transferred to BYU to take advantage of an offer to teach German at the newly created Language Training Mission. In 1967 he then finished a bachelor's degree in German and History at BYU and in 1971 his Ph.D. in German Language and Literature at Princeton, whereupon he joined the faculty in German Studies at BYU. He retired in January of 2010. His research and publications include German opera libretti and film scripts as literature; German post-war literature; the lyric poetry of Rainer Marie Rilke; the works of Walter Kempowski, Guenter Grass, and the Welsh poet Leslie Norris. For a decade or so now he has taught in Utah County for ElderQuest, sponsored by Utah Valley University.
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Alan will teach The Lessons of Helmuth Huebener, Youngest Resistance Figure Executed by the Nazis on Mondays at 1:30 pm.
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Kevin Perry is a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah, where his work focuses on air quality, dust emissions, and environmental systems in the Intermountain West--especially Great Salt Lake. He earned his B.S. in Meteorology from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington, and is widely recognized as a leading expert on Great Salt Lake dust (sometimes referred to as "Dr. Dust"). He serves on the Great Salt Lake Strike Team and is a Presidential Societal Impact Scholar, working at the intersection of science, public health, and policy to support data-driven environmental decisions. He is also the author of Framing the Problem: Causes and Consequences of a Shrinking Great Salt Lake and recently led a report for the State of Utah evaluating the options and costs of dust control measures on the lakebed.
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Beyond the classroom and laboratory, Kevin has spent years studying the lake up close--including bicycling more than 2,300 miles across the exposed lakebed between 2016 and 2018 to document its changing conditions. He previously served seven years as department chair and appeared in the Sundance documentary The Lake. His work combines scientific research with firsthand experience to better understand--and communicate--the future of Great Salt Lake.
Kevin will teach The Fate of Great Salt Lake on Mondays at 3:30 pm.
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Did you know we start losing muscle as early as age 30 and this accelerates after 60? This loss impacts balance, mobility, bone density, and independence. The good news? Strength training can help reverse that trend. Join us for a FREE dynamic session on how building strength supports better health, sharper cognition, and improved quality of life as we age. You'll learn science-backed strategies to safely get started (and stick with it!) - plus enjoy a short demonstration and time for Q&A.
Wednesday August 26 at 10:00 am
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Join the Osher Booker Book Group for our August meeting as we discuss June/July's book selection, The Luminaries (2013) by Eleanor Catton. The novel examines the world of shipping, banking, and the gold rush in 1800's New Zealand. At 800 pages, we need two months to read it! We meet monthly at the Osher Building to discuss the previous month's book selection. Everyone is welcome. Perhaps we are "novel" in that we actually discuss the book! Next meeting (September), we will discuss The Life of Pi (2002) by Yann Martel.
Please note: Registration is required for each month's meeting you plan to attend.
Friday August 7 at 1:00 pm
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Join the Osher Booker Book Group for our September meeting as we discuss August's book selection, The Life of Pi (2002) by Yann Martel -- a young man finds himself on a lifeboat with an orangutan, a zebra, and a Bengal tiger! We meet monthly at the Osher Building to discuss the previous month's book selection. Everyone is welcome. Perhaps we are "novel" in that we actually discuss the book! Next meeting (October), we will discuss Hotel du Lac (1984) by Anita Brookner.
Please note: Registration is required for each month's meeting you plan to attend.
Friday September 4 at 1:00 pm
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| Osher Special Events in 2026 are brought to you in part from funding from ZAP
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We currently do not have any upcoming special events with fees listed this week. But if you would like to see more special events of all kinds, please read here to learn more about volunteering to help us plan even 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. 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 Red Butte Garden 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!
Wednesday August 19 at 2:00 pm
Red Butte Garden Plaza
For questions or more information, contact Sandi Greene: sandi@sandigreenecoaching.com
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Thanks to Osher instructor and professor emeritus Dr. David Derezotes, we are lucky to welcome three new graduate student interns from the College of Social Work this academic year! Elizabeth Butler, Leah Christensen, and Lindsay Dawson Bedolla will be joining us from August 2026 to April 2027 for their practicums. All will be helping us build community here at Osher and bolster our spirit of volunteerism. As mandated by Mr. Bernard Osher himself when he founded his namesake Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the country, volunteers are essential to running this peer-led, member-driven program.
Please stop by the Osher Coffee Lounge in Room 233 to meet these three wonderful women on Mondays and Thursdays when they are in residence holding office hours and getting to know and support our members.
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Elizabeth Butler is a Master of Social Work student at the University of Utah. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and criminology; that and her background in early childhood education helps her navigate the complexity of human behavior and relationships, and she is excited to expand her experience with all ages. Elizabeth wishes to be a medical social worker and hopes that her experience at Osher will give her the tools to effectively serve people from all walks of life. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys doing taekwondo and staying active, as well as spending time with her pet bunny. Elizabeth will be helping Osher build up our volunteer corps of classroom assistants this year.
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These wonderful volunteers read weekly announcements, manage our whiteboard name tents, and supervise class rosters of attendance so everyone in each class can get to know each other and help Osher grow!
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Leah Christensen is a first-year Master of Social Work student at the University of Utah. She received her BA in Psychology from Chapman University with a minor in Creative and Cultural Industries. She has experience in behavioral intervention, community engagement, and being an ambassador for a mental health app. Leah is an aspiring therapist and also seeks to combine her love of Psychology with creative industries and marginalized communities. Leah loves music, traveling, spending time outdoors, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Leah will be helping our special events volunteers plan more fun outings for fellow Osher members throughout the year!
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Lindsay Dawson Bedolla is a current Master of Social Work student at the University of Utah. She has a background in human development and family studies as well as Spanish language studies. Lindsay is passionate about social-emotional well-being, community connection, and helping individuals and families thrive at every stage of life. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her children, gardening, and walking her dog.
Lindsay will help us build our Osher Ambassadors volunteer program of scheduling greeters to welcome fellow Osher members during the first week of classes at our building and help with large events like the Red Butte Garden Open House, the annual Member Luncheon, and Spring Fling.
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Did you miss a Lunch & Learn lecture in a previous term? Would you like to re-watch as session you attended in the past? 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!
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Fall Term Lineup Coming Soon!
Lunch and Learn will start up again for fall term at noon on September 23, 2026, with another new series of six interesting FREE lectures on Zoom Webinar. These lectures are open to the public, no Osher membership required. So please invite a friend to join you and “test drive” what we do here at Osher. 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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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 |
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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540 Arapeen Drive | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
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