Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute
Widener University
Summer 2017
The mission of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Widener
University is to provide opportunities for intellectual development, cultural
stimulation, personal growth, civic engagement, and social interaction for
mature adults in an academic cooperative run by its members who volunteer
their time and talents. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s program is
centered on classes developed and led by its members.
Membership Fees
The charge for courses this summer will be $30.00 per course/per person.
If you decide to register for two or more courses, the registration fee will
be a total of $55.00. You can take unlimited summer courses for a flat fee
of $55.00. There will be no discounts for additional family members from
the same household. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members have the
option of purchasing an all-inclusive annual membership for $275 that
entitles a member to register for unlimited courses during the fall, spring,
and summer semesters. The fall 2017 catalog will be published in August.
Registration Process
Interested individuals can register either by mail or in person. Registrations will
be accepted beginning Monday, May 1, 2017. Forms for walk-in registration may
be dropped off at the Kapelski Learning Center, Room 120, at Widener’s Main
Campus during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.). Call 610-499-4370 if you don’t have your student ID card so we can
let you into the building. Registrations will be handled on a first come, first
served basis for all classes. In the event that we receive more registration forms
than class seats on the first day of registration, a lottery system will be used.
Several of the courses have limited seats, so register early!
Parking and Building Access
All OLLI members will be issued a Widener University Parking tag and
student ID card prior to the start of the summer semester. Your parking
tag must be on display in order to park in any of the campus parking lots.
Your student ID card gives you access to University Center, campus
academic buildings, Wolfgram Memorial Library, and other Widener
University facilities.
Refund Policy
Full refunds will be made prior to the beginning of the summer semester
for any registered OLLI participant. After the first week of summer classes,
no refunds will be made for cancellations unless it is due to illness, an
urgent family situation, or other emergency circumstances beyond a
member’s control. All requests for refunds must be made in writing and
submitted directly to the director of OLLI.
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Summer 2017 Courses (alphabetical)
Abnormal Psychology with Examples from
the Movies—OLLI 1204A
Day: Thursdays—June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 10:45 am–11:55 am
Different pathologies are described and discussed
using my “Roadmap of Abnormal Psych” and
illustrated with clips from selected movies.
Mary Raskin
BSN, LaSalle University;
Registered Nurse, Board Certified in Psychology
Mary worked at the Norristown State Hospital in the
psych wards for twelve years.
Bringing the Outside In—OLLI 1005A
Day: Thursdays—June 1, 8, 15
Time: 1:15 pm–2:25 pm
Get your creativity flowing in this fun, interactive
flower-design lecture. Learn easy techniques and
mechanics to bring the “outside in.”
Valerie McLaughlin
American Institute of Flower Design;
Longwood Garden Floral Design Classes;
Studied with International Designers
Valerie has been a flower designer for 30 years and
has been a Blue Ribbon winner at the Philadelphia
Flower Show several times. Through the years, she
has been a guest designer for Art in Bloom at the
Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, as well as a guest
designer for the Constitution Center Star Project. She
is a teacher, lecturer, coordinator, and owner of
Flower Girl Workshop.
Crafty Classes with Linda
OLLI 1000A— Wednesday
OLLI 1000B—Tuesday
Day: Wednesday, June 7
Tuesday, June 13
Time: 10:30 am–11:45 am
This is a one day, hands-on class where you will be
making star-shaped origami earrings. The instructor
will be bringing all supplies. Perfect for a gift or to
make for yourself! (There is a $20 supply fee due the
first day of class payable to the instructor.)
Linda Sivilich
Old Dominion University
Linda retired from American Airlines after 35 years.
Her interests include jewelry making, origami,
mosaics, furniture refinishing, cooking, sewing, and
crocheting.
Doing NY Times Crosswords Together—
OLLI 4404A
Day: Thursdays—June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 9:15 am–10:25 am
With blank puzzles projected overhead, the students
will solve them as a group. Degrees of difficulty and
types of puzzles will be tailored to the class’ tastes.
The goal is to have fun and to learn some tricks,
conventions, and recurring patterns that will make
these puzzles pleasantly challenging, not daunting.
Donald Raskin
BS, University of Chicago;
MA & PhD, Columbia University
Donald has led development of high tech products in
a wide range of technologies and markets. He has
been solving NY Times puzzles since teenager-hood.
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Exploring Your World with Google Maps—
OLLI 2004A
Day: Tuesdays—May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 27
Time: 2:30 pm–3:40 pm
Whether you are an armchair explorer or a crosscountry traveler, you will find that Google Maps is a
valuable tool for planning routes, identifying
landmarks and destinations, avoiding traffic jams and
construction, locating businesses and restaurants, or
just doing some virtual sightseeing. In this class, we
will learn how to use Google Maps in many ways on
a personal computer and on a smartphone or tablet.
No previous experience with Google Maps is
needed—just a desire to learn.
Paul Kelley
BA, Macalester College;
MA, PhD, University of Nebraska
Paul Kelley has been fascinated by maps and places
since childhood. After completing the coursework for
a geography major at Macalester College in St. Paul,
he spent the next decade earning graduate degrees in
the discipline, getting experience teaching geography
classes, and exploring the Midwest and Great Plains.
He moved back to the East Coast in 2007 after
spending two years in Michigan, and began
developing a geography course for local adult
education venues. He has taught geography and other
subjects at OLLI since the spring of 2011.
Four Famous American Trials—OLLI 1505A
Day: Tuesdays, June 6, 13; Thursdays, June 8, 15
Time: 9:15 am–10:25 am; 12:30 pm–1:40 pm
This course will consider the following four great
trials: The Dred Scott Decision, The Scopes Monkey
trial, Brown v. the Board of Education, and Roe v.
Wade. In each case, the drama leading up to the trial,
the struggle of the trial, and then the aftermath will
be addressed.
Paul Mattheiss
BA, University of Delaware;
MA, University of Illinois
Paul’s expertise is in science, technology, math,
computers, and world and U.S. history. He has
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical
engineering. He taught computer classes from 1963 to
1967 at Widener University when it was Pennsylvania
Military College. In the mid-1990s, he taught
chemistry and general science in two high schools. He
has been teaching courses at OLLI since 2008.
Four Women Who Changed the World—
OLLI 1504A
Day: Tuesdays, June 6, 13; Thursdays, June 8, 15
Time: 10:45 am–11:55 am; 1:45 pm–2:55 pm
This course focuses on four women who, over time,
have made significant contributions to the way we
live. Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Sara
Weddington, and Sandra Day O’Conner will be
discussed.
Paul Mattheiss
See biography above.
T’ai Chi Chih for Seniors—OLLI 4510A
Day: Tuesdays, June 6, 13; Thursdays, June 8, 15
Time: 10:30 am–11:40 am
T’ai Chi Chih is a moving meditation form consisting
of 19 movements that balance the vital energy within
us—that which the Chinese call chi. Derived from the
martial art forms of “regular” T’ai Chi, it is not a
martial art, but is slow and gentle and embodies “the
effort of no effort.” Many people who practice T’ai
Chi Chih report that they feel calmer, more balanced,
and energized. They have noticed a lessening of the
symptoms of arthritis, fibromyalgia, and high blood
pressure, and found the practice extremely helpful in
recovering from strokes and surgery, among other
debilitative conditions. Want to know about that third
“Chih” word? Sign up for this four-class sampling
and give your body a treat in the process!
Nancy Daniel
Nancy Daniel has degrees in music from Oberlin and
Northwestern. She has been an accredited teacher of
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T’ai Chi Chih since 2013 and is teaching currently at
the Haverford Area YMCA and the Kaiserman Jewish
Community Center in Wynnewood.
The American Vice-Presidency—OLLI 1560A
Day: Tuesdays, May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 27
Time: 1:15 pm–2:25 pm
Much has been written about the American
presidency; far less has been written about the vice
presidency. This frequently overlooked office has the
potential for great governmental power and electoral
significance. This course will examine the evolution
of the office over our country’s history, including the
powers given to the vice president in the Constitution,
the ways in which the role of the vice president has
developed over time, the different manners in which
vice presidents have been chosen, and the part that
vice presidential candidates have played in
presidential elections. “Fun facts” about specific vice
presidents will be discussed.
David M. Hudiak, Esquire
BA, Haverford College;
JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School
What Happened! ? Films with Ambiguous
Endings—OLLI 1201A
Day: Wednesdays, May 31, June 7, 14, 21, 28
Time: 12:30 pm–3:00 pm
Many filmgoers like to go home satisfied that they
saw a movie with a beginning, middle, and end. Then
there are those who enjoy a film that doesn’t really
end but instead leaves them asking “what next?” We
will see some films that are worth discussing when
the theater lights come back on. Come for the film,
and stay for the discussion.
Michael Simeone
AB, Ohio University;
MEd, Temple University
schools. He was a member of the faculty of the
college of Education at Temple University and the
College Arts and Sciences at Widener University. He
also served as a program administrator at Glassboro
State College and was a management consultant for
22 years with AchieveGlobal. He has completed
doctoral coursework in history at Temple University.
For the past seven years, Michael has been teaching
history and film classes in the Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute at Temple and Widener. He also
teaches film at Immaculata University.
OLLI Partnerships
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Widener
University will be offering summer courses on-site at
Aston Community Center, Bellingham, Daylesford
Crossing, Schoolhouse Center, Surrey Services,
Villages at Hillview, and Wellington at Hershey’s
Mill. These courses are open to the residents of their
respective retirement communities, as well as the
general public. OLLI members may include any of
these courses as part of their all-inclusive
memberships.
Fees for Attendance
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has established
a fee of $30 for each five-week course. There is a
special rate of $55 if you sign up for two courses at
an on-site location.
Registration
Interested individuals can mail in or drop off
their payment and completed registration form to
Widener University, Kapelski Learning Center,
Room 120, Chester, PA 19013.
The registration form is available on our website at
www.widener.edu/olli.
Michael’s career in education started as a high school
social studies teacher in the Philadelphia public
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Aston Community Center
3270 Concord Road, Aston, PA 19014
domestic and foreign events. Join us as we discuss
pertinent current events in the Middle and Far East,
what part the United States is playing in these issues,
and how they potentially impact the United States.
Memory Games—OLLI 4506AC
Date: Wednesdays, April 12, 26, May 10, 24, June 7
Time: 2:00 pm–3:15 pm
Barbara Falini
BA, MA, West Chester University;
MA, Villanova University
This class will keep your imagination sharp and your
memory even sharper. Memory is more than just a
collection of thoughts captured during a lifetime of
experience. The strategies we use to continuously
improve memory recall can impact the way we
communicate, socialize, and view the world in which
we live. Each week this class will analyze brain
areas, examine memory functions, and focus on
creating positive patterns in the memory processes
through games, challenges, team exercises, and basic
imagination skills. This fun course improves the
overall processing power of the brain and enhances
memory retention capability.
Barbara was a classroom teacher in the West Chester
Area School District for 42 years in the field of
economics and government. During this time, she
was actively involved in curriculum development,
monitoring new teachers, and advising the student
government. Barbara received two National Science
Foundation (NSF) grants to study economics and
sociology, as well as honors for developing curricula
in economics. She was nominated “Teacher of the
Year” for Pennsylvania during her career in
education. Since her retirement as a classroom
teacher, she has taught a number of courses at the
Academy for Learning in Retirement, OLLI, and
various retirement communities.
Thomas McNellis
BA, MBA, Temple University;
ME, Pennsylvania State University;
MS, University of Pennsylvania
Tom worked in the defense industry for 29 years,
consulted for MITRE (Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Digital Research Laboratory), taught at
Drexel University and the University of Bradford
(UK), and is the current president of Memory
Matters and Tax Tips for Seniors.
Bellingham Retirement Community
1615 East Boot Road, West Chester, PA 19380
Current World Issues & Their Impact on the
United States—OLLI 4602B
Date: Thursdays, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 11:00 am–12:10 pm
With the rapid growth of communication and
technology, we are instantly exposed to changing
Daylesford Crossing
1450 Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301
The Emergence of the New Woman, First
Ladies, Part II—OLLI 4508DC
Date: Fridays, April 7, 21, 28, May 5, 12
(no class April 14)
Time: 10:45 am–11:55 am
In the early years of our history, the image of the
First Lady was that of the nation’s chief wife, head
hostess, and leading fashion plate. After the Civil
War, the women who became First Ladies realized
they could do more with the role. Therefore, with the
end of the 19th century, and into the 20th and 21st
century, the First Lady’s role evolved into a powerful
political institution complete with an office, staff,
and budgetary resources rivaling those of key
presidential advisors. Join us to learn the impact of
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these ladies on our social and political lives.
(Note: It is not necessary to have taken Part I)
Barbara Falini
See biography on previous page.
Freedom Village
15 Freedom Blvd., Coatesville, PA 19320
Islam: An Introduction to My Neighbor—OLLI
4852F
Date: Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3
Time: 10:30 am–11:40 am
As our communities grow more diverse,
understanding each other becomes increasingly
essential. This course affords the opportunity to get to
know one another through presentations and
discussions about Islam. Topics include the history
and culture of pre-Islamic Arabia; the history of the
life of the Prophet Muhammad, and the conundrum
of who should succeed his leadership; and
familiarization with Muslim beliefs and practices. It
is hoped that during the last class participants will
have an opportunity to share ideas and questions that
emerge during the first four weeks.
Jeff Heim
BS, MA, Pennsylvania State University;
MA, Temple University
Jeff taught high school for 37 years. He is a National
Endowment for the Humanities Fellow (Arabic
Novels in Translation, 1986), a Fulbright Fellow (to
India, 1989), and an Annenberg Fellow (Conference
for Teachers of the Middle East, 1994). This is Jeff’s
sixth year of teaching for OLLI.
Schoolhouse Center
600 Swarthmore Ave., Folsom, PA 19033
Understanding the Brain—OLLI 3901SC
Date: Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4
Time: 12:30 pm–1:45 pm
The gross anatomy of the human brain is organized
into distinct parts that have specific functions, much
like the gross anatomy of the human body. We will
review how the brain controls the pituitary gland and
the release of hormones. Using a variety of modes in
class, the course examines the major parts of the
brain and their functions. The areas of the brain that
are involved in disabling conditions like bipolar
disorder, clinical depression, Parkinson’s disease, and
Alzheimer’s disease are examined. The newly
recognized importance of jumping genes and glial
cells in brain functions is explored. The use of animal
models to determine brain functions will also be
reviewed.
Theodore O’Tanyi
BS, Pennsylvania Military College
(now Widener University);
MS, PhD, Lehigh University
Ted taught biomedical ethics, comparative animal
physiology, zoology, and principles of biology for
non-science majors at Widener University and was
chair of biology and division head of science. He also
taught comparative animal physiology at Lehigh
University and central nervous system physiology at
Temple University.
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Surrey Services
Wellington at Hershey’s Mill
60 Surrey Way, Devon, PA 19333
1361 E. Boot Road, West Chester, PA 19380
American Immigrants, Part 1—OLLI 1500SS
Date: Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3
Time: 1:00 pm–2:10 pm
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?—
OLLI 4508WHM
Date: Mondays, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1
Time: 1:30 pm–2:40 pm
Unless you are related to an American Indian, you
are a descendant of an immigrant who came to this
country from somewhere else. This course will
examine five different groups of immigrants to
determine who they were, where they came from,
how they got here, where they settled, and what they
did once they arrived. It will also examine obstacles
they had to overcome, and identify some outstanding
individuals from each immigrant group. The five
groups that are the focus of this course are the
British and the Northwestern Europeans, the ScotsIrish, the Irish Catholics, the Germans, and the
Africans. The second five weeks will be offered in
the fall of 2017.
Robert Collins
BS, MS Civil Engineering, Villanova University
Bob worked as a registered professional engineer in
Pennsylvania for 45 years at several firms in the
Philadelphia suburbs. Since retiring at the end of
2011, his principal interests have been American
history, immigration, current events, sports
(especially baseball), and “oldies” music (especially
doo-wop). He has previously taught courses on
“American Immigrants and the Great Depression”
and “The Making of America.”
This course is based upon Richard J. Maybury’s
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? It is described
as “a fast, clear, and fun explanation of the
economics you need for success in your career,
business, and investments.” The course will also
provide an introduction to Henry Hazlitt’s classic on
free market economics, Economics in One Lesson.
Philip Duffy
BA, Rutgers University
Philip is the founder and CEO of Electronic College
Associates, a software development company. He
also acted as an information systems consultant and
spent years in health care information systems in
various capacities.
Mail in:
Beginning April 24, 2017, registrations
must include a completed course
registration form and a check (or credit
card #) made payable to Widener
University.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is part
of the School of Education, Hospitality,
and Continuing Studies.
Dr. Shawn M. Fitzgerald, Dean,
School of Education, Hospitality, and
Continuing Studies (SEHCS)
Margaret A. Place, Director of Special
Programs, Outreach, and Development
for SEHCS
Mrs. Jean McGee, Coordinator of
Continuous Education; Institute Registrar,
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Widener University
Kapelski Learning Center, Room 120
One University Place
Chester, PA 19013-5792
www.widener.edu/olli
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Widener University
Kapelski Learning Center, Room 120
One University Place
Chester, PA 19013-5792
Summer 2017 Course Schedule
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Widener University
Registration Schedule