Welcome to OLLI at UVM Online Distinguished Speaker Series!

Important Details:

• Online individual lectures are $10/person.
• Each online lecture is offered from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EST
• All payments are final. No refunds will be issued.
• Registration for individual lectures will close the Monday before that lecture date or when capacity is reached.
• All classes will be held online using Zoom (unless otherwised noted).  Instructions will be included in your confirmation email.
• You will need access to an internet connection.

Highlight of Offerings:

1/27/2021 | The Climate Crisis: Where Do We Stand | Bill McKibben | 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

2020 was a year of incredible climate damage, from unprecedented fires in Australia and the American West to record numbers of hurricanes and tropical storms. It’s time to assess not only the current science of global warming, but also the current politics and economics: what can still be done, and can we do it fast enough to matter?

2/10/2021 | The Abenaki World: Animacy, Identify, and Personhood | Melody Brooks | 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

Melody Walker will discuss Abenaki perspectives on identity, personhood, sustainability, and cultural revitalization.

2/24/2021 | The Happiest People | Jonathan Biggane | 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

Join Dr. Jonathan Biggane as he discusses his new book, The Happiest People, and learn the state of the art in research on positive emotions, what makes a life worth living, and how to cultivate happiness at home and at work. His book is a practical guide to well-being that uses interventions and other research from the fields of positive psychology, neuroscience, and business.

3/10/2021 | Racial Disparities in VT: From Real Data to Radical Empathy | Stephanie Seguino | 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

This presentation will explore the evidence of racial inequality in Vermont policing. Vermont police are not different than the rest of Vermonters. Instead, they reflect the racial biases we all carry. And that observation leads to the question posed by philosopher Anthony Kwame Appiah, “What do we owe strangers by virtue of our shared humanity?” Seguino’s talk will address that question, sharing her photographic work that portrays the deep humanity of black men, encouraging viewers to examine and rehabilitate their own negative racial stereotypes.

3/24/2021 | Current Controversies in Public Health & Public Health Policy | Dr. Jan Carney | 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

TBA description

4/7/2021 | Two Decades of Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin Rule, 2000-2020: An Assessment and Analysis of What is To Come–2020-2036 | Kevin McKenna | 1:00 to 2:30 PM

This year marks the second decade of Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin rule.  My presentation will assess its successes as well as failures, as well as speculate on what we can expect from his decision to change the Russian Constitution in order to permit him to extend his rule another 16 years until 2036.

4/21/2021 | Paris 1914 | Merz Trio | 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

Explore the makings of an album with the Merz Trio as they prepare for their debut recording, “Paris, 1914” (release date: June 2021). The album features Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio interspersed with works of Parisian women composers of the era (Mel Bonis, Nadia Boulanger, and Lili Boulanger). Also on the album is a Josephine Baker rendition of a popular song of the time arranged by Merz Trio, a new Ravel-inspired work by Merz pianist Lee Dionne, and a selection of readings of Parisian poets and writers of the period.

The class will experience the Merz Trio’s unique style of creative programming, featuring listening and interactive discussion around the multiple components of the album’s works. The class will also offer a behind the scenes look into the recording process and the steps needed to seeing an album through to its release.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

For registration, billing, payments, or programmatic questions, please email the UVM OLLI Team at uvmolli@uvm.edu or call (802) 656-5817.