Wednesday, Jun. 04, 2025
With summer here, we asked OLLI faculty to recommend books they've recently read and enjoyed. Feel free to steal their choices as we wade deep into beach-reading season.
Monday, May. 19, 2025
My grandmother Mary was born in San Francisco in 1902. Both of her parents were American-born as well — her father in San Francisco and her mother in Monterey. In 1854, her grandfather had immigrated from China to San Francisco at the tender age of 12; her grandmother came in 1874. Our family’s long history in the United States has always been a matter of intergenerational pride.
Thursday, May. 01, 2025
Now, OLLI @Berkeley members and friends can explore the world together! Join us on unforgettable adventures to extraordinary destinations, guided by Collette — a family-owned company delivering premium travel experiences since 1918.
Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2025
Daren Fields served in local government for 30 years including as a city manager. He’s passionate about teaching others about local government and brings an insider's perspective to the discussion. He is teaching Local Government from the Ground Up with us this summer.
Saturday, Apr. 12, 2025
Vu-Duc Vuong grew up in Vietnam, and later studied at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he obtained a B.A., two Masters and a J.D. He became a refugee after 1975 and subsequently a naturalized citizen of the U.S.
Friday, Apr. 11, 2025
Summer registration opens Monday, April 21, at 9 AM. Soon! On the course roster: Reflections on the Vietnam War at 50, contemporary Mexico, the Beatles at their height, the wit of Tom Lehrer, astrophysics, local government, David Lynch and more.
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2025
Coming of age during the 1960s, when so many people I knew at school and later at work were on the political Left, I became fascinated by “the other side,” those on the political Right, a subject of interest today because of the rise of more right-wing governments around the world.
Monday, Mar. 17, 2025
While “go for it” may sound like a life lesson to give to a 20-something, it also targets us older folks in our 70’s and 80’s — people who are beginning to sense diminution in energy, may now see mostly grey hair in the mirror, have lost some friends, and maybe begun to develop fears about the future.
Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2025
In February, Stephanie Wells, OLLI educator extraordinaire, received the OLLI at UC Berkeley 2025 "Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award" at a joyous ceremony held at Freight & Salvage in downtown Berkeley.
Thursday, Mar. 06, 2025
Mitchell Schwarzer is Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at California College of the Arts. He has written extensively on modern European and American architecture, memorialization, and urban history. Marjorie Schwarzer is the author of Riches, Rivals, and Radicals: A History of Museums in the United States.
Thursday, Mar. 06, 2025
Thomas Gold is professor emeritus of sociology at UC Berkeley, where he also served as Associate Dean of International and Area Studies, Founding Director of the Berkeley China Initiative, and Chair of the Center for Chinese Studies.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025
To me, the combination of literature and laughter seems like an antidote for our fraught times. In a November 2024 OLLI Blog post, I recommended three humorous books and named the list in honor of Groucho Marx.