Blog

The OLLI Blog showcases the voices and perspectives of the OLLI @Berkeley community as well as news from and about OLLI. Have a submission? Please contact Nancy Murr to learn more.

We are thrilled to announce that OLLI @Berkeley members now have the opportunity to explore the world together, learning and adventuring in extraordinary destinations across the
Image In February, Stephanie Wells, OLLI educator extraordinaire, received the OLLI at UC Berkeley 2025 "Excellence in Teaching and Learning…
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.
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.
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.
“What are you looking for?” It’s a simple question, but when asked by Sayuri Komachi, Tokyo’s most intriguing librarian, in "What You Are Looking For Is in the Library" by Michiko Aoyama, it opens the door to something much deeper—self-discovery and change.
Carol Christ retired as chancellor of UC Berkeley in 2024; she has also served as president of Smith College. Susan Van Dyne earned her Ph.D. from Harvard and taught at Smith College for four decades.
We are excited to share the following news from Rick Russo, Dean of Extended Education at UC Berkeley.
For those of us OLLI students interested in cultural subjects, we should feel privileged to have as an OLLI faculty member this spring one of the most knowledgeable opera instructors anywhere: Kip Cranna, the Dramaturg Emeritus of the San Francisco Opera.
Spring registration opens Monday, Feb. 10, at 9 AM (one week earlier than originally announced. Yes, we're excited to dive in and so are our members!) Spring courses will appear here by 5 PM on Friday, Feb. 7 — ready to peruse as you decide what to take.
Back in the days of the old National Library (Bibliothèque Nationale) in Paris, prior to the opening of the present incarnation in 1996, I was doing research for what eventually became a book on tourism in relation to Second World War France. The usual procedure in the library was to be assigned a numbered seat in the reading room, then order the books you wanted, which would then be brought to you.
Each of us has a unique set of challenges brought on by aging, which may entice us to stay home more and avoid excessive exercise and activity. However, I humbly suggest that the opposite is a healthier option. It has been for me.