January 2026 OLLI Newsletter

Letter from OLLI Council Chair

Greetings fellow OLLI members,

For me, January is the time to reflect on my experiences of the past year and contemplate how I can apply the knowledge and wisdom I have gained from those experiences. It was also a year of many new experiences for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Iowa State University.

Now, we look toward the horizon of the new year with renewed energy. OLLI is continuing to make a home within the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. We are adapting to the changes to our office space and course venues while continuing to produce quality courses with live instructors and providing social opportunities for our membership.

As we venture forth into the new year, I encourage you to feed your mind with some winter courses, move your body, set an intention for each day, connect with a fellow human, choose a goal, and turn your faces to the horizon with me.

Beth Larabee, OLLI Advisory Council Chair

To become a Friend of OLLI at Iowa State by a show of financial support, please go to https://isu.foundation/olli and select the Friends of OLLI at Iowa State fund.

January First Friday Coffee – Rescheduled

Our next First Friday Coffee will be held Friday, Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. CT via Zoom. Invite your family and friends—membership is not required! The link to attend is on the events page of our website.

During the winter months, all OLLI programming moves online. This keeps everyone safe, warm, and connected while avoiding weather cancellations.

New Year, New Starts

Looking for a fresh way to stay engaged in the new year? OLLI at Iowa State has plenty of opportunities to keep you connected, active, and part of the fun! One of the best ways to do that is by joining one of our volunteer teams—the behind‑the‑scenes magic that helps keep OLLI running smoothly all year long.

Over the next few weeks, the executive team will be filling spots on these volunteer groups. While members are welcome to jump in anytime, we aim to have teams set at the start of each fiscal year so everyone knows where they’ll shine.

Below you’ll find a list of our volunteer teams and a quick look at what each one does. If something sparks your interest, reach out to Heather Bristow, Director of OLLI at Iowa State—we’d love to have you join the fun!

Advisory Teams

• Community Engagement – Spark connections by planning social events and spreading the word through advertising. Meets monthly.
• Curriculum – Help shape what we learn! This team follows up on course ideas and instructor suggestions from members. Meets monthly.
• Finance – Numbers matter! This team partners with staff to review the budget and share quarterly financial updates with the Advisory Council. Meets quarterly.

Project Teams

• Evaluation – Keeps us on track by organizing efforts to measure how well our programs are working. Meets as needed.
• Program Development – Think big! This team manages OLLI’s strategic planning process. Meets as needed.
• Technology – Support in-person and hybrid classes and help evaluate new equipment needs (training available). Meets as needed.
• Volunteer – Be the friendly face! Work with staff to schedule greeters and assist with special events or tasks. Meets as needed.

If one of these opportunities sounds like a good fit, reach out to Heather Bristow, Director of OLLI at Iowa State—she’ll be glad to help you get started!

Calling All Writers and Storytellers!

Do you enjoy writing, sharing stories, and keeping others connected? Heather Bristow, Director of OLLI at Iowa State, is exploring the idea of having an OLLI member volunteer to take the lead on our monthly newsletter.

This model has been a great success for the ISU Retirees, where a board member has happily managed their newsletter for years. With Heather’s guidance, the volunteer will have plenty of support to make sure each issue includes all the important updates while adding their own creative flair.

It’s a wonderful way to contribute to the OLLI community, flex your writing skills, and help keep our members informed and engaged.

If this opportunity sparks your interest, reach out to Heather to start the conversation.

Winter 2026 Classes Start in January

The OLLI at Iowa State Winter 2026 Course Term starts on Monday, Jan. 12! With a line up of 24 courses, the Let’s Talk OLLI program, and three OLLI Talks, there is a little something for everyone.

There are no tests and no grades, just learning for the fun of it! To further reduce the stress of taking classes, the winter term is online only – so there are no cancellations due to inclement weather!

There is still time to register by visiting the Course Information page of our website where you can also find the online course catalog. Below is a list of the courses to choose from. We hope to see you in class!

Registrations are being processed by the ISU Extension Registration Services team. If you have issues with the form, please contact them at registrations@iastate.edu or 515-294-6222 for assistance.

If you have a gift certificate to redeem, please contact Heather Bristow at hbristow@iastate.edu or 515-294-5790.

Winter 2026 Course List

• Advancing Food Safety Awareness for People Over 50
• AI and The Human Future
• Ames Celebrates the Nation’s Centennial
• Authentic Italian Home Cooking: Valentine’s Day Dinner
• Benjamin Franklin–The Wise and Witty Founding Father
• Beyond the Game – CANCELLED
• Cover Crops: Green Fields, Clear Water
• Demystifying AI
• Discussion About Ultra-Processed Foods
• From Icons to Perestroika: A History of Visual Culture
• It’s Not What You Said! It’s How You Said It! The Role of Nonverbal Communication in Our Interactions with Others
• Let’s Talk OLLI
• Lessons from the Great Depression
• Managing Your Digital Stuff
• Mediterranean Diet (Science and Recipes)
• Nineteenth Century Europe, 1815-1914
• Only Hope: My Mother and the Holocaust Brought to Light
• Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia: Normal Aging vs. Differential Diagnoses
• Physical Activity and Aging Study
• Spotlight on Ames Non-Profits
• The Growth of Presidential Powers in Foreign Policy-Making
• Understanding Global Climate Change
• Understanding Iowa’s Emerging Water Crisis
• Volunteer Community Radio; Learn to Interview/Produce Your Own Program
• Yikes (Data Breaches, Compromised Accounts, etc.)

OLLI Talks

• McFarland Park Lake Restoration Project
• From Avian Influenza to Innovation: updates from the ISU VDL
• A Life after ISU

OLLI at Iowa State Membership

Benefits for 2025-2026 include:

• Connection to a community of enthusiastic learners
• Access to quality non-credit educational opportunities (priced separately)
• Nine OLLI Talk programs with no cost or registration ($225 value)
• Monthly newsletter
• Weekly Friday emails during class sessions about the next week’s activities
• Ames Chamber Artists complimentary pair of concert tickets ($30 value)
• Central Iowa Symphony complimentary pair of concert tickets ($40 value)
• ISU Library card for use at Parks Library for $5 (non-ISU retiree, Iowa residents only) ($15 value)
• Octagon Center for the Arts 10% discount on a purchase of $25 or more
• Stephens Auditorium Buy One Get One ticket offers to select shows

To become an OLLI at Iowa State member or to renew your membership, visit our website at https://olli.iastate.edu/ to complete the online membership form. Or you may contact Heather Bristow (see her contact information at the bottom of this newsletter).

OLLI Connections Beyond the Classroom

Back in the spring of 2014, Jon Katz launched a three-part OLLI series, Making Sense of Life, that continues to ripple through members’ lives nearly 12 years later. The course invited OLLI at Iowa State members to explore timeless wisdom on living fully, finding wholeness, and embracing the reality of mortality as part of a meaningful life. Participants reflected on the insights of philosophers, religious leaders, Buddhist masters, poets, and writers—while also discovering their own perspectives along the way.

For some, the series was transformative. “If I never took another OLLI class, I’m glad I took this one. My life was so enriched by it. And I give OLLI credit for bringing this to my life,” shared Sondra Eddings.

All three installments of the series sold out with several members attending all three sessions. The members of the group expressed their deepest gratitude for Jon and his dedication to the research and delivery of the classes. The friendships and deep conversations sparked in class inspired members to keep meeting long after the series ended. Myrna, Jon’s wife, has been instrumental in keeping the group organized and securing meeting spaces over the years.

At first, the group kept their gatherings quiet. “We didn’t want to interfere with OLLI,” explained Paula Toms. “But when I mentioned it to Jerilyn Logue, the Director of OLLI at that time, she thought it was great.” The current director of OLLI at Iowa State, Heather Bristow, agreed wholeheartedly.

The group fondly recalled the many places they’ve gathered over the years. “I wasn’t sure we would have enough space for everyone in our home,” laughed Myrna Katz. David Digby remembered one meeting in MaryAnn Schwering’s garage—a memory that still brings smiles to the group’s faces. During the pandemic, they adapted by meeting over Zoom.

Today, the Retired Thinkers continue to meet twice a month, choosing new topics for discussion each time. Members have come and gone, but the group’s commitment to thoughtful conversation endures. “It truly was a treat to sit with them and learn about the connections they have fostered for all these years,” Bristow reflected. “I hope that more OLLI members are able to form and nurture similar relationships.”

Nearly 12 years later, the story of the Retired Thinkers is a testament to the lasting connections OLLI can spark—connections that enrich lives long after a class has ended.

Mark Your Calendars!

First Friday Coffee

Friday, Jan. 9, 2026  |  9 a.m. CT  |   Online with Zoom
Link also on the events page of the website.

Stephens Auditorium

Delirium Musicum  |  Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026  |  7 p.m. CT  |  Stephens Auditorium, 520 6th St, Ames, IA

Delirium Musicum is a self-conducted chamber orchestra that pulses with ferocious passion and infuses L.A.’s crackling energy into every performance, disrupting expectations and redefining “classical” music as the new red-hot concert experience.

A 21st-century musical phenomenon, Delirium Musicum breathes fire into masterworks from the Baroque to the music of tomorrow, delivering a concert experience that radiates with fierce and unapologetic creative fervor.

Led by violinist and Artistic Director Etienne Gara, Delirium Musicum performances grab hold of concert-goers’ emotions and don’t let go. Expect an incandescent, visceral experience as you enjoy Delirium Musicum’s eclectic artists making their musical magic.

OLLI at Iowa State members can use their buy one, get one voucher to attend this concert. You can mail the voucher to the Box Office with your concert selection to the address on the bottom of the sheet, or call (515) 294-2479.

OLLI at Iowa State Spring 2026 Course Preview

Wednesday, March 4, 2026  |  1:30 p.m. CT  |  Online with Zoom

Join us to learn about all the spring courses that will be available.

OLLI at ISU Advisory Council & Teams 2025-2026

The OLLI at Iowa State Advisory Council includes the executive team and coordinators of the Advisory Teams. OLLI staff and Project Team Coordinators serve in an ex-officio capacity. Feel free to visit with any of these individuals about course ideas, volunteer opportunities, and any additional programming comments.

MISSION

OLLI at Iowa State nurtures a joyful community of lifelong learning for adults of all ages. We offer non-credit educational courses and social experiences that spark curiosity, connection, and personal growth, specially designed for mature learners.

VISION

To be recognized as the premier, volunteer-based organization of lifelong learning experiences.

VAULES

Adaptability, Curiosity, Integrity, Knowledge, Passion

GOALS

• To continue to offer quality classes and experiences led by excellent leaders
• To expand the base from which OLLI participants are drawn
• To strive for financial security and sustainable growth