A new program beginning this fall from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UWM offers intergenerational benefits.
In the OLLI Scholars initiative, UWM graduate students create two- and three-session classes to present their research to members of the Osher institute, who are adults of all ages and backgrounds interested in continuing to learn for the joy of learning.
The program gives graduate students working on a thesis or dissertation an opportunity to share their research with Osher members, and earn a stipend for doing so.
The idea behind the initiative, modeled after a program at the Osher of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, is to create more intergenerational interaction, which research has shown is beneficial for everyone involved. While Osher members will be able to learn about new research from these graduate students, the students will gain valuable teaching experience as they work to explain their material in two or three class sessions to an audience outside of academia, and gain mentorship in the process.
Ellyn Lem, a former UWM at Waukesha English professor now working as an outreach specialist for Osher, worked with program coordinator Laurie Yingling, director Sarah Grammer and a committee of Osher volunteers to help implement the program this spring.
“In a time when we hear a lot about challenges students face regarding research funding, OLLI Scholars offers good news that there is financial support for graduate students that Osher members donated themselves through gifts to this new program during 414 for UWM Giving Days,” Lem said. “And now, they get the reward of learning new cutting-edge ideas from these projects.”
Fourteen OLLI Scholars from a variety of UWM colleges and disciplines were selected in late June for the upcoming academic year from 30 applicants.
The presentations will begin in September and go through August 2026. They will be presented at the UWM Hefter Center, 3271 N. Lake Drive, and most will be livestreamed on Zoom and available later as a recording.
To join the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (part of UWM’s School of Continuing Education) or learn more about membership and programs, go to the Osher webpage or call 414-227-3320.
The presenters and their topics
These UWM master’s and doctoral students will be presenting material from their thesis research on the following dates; classes are 75 minutes:
- Sept. 16 and 18, 4 p.m.: “The Secret Lives of Things: Writing about Objects” – Nora Boxer (Creative Writing), advisor Liam Callanan
- Oct. 3 and 10, 12:30 p.m.: “Healthy Cognitive Aging” – Kana Kimura (Cognitive Neuroscience), advisor Caitlin Bowman
- Dec. 2 and 9, 4 p.m.: “The Hidden Art History of Early Buddhism: Symbols and Statuary” – Johan Hauser-Ulrich (Art History), advisor Derek Counts
- Dec. 4 and 11, 4 p.m.: “Learning and Memory and the Brain” – Aaron Fleischer (Psychology/Neuroscience), advisor Karyn Frick
- Feb. 10, 17 and 24, 12:30 p.m.: “Dancing with a Partner: Leading, Following, and Grooving” – Martha Gourley (Dance), advisor Maria Gillespie
- Feb. 10, 17 and 24, 2:15 p.m.: “Television, Gender, and Comedy-Variety’s Funny Ladies” – Jessica Hoover (Media, Cinema and Digital Studies), advisor Elana Levine
- March 6 and 13, 12:30 p.m.: “Parking and Math” – Melissa Beerbower (Math), advisor Pamela Estephania Harris
- April 9 and 16, 2:15 p.m.: “Planets, Rocks and Their Magnetic Fields” – Terra Johnson (Geosciences), advisor Julie Bowles
- June 3 and 10, 12:30 p.m.: “From Disneyland to Dominating Sets: The Math behind Optimal Resource Placement” – Jillian Cervantes (Math), advisor Pamela Estephania Harris
- June 16, 23 and 30, 12:30 p.m.: “Healthcare Across the Pond: Understanding Access to and Maintenance of Healthcare for Transgender, Intersex, and Nonbinary Adults in Wales” – Daniel Holliday (Public Health), advisor Lance Stuart Weinhardt
- July 8 and 15, 12:30 p.m.: “Crafting Your Visual Narrative: The Impact of Intentional Photo Sharing” – Ellie Oslin (Clinical Psychology), advisor W. Hobart Davies
- July 23 and 30, 12:30 p.m.: “Taxonomy of Memory” – Cara Charles (Cognitive Neuroscience), advisor Caitlin Bowman
- Aug. 4 and 11, 12:30 p.m.: “Through the Lens: Capturing Moments of Motion and Personal Expression” – Carly Vanderheyden (Dance), advisor Maria Gillespie
- Aug. 6 and 13, 12:30 p.m. “Short Stories, Big Questions” – David Heinen (Creative Writing), advisor Liam Callanan
