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Osher Online Winter 2027

Osher Online is a national program that is offered to a select number of Osher Institutes and managed by the Osher National Resource Center (NRC) out of Northwestern University. These unique programs allow OLLI members from across the country to take courses together. These offerings are separate from the regular courses OLLI at UMass Boston sponsors and as such, are treated as special events that are open to all current OLLI members.

There is a $45 fee assessed for each course you register to help cover the cost of providing this program for our members. This $45 event fee is applicable to all OLLI membership levels. Payment will be due a week prior to the program starting. OLLI members must be current members at the time of registration as well as when the program starts.

Please read the following details carefully.

Registration opens November 13 at 8:00 a.m. Unlike our usual spring or fall courses, these programs will fill on a first-come, first-served basis. Please do not email or call in your request.
Your OLLI membership must be current so you can register for these programs. Please call (617.287.7312) to renew your membership.
Osher Online programs are open to any current OLLI member.
Cost: $45 per event. The program fee must be paid a week prior to it beginning.
OLLI at UMass Boston will provide the class roster to the NRC. The NRC will then email the confirmation back to each student and provide a username and password so the student can access their course information, including handouts and communications with the study leaders, on the NRC’s online course portal.
There will be an orientation via Zoom on January 12, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. on how to access and use your Osher Online course portal. Zoom information will be sent via the NRC office.

Note: OLLI at UMass Boston will not have access to Zoom details for these programs. Access to program information, including Zoom links, are only accessible through the NRC online website/portal. The NRC will provide help and assistance if an OLLI member has trouble accessing this information.

Step-by-Step Registration Instructions (PDF File) Osher Online Winter Offerings (PDF File)

Back to Courses & Programs

The programs below are listed alphabetically. If you do not see the "Add To Cart" button, you have not signed in correctly or your membership has expired. Note: the "Add To Cart" button will not appear until 8:00 a.m. on Friday, November 13 when registration opens.

50 Years of Star Wars
Day: Thursday
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/21/2027 - 2/25/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Marc DiPaolo
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
2027 will mark the 50th anniversary of “Star Wars,” George Lucas’ underdog film that became a cultural phenomenon that influenced generations. We will explore how this film and its sequels, prequels, comic books, video games, and action figures made a galaxy far, far away worthy of serious study and fan appreciation. We will begin with Lucas’ wide-ranging inspirations, including 1930s “Flash Gordon” serials, samurai films, Jack Kirby comics, and Joseph Campbell’s writings on the hero’s journey. We will consider the legacy of “Episode IV: A New Hope,” including its role in reshaping Hollywood into a franchise- and merchandise-driven industry. We will examine political themes in “Star Wars,” questions of authorship, and the influence of fan culture. Whether you are a lifelong fan or a newcomer who has never even heard of Chewbacca, this course offers a comprehensive look at how a galaxy far, far away shaped the cultural tastes and values of generations.

August Wilson's American Cycle-Building Fences and Homes: The Latter Plays
Day: Wednesday
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 2/3/2027 - 3/10/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Ladrica Menson-Furr, PhD
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
August Wilson was the first African American playwright to have a Broadway theater bear his name, a fitting tribute to a dramatist who brought African American culture and lived experience to the stage. In this course, we will read, watch, and examine the final five plays in Wilson’s American Cycle, a ten-play series representing each decade of the African American culture’s 20th century. We will explore Wilson’s life and the influences behind his work while focusing on Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney!, King Hedley II, and Radio Golf, tracing his powerful interpretation, celebration, and perseveration of African American culture. We will discuss how his characters were in search of America’s promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and, more importantly, for their “songs,” or true identities.

Broadway Musicals: A Fascinating History
Day: Monday
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/25/2027 - 3/1/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Emanuel Abramovits, MBA
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Musicals have been a major part of American theater, from the Tin Pan Alley-driven comedies of the early twentieth century to the integrated musicals that flourished in the heyday years of midcentury America. In this course, we will explore book musicals, concept musicals, and the arrival of European mega-productions late in the century. We will profile some of the theater world's leading composers, lyricists, writers, choreographers, directors, and performers. With the help of audiovisuals, we will study many of the most unforgettable shows including Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Show Boat, Guys and Dolls, Hair, Cabaret, Rent, Wicked, Hamilton, and more.

Famous Furniture Makers and Their Fabulous Creations
Day: Tuesday
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/19/2027 - 2/23/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Eleanor Schrader
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Throughout history, furniture makers and decorative artists have often been relegated to a lesser status behind painters and sculptors, yet furniture and decorative objects are important works of art in their own right. The creative processes employed by these imaginative artists conveyed their skill, status and artistry, while the works they fashioned brought prestige to the individuals for whom they were created. Beauty and opulence were central to these creations, revealing the meticulous methods and sumptuous materials. This course will trace furniture styles in Europe and America from ancient times to the end of the 18th century, focusing on the detailed methods of marquetry, gilding, lacquering, upholstery, mechanization, and other construction techniques. The lives of the artists and their patrons will be discussed in the context of the era in which they lived.

Folk Singers, the FBI, and the Second Red Scare
Day: Thursday
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/21/2027 - 2/25/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Aaron Leonard
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Some of the most prominent folk singers of the 20th century, including Woody Guthrie, Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, and Burl Ives, were also political activists with ties to the American Communist Party. As a result, the FBI, along with other government and right-wing organizations, kept meticulous files on them and worked to push them out of the cultural realm. Through music, video, news clippings, and records from Freedom of Information Act filings, we will explore these artists’ lives and the systematic ways they were subjected to government surveillance and suppression.

From Gregorian Chant to Bohemian Rhapsody: The Evolution of Vocal Groups
Day: Wednesday
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/27/2027 - 3/3/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Mike Agron
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
This multimedia course celebrates the expressive power of voices coming together. Based on a previous Osher Online course, this term with greater depth and a wider lens, we will trace how the human voice (blended, layered, or sung in unison) has shaped music for nearly a thousand years. Designed for curious music lovers, the course will explore the evolution of vocal groups, including duos, trios, quartets, and larger ensembles, across genres and eras. From sacred chant to jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and beyond, we will celebrate iconic performers, unexpected connections, and how their legacies live on through contemporary groups and digital-age innovators who continue to unite, inspire, and move us with their vocal magic. No theory required – just ears, curiosity, and a love of great music.

Functional Healthspan: Measuring What Matters
Day: Monday
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/25/2027 - 3/1/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room:
Facilitator: Scott Fulton
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Healthspan is the length of time a person lives in good health. Diet and lifestyle are often debatable proxies for healthspan. In contrast, functional ability is a measurable output. It directly forecasts healthspan, because it is the same criterion used to assess our ability to live independently. Functional blind spots determine healthspan at twice the rate of disease, yet they have gone unmeasured, until now. This hands-on, course will help measure and improve the abilities that matter most for independence: strength, endurance, mobility, flexibility, and cognition. Each session will blend evidence-based instruction with enlightening, active self-assessments. We will learn how physical and cognitive function work together and how to integrate them into current daily life. Discover your blind spots and build a stronger future through a personalized 12-week plan.

Funny You Should Mention It: TV Sitcoms in the 21st Century
Day: Monday
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/25/2027 - 3/1/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Jim McKairnes
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong described the evolution of the half-hour comedy as “arguably the great artistic advancement seen on television in the last decade.” In this course, we will explore how that advancement continues. From “I Love Lucy” in the 1950s to “All in the Family” and “Soap” in the 1970s, “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s, and “Seinfeld” in the 1990s, we will examine how the sitcom changed as American culture changed and as broadcast television evolved. We will then consider how the early 2000s recalibrated the form through changes in writing, structure, pacing, characters, rules and especially expectations. Along the way, we will discuss meta humor, mockumentaries, cringe comedy, sad comedies, and series such as “BoJack Horseman,” “Atlanta,” “Ghosts,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Hacks,” and “Shrinking.” Tune in for a look at all things funny in TV. Together, we will consider why today’s funniest half-hour comedies do not always have to be funny.

Living Off the Laughter: The History of Comedy in America, Part II
Day: Wednesday
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/27/2027 - 3/3/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Eddy Friedfeld
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is a history course with a laugh track. We will analyze the significant periods and players of the 20th and 21st centuries against their historic context and legacy, using humor as the platform. We will discuss how comedy was shaped by and responsive to American society, and how comedians, in turn, influenced and shaped American life. We will then focus on comedy auteurs (including Mel Brooks, Tyler Perry, and Amy Heckerling); comedy incubators; blockbuster comedies; standup comedy; sitcoms; and political comedy. We will study how America laughed in each generation, and how the change in American character and persona shaped how they laughed, and what (and whom) they laughed at.

Paper Trails: The History of US Mass Media Ownership
Day: Wednesday
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/20/2027 - 2/24/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Caroline Nappo, PhD
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
In this course, we will trace the history of American journalism and examine how control of the press has shifted over time, from political patrons and penny-press advertisers to broadcast regulators, cable moguls, and today’s social media platforms. We will consider how each shift has shaped journalism’s relationship to democracy and public trust. We will develop a richer understanding of why American media looks the way it does today and a more critical eye for the structural forces that influence news coverage. We will deepen our appreciation for the independent, nonprofit, and public media institutions working to sustain journalism as a public good.

Popular Cultures of the Middle East
Day: Monday
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/25/2027 - 3/1/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Nour Hodeib
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
This course surveys popular cultures in the Arabic-speaking Middle East. We will explore the Southwest Asia and North Africa region through its audio, visual, and literary production in relation to colonialism, nation-building, and globalization. We will examine cinema, literary arts, oral traditions, and music to understand how different communities seek to express their cultural, political, and social identities. We will cover the anti-colonial and national liberation movements of the early twentieth century, the global sixties and long seventies, the neoliberal nineties, the digital age, and the Arab Spring. Beyond state-sponsored national identities and cultural formations, we will consider how youth, women, and minorities seek to express themselves in contention and negotiation with dominant social and political forces.

The Last 100 Years of Russian Rulers: From Stalin to Putin
Day: Wednesday
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/27/2027 - 3/3/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Asya Pereltsvaig
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
In this course, we will examine 100 years of Russian history by looking closely at the personalities of its rulers: Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khruschev, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. Each week, we will consider one of these major Soviet or post-Soviet leaders. We will explore their personal backgrounds, how they each came to power and held on to power, how their personalities and peculiarities affected the course of Russian history, and how they each ended their term in power. We will also consider each man’s legacy and will indeed contemplate why they were all men.

Today's Technology: How Does It Work?
Day: Wednesday
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/20/2027 - 2/24/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Elizabeth Burnette, MS
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Technology’s pace continues to accelerate, sometimes leaving us in the dust. This course will give you a general understanding of several important advances in technology including: the internet and the cloud; cell phones and social media; robotics and 3-D printing; self-driving vehicles; blockchain and cryptocurrency; and AI. This introductory course will offer a broad overview of these complex subjects, with an emphasis on building understanding rather than exploring each subject in depth or debating ethical questions. No prior technical knowledge is required, however, come with a curious, open mind. Together we will jump on the raging tech train and see what we can learn.

Uncertain by Nature: Quantum Mechanics and Nuclear Chemistry
Day: Thursday
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 1/28/2027 - 3/4/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: John Hendrickson, PhD
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
What does it mean for a particle to be in two places at once, and why should a chemist care? This course will explore two of the most counterintuitive and consequential ideas in modern science: quantum mechanics and nuclear chemistry. We will examine wave-particle duality, wavefunctions, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and Schrödinger’s famous cat — not as abstract puzzles but as the foundation of how atoms actually behave. We will then turn to the nucleus itself: fission, fusion, radioactive decay, carbon dating, and the long shadow of the Manhattan Project. From Hiroshima to Chernobyl to today’s energy debates, nuclear science has never been just science.

Women, Sainthood, and Power
Day: Tuesday
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Number of Sessions: 6
Dates: 2/2/2027 - 3/9/2027
Seats Available: 13
Program Fee: $45.00

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator: Oliva Espín, PhD
Schedule Notes: Special online portal information will be sent from the Osher NRC.
Registration: Due to the limited allotment of seats, OLLI members can only register for one Osher Online course. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.
This course explores the lives of female saints through the lens of several intellectual disciplines. We will discuss remarkable women in the context of their historical times and cultural backgrounds, exploring an international gallery of female saints such as Joan of Arc, Teresa of Avila, Rose of Lima, Frances Cabrini, and others. These women’s stories reveal strong characters, different from the trite depiction of female saints as silent, obedient, and submissive. We will learn how and why their strategies of resistance and accommodation to authority and to normative women’s roles are relevant today. If you are interested in psychology, women’s and gender studies, history, religion, or cultural and ethnic studies, this course is for you.

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