Lectures, Events, Tours, and Mini-Courses   

This lecture will introduce learners to the Islamic faith in both foundational ideas and modern practice. Topics will include the Quran and what it says about other faiths, family life and the status of women in Islam, the Shia-Sunni Islamic divide and religious hierarchy, Shariah, and American Muslim identity.

Sabeeha and Khalid Rehman have given over 250 talks on Islam in over 100 cities, including last summer at the Chautauqua Institute. Sabeeha is an author, playwright, blogger, podcaster, and speaker on the American Muslim experience.

Participants will explore Chinese textile traditions through lecture, storytelling, and hands-on creative activities. Each session introduces cultural practices and symbolism in decorative arts. Week 1 will explore Chinese women’s sewing traditions and members will create a folded origami case. Week 2 will examine flowers, particularly the lotus, as important symbols in Chinese art and culture. Week 3 will introduce the Linglong Pillow, a traditional Chinese textile object known for creative structure and craftmanship. Participants will create a miniature version. The lectures and workshops are designed to be welcoming and beginner friendly. 

Dr. Chongyan Gao is an OLLI member and an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and a volunteer docent at the Ethnic Costume Museum of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, where she received seven years of systematic training in traditional Chinese costume making. Her work seeks to build cross-cultural and interdisciplinary bridges among traditional costume craftsmanship, brand storytelling, and contemporary design education. 

Controlled nuclear fusion is presented in the press as a clean, safe, unlimited source of electricity if we can just solve the technical problems blocking its fulfillment. Vast sums are being spent on solving these problems with each new headline heralding another "breakthrough." Nuclear fusion powers the Sun but conditions in the center of the Sun are vastly different from any achievable location on Earth. This is why controlling nuclear fusion is so much harder than controlling nuclear fission, which has been producing commercial electricity since the 1950s. In this 90-minute lecture, I will describe the science that explains why fusion power has not been realized after decades of work.

Donald Ellison, PhD, is professor emeritus in physics at North Carolina State University. He obtained a PhD from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has taught physics and astrophysics at the university level, and since 2019, has taught OLLI classes at NCSU, Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh.  

Low social participation is linked to social isolation, sedentary behavior, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness. Although returning to social participation is a top priority for stroke survivors, it is often overlooked in current neurorehabilitation. Chronic stroke survivors increasingly desire to leave home and engage socially, yet many fail to resume participation even five or more years post-stroke. We will discuss how low social participation affects health and well-being in individuals with acquired brain injury (including stroke) and aging adults, and collaborate with attendees on strategies to overcome barriers and promote social participation.

Sarah Rosenson, who has taught a number of classes for OLLI at Pitt, will discuss her new book Fan Fiction on the Book of Genesis:  A Guide to Close Reading of and Creative Writing on the Bible.  In the book, Rosenson discusses the questions left open in the first book of the Bible, and includes questions for the characters in the stories, which can serve as prompts for conversations or creative writing.  Some chapters also describe paintings by famous artists depicting the scene, and how they seem to have answered at least one of the questions.  The book is perfect for anyone interested in reading Bible stories through a new and creative lens.

Sarah Rosenson, JD, has a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University, a master's degree in Jewish studies from the Spertus Institute, and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.  She practiced law for a decade, and then taught classes on ethics, philosophy, the Bible, and world religions at a private high school.  She currently teaches adults both in person and online for various institutions around the country. 

Participants will enjoy a tour of the “living laboratory” for real-world interventions and best practices on how to adapt and equip a home to support individuals as they age and as their needs and abilities change at various stages of life.

We will meet at the Home Lab located at 257 Oakland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Meet at the front of the home, just past the front door. Here is more information on the Healthy Home Lab: Healthy Home Lab

Note: There is a wheelchair access ramp but the only restroom is on the second story up a steep staircase. There is a stairlift between the first and second story to for anyone in the group to use if you have difficulty with climbing stairs. The group will tour through the first story and second story.

Please Note: this tour is free but is open to members only. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early.

There is free street parking on Oakland Ave (usually limited to 1 or 2 hours) and more likely to be available in the summer than during the regular semesters. There is also meter parking nearby and a few parking garages 2+ blocks away. 

Participants will experience a guided tour of the aviary’s outstanding exhibits featuring 500 birds, including free-flying habitats and opportunities to hand feed birds. Following the tour, everyone will experience an immersive bird show for an up-close experience with our feathered friends.

FEE: $20

The National Aviary is located at 700 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.  Please enter through the East Entrance off Arch Street and check in at the Guest Services Desk.

Please note: travel is on your own. Members may park in the National Aviary parking lot off Arch Street on a first-come, first-serve basis for a $5 flat rate. Metered and non-metered street parking is available nearby. Accessible parking is available in the National Aviary parking lot and near the entrance on Arch Street.

All participants in the group must enter the Aviary at the same time, so we will meet outside the main entrance. Once everyone has arrived, we will walk in together.

Initially, this event is only for current OLLI at Pitt members. If spots remain open two weeks prior to the event, guests may be permitted to join.

 

 

Participants will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Acrisure Stadium, including the locker rooms, the Fed Ex Great Hall, the Field Level, and culminating in an exclusive Hall of Honor Museum Tour.

Fee: $20  Deadline to register is May 29, 2026.

The minimum for this event is 20 and the maximum is 50. 

Travel is on your own.

Parking: Individual parking is available in several lots on the North Shore. All parking lots are now cashless. At 11am or after, individual cars/vans must park in Gold Lot 2 off North Shore Drive for $8.00. Guests may also park in the West General Robinson Street garage (pricing is based on an hourly rate).

Meeting site: members should enter at the FedEx South Gate adjacent to the Steelers Box Office along Art Rooney Avenue.

Please note: initially, this event is only for current OLLI at Pitt members. If spots remain open two weeks prior to the event, guests may be permitted to join.

The docent-guided tour will include exhibits in visual art, film, performance, theater, and music, underscoring the breadth of approaches shaping contemporary art and creative practice today. This year marks the 59th edition of this event. 

The Carnegie Museum of Art is located at 440 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Fee: $18 - Coupons and membership discounts do not apply to guided tours.

Last day to register is Friday, June 12, 2026.

Be advised: Some items can damage artworks and specimens. Nothing is permitted to be carried on one’s back, including backpacks, drawstring bags, and purses. All bags must be no larger than 11" x 15". 

Travel is on your own. There is limited parking for cars and small vans in the parking lot at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Craig Street. Regular rates apply.

Please note: Initially, this event is only for current OLLI at Pitt members. If spots remain open two weeks prior to the event, guests may be permitted to join. 

The Clemente Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the life and legacy of Roberto Clemente. With one of the largest collections of photographs and objects related to Roberto Clemente, the museum aims to educate its audiences on not only his incredible baseball career, but his humanitarian efforts and life off the field. 

Fee: $21

Upon registration on our site, you will receive an email with the link to pay the fee directly to the Clemente Museum.

Note: Travel is on your own. 

The museum is located at 3339 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Parking for the museum is free and is located next to the building. The parking lot entrance is off Penn Avenue.

Meeting location: members will meet in the lobby area at the main entrance. Please do not arrive more than 10 minutes before the scheduled tour time. The doors will remain locked until 12:50 p.m.

Initially, this event is only for current OLLI at Pitt members. If spots remain open two weeks prior to the event, guests may be permitted to join.

Summer Lecture Series 

This year, we are partnering with OLLI at Dartmouth to offer our members an exciting SIX-week online lecture series that asks, How is Artificial Intelligence Transforming America? 

Members will register for the entire lecture series as one event. Each week, we will email you the zoom link for that week's lecture. Please do not share the link. It is only intended for paid OLLI at Pitt members who have registered for this lecture series.

Session 1, July 8 - What Can the Declaration of Independence Teach Us About Artificial Intelligence? 

Presenter: Brinnae Bent, Executive in Residence in the Engineering and Professional Programs, Pratt School of Engineering at Duke; Director, Duke TRUST Lab 

Session 2, July 15 - Can AI Think Like a Doctor? 

Presenter: Adam Rodman, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School; Director of AI Programs, Shapiro Center for Research and Education, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

Session 3, July 22 - AI: Too Artificial? Too Intelligent? Too Much Energy? 

Presenter: Dan W. Reicher, Senior Scholar, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability; Senior Fellow, Dartmouth Irving Institute for Energy & Society 

Session 4, July 29 - What Will Be the Economic Impacts of AI? 

Presenter: Patrick Wheeler, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Strategies, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 

Session 5, August 5 - Is AI Leading Us Toward a More Dangerous World Disorder? 

Presenter: Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors; Co-Founder and Chair, Center for a New American Security 

Session 6, August 12 - How Can We Build Human Morality Into AI? 

Special time: 9:00 a.m. to noon 
Presenter: Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Chauncey Stillman Distinguished Professor of Practical Ethics, Duke University 

 

• Dates: Wednesdays, July 8 – August 12, 2026 

• Time: 9 AM to 11:00 AM; August 12, 9 AM to noon. 

• Break: 10:15 AM, a 15- to 20-minute break where the moderator will go through all the questions that were submitted by the audience.  Resume 10:30-10:40 AM and Q&A until 11 AM. 

• Note: The last session on August 12 will run until noon to give more time for Q&A.