Lectures, Events, Tours, and Mini-Courses   

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 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.

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.