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Monthly Lectures   

OLLI-UW Lectures feature one-hour talks from experts on a wide range of subjects. Lectures are being held in-person in Mukilteo and Redmond. These in-person lectures are free to attend. RSVPs are required due to limited capacity (you will be asked to sign-in/create an account). 

OLLI-UW also offers two virtual lectures a month. These lectures are free to members. (Be sure you're signed-in and have an active membership to see the Add to Cart button).
Once a quarter, OLLI-UW will open up an online lecture to the general public. 

  • Keeping It Real: How Conversation Creates Truth (In-Person)
  • Speaker: Mike VanQuickenborne
    Dates: F, 6/6/2025
    Times: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
    Location: Trilogy, Redmond 

    Do you think you have a firm grasp of reality? In this talk, philosopher Mike VanQuickenborne uses everyday language and examples to question our assumptions about what is real. Learn how our perception of reality is shaped by language, and discover how conversation can help us come to terms with our varied experiences.  

    You’ll also learn how the concept of “reality” can be motivating, but also weaponized by things like artificial intelligence, fake news, and “deep fakes.” Our ability to use technology to distort reality is stronger than ever, and is greatly contributing to our deeply fractured society. Could something as simple as conversing with one another be the antidote? 


    For those attending in-person bring your lunch or purchase it onsite at the Trilogy cafe. Enjoy the lecture at 12:30. 

    To RSVP for this in-person lecture click the Add to Cart button. 
    This talk is also being live-streamed on Zoom.  Click here to pre-register on Zoom.

 

  • Estate Planning & Planned Giving 101 (Zoom)
  • Speaker: Anna Cashman, Xan Gerson
    Dates: W, 6/4/2025
    Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Location: Zoom Online 

    Join us for a comprehensive 90-minute presentation where you'll gain valuable insights into the essentials of estate planning and how to incorporate philanthropy into your legacy. This session will cover:

    • Essential Estate Planning Documents: Understand the key components of a solid estate plan, including Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Health Care Directives. Learn how these documents protect your wishes and ensure your loved ones are cared for.
    • Will vs. Revocable Living Trust: Discover the differences between a Will and a Revocable Living Trust. We'll explore the benefits and drawbacks of each, helping you decide which option best suits your needs.
    • Retirement Accounts: Ensure your retirement assets coordinate with your estate plan and why these assets take special care in planning.
    • Philanthropy in Estate Planning: Learn how to leave a lasting impact by incorporating charitable giving into your estate plan. We'll discuss various strategies to support the causes you care about while achieving your financial and philanthropic goals.
       

    Whether you're just starting to think about your estate plan or looking to update an existing one, this presentation will provide you with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions. Don't miss this opportunity to secure your legacy and make a difference!


    This community lecture is open to all. Click here to pre-register on Zoom.
 

  • The Complex Legacy of Henry Kissinger (Zoom)
  • Speaker: David Fenner
    Dates: W, 6/11/2025
    Times: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    Location: Zoom Online 
    Love him or hate him, Henry Kissinger was an omnipresent figure in U.S. foreign affairs and was considered a genius, a manipulator, a war criminal, our greatest statesman, an unhinged paranoid, a deep thinker, a monotonous bore, and so on. David Fenner will cut through all the countervailing opinions and untangle the complex legacy of Dr. Kissinger.
     
    In the latter half of the 20th Century, Henry Kissinger was at the center of nearly every major geopolitical event - and this is exactly where he wanted to be! From the prolonged war in Vietnam, the "secret" bombing of Cambodia, détente and arms control with the Soviets, the opening to China, the Realpolitik of the Nixon years, the orchestrated coups in Latin America, the Nobel Peace Prize shared with Le Duc Tho, to the wars in the Middle East and the advent of "shuttle diplomacy" – all bore the deep imprint of America's top foreign policy strategist and diplomat. We'll revisit Kissinger's role in these events and consider how his impact shaped what's happening in the world today.
     

    This Zoom lecture is for Members only. Sign-In to click on the Add to Cart button.
 

  • The Blacklist Era and Hollywood (In-Person)
  • Speaker: Robert Horton
    Dates: F, 6/13/2025
    Times: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    Location: Rosehill Community Center, Mukilteo 

    “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”

    The answer to this question—or the refusal to answer it—cast hundreds of lives into turmoil at the dawn of the Cold War. The Red Scare that erupted in the 1940s allowed the House Committee on Un-American Activities to grab headlines by parading prominent Hollywood figures before the cameras. Witnesses could either defy the hearings at the risk of their own careers, or “name names”—inform on their colleagues and friends. The resulting blacklist threw many moviemaking professionals out of work.

    This presentation, illustrated with film clips, tells the stories from this heartbreaking and scandalous era, and how notables such as Humphrey Bogart, Elia Kazan, and Charlie Chaplin were swept up in the frenzy. We’ll also ask a question: With today’s politics at a boiling point, are we living in such a period again?


 

  • Arribada: The Arrival of Sea Turtles  (Zoom)
  • Speaker: Ed Sobey
    Dates: W, 6/25/2025
    Times: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    Location: Zoom Online 
    Join oceanographer and Fellow of the Explorers Club, Dr. Ed Sobey, for a lively presentation on sea turtles. The highlight focuses on one night along the Costa Rican shore when 77,000 turtles landed on a small beach to lay their eggs. Arribada: they have arrived!
     

    This Zoom lecture is for Members only. Sign-In to click on the Add to Cart button.
 

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