at the
University of Washington
Winter 2013
Schedule
University of Washington Campus, Seattle
Seattle
Page
Immigration & Population Change in the US ................................................................................................................................ 2
The Ocean’s Role in Global Climate ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Part 4 ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Sports and Social Change in America ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Middle East: Today and Yesterday .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Tennyson: Poems for His and Our Time ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Einstein and Mozart: The Physics of Music ................................................................................................................................. 3
Redmond
Thank You, Our Friendly Microbes! ................................................................................................................................................ 4
American Poetries .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
The U.S. Constitution: Does it Still Work Today? ...................................................................................................................... 4
Masters of the Baroque Period ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
The Rise of the Japanese Industrial State ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Everett
Winter with the Symphony ................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Keeping Your Brain Fit for the Rest of Your Life ......................................................................................................................... 6
Hollywood’s 90-Minute Masterpieces ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Chiaroscuro for Drawing and Painting ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Bothell
Energy Technology Next Steps ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
The Earliest Poems in English ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Caligari’s Children: The Great Age of German Film ................................................................................................................. 7
Immigration & Population Change in the US
Natasha Rivers
Tuesdays, Feb. 12, 19, 26, March 5; 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Seattle, University of Washington Campus
In this course, we’ll examine U.S. immigration trends and policies from a geographic perspective, focusing on how international
migration flows to the U.S. have steadily increased and changed since 1965. We’ll start with a review of the laws from 1924-2002,
which determined the demographic profile of this country by including or excluding certain populations and accepting or rejecting
refugees. We’ll take a close look at the 1990 immigration law, which introduced the Diversity Visa Lottery. Through this course,
students will gain a deeper understanding of U.S. immigration law and policy and the effect it has had in shaping the U.S. population.
OLLI-UW welcomes Natasha Rivers, a Research Associate for the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology (CSDE) at the
University of Washington. She is also a part-time instructor for the Geography Department. Rivers received her Ph.D. in the
Geography Department at UCLA in 2010 and later taught for two years as a Teaching Assistant/Associate for the Geography
Department at UCLA. Her dissertation was on contemporary sub-Saharan African migration to and within the United States and she
is currently working on the interstate moves of black and white migrants during the pre- and post-recessionary periods.
The Ocean’s Role in Global Climate
Andrea Fassbender
Mondays, February 25, March 4, 11, 18; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Seattle, University of Washington Campus
The ocean plays a major role in regulating global climate over thousands of years; however, current climate change is occurring
faster than the ocean can respond. This course will introduce members to the various ways in which the ocean influences global
climate, the role it has played in past climate shifts, and the unpredictable future. Lectures will include an overview of the ocean’s
physical, chemical, and biological processes. In addition, fossil fuels have added a significant amount of carbon to the surface ocean,
resulting in ocean acidification. These impacts are not only harmful to the ocean, but have consequences for how the ocean will
mitigate future climate change. The final session will touch on regional impacts of future ocean change and the instruments
scientists use to monitor changes in the ocean.
Andrea Fassbender is a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington working at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.
She holds a Graduate Certificate in Climate Sciences (2009) and a Master’s Degree in Oceanography (2010). She has developed a
Climate Change 101 course and taught on many related topics. With her background in education and work with NOAA, OLLI-UW is
excited to introduce her to the program.
Horizon House, Seattle
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Part 4
Sean Taylor
Tuesdays, January 22, 29, February 5, 12; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Seattle, Horizon House
This course will be the fourth in a series to undertake a complete reading of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the
foundation stone of medieval English literature. The Tales cover a wide range of genres, all presented in the framing tale of a motley
group of fourteenth-century pilgrims riding to Canterbury. Special attention will be paid to the socio-political background on which
the Tales offers trenchant satire, and on Chaucer’s novel conception of his own role as “author.” Students are requested to read The
Pardoner’s Tale (Intro and Tale) for the first class meeting. You do not have to have attended previous classes in this series. Everyone
is welcome!
Sean Taylor holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington, and has taught as a professor at Portland State University
and Hamilton College. He performs regularly as an actor with Seattle Shakespeare Company and his main areas of expertise are Old
and Middle English literature.
Sports and Social Change in America
James Rigali
Wednesdays, February 20, 27, March 6, 13; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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Seattle, Horizon House
Beginning with Colonial America and the rise of competitive sports in the 1800’s, this course will consider the historical development
of sports in the United States and its impact on American culture and society. After the Civil War, new technology made sports
readily available for a growing urban audience while at the same time mirroring society’s racial segregation which excluded African
Americans from commercial sports. We will explore these issues, as well as the rapid social changes of the 1900’s and dramatic
advances in technology and mass media in the 1920s, 1950s and 1980s which lead to the increasing centrality of sports in American
life. Lastly, the course will look at unprecedented prosperity of the last fifty years in America and how that has transformed the
economics of professional sports.
James Rigali was a local sports writer covering the Seattle Mariners and Supersonics. He later earned his Ph.D. in History at the
University of Washington. He has taught American History at Pacific Lutheran and North Seattle Community College, as well as the
University of Washington. His specialty is 19th Century American History.
University House, Seattle
MIDDLE EAST: Today and Yesterday
Karam Dana
Fridays, February 1, 8, 15, 22; 2-4 p.m.
Seattle, University House
This course provides an overview of the Middle East, primarily in the 20th Century. Some of the topics that will be explored include
the role of religion in society, gender, colonialism, state-society relations, popular culture in the Arab world, and the recent wave of
social movements (i.e., Arab Spring) that shook the foundations of various dictatorial regimes in the Arab world.
Karam Dana, a new instructor for OLLI-UW, is an Assistant Professor, at the UW Bothell, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and
Sciences His research examines how religion influences political identities in different cultural and societal contexts. His work on the
Middle East explores how religion was used as a means to mobilize and rally support for specific political agendas in Palestine, during
the British Mandate period. He also studies the political and civic engagement of Muslims in Western contexts, but specifically in the
United States. Dana was an Associate Faculty at the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University, 2011-2012. He also
was a lecturer at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy & Department of History, Tufts University, 2010-2011 and was a
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Islam in the West Program, Harvard University, 2009-2010.
Tennyson: Poems for His and Our Time
Richard Dunn
Fridays, March 1, 8, 15, 22; 2-4 p.m.
Seattle, University House
From 1850 onward, the works of Lord Alfred Tennyson could be found in the homes of countless readers in England and America.
This course deals with some of his most enduring poetry, providing us a look at the Victorian Age where Tennyson provided his
readers with a past that had messages for the present. This class will begin with reading and discussing shorter poems in which
Tennyson used legendary and historical characters to address past and present concerns and hopes for the troubled times of the
mid-19th century. Later, the course will learn about ‘In Memoriam,’ his "verse-novel elegy" pondering faith and doubt, nature and
science, and the capacities of poetry itself.
Richard Dunn is a Professor of English at the University of Washington. His extensive experience includes being the author-editor of
12 books such as Wuthering Heights and Oliver Twist as well as many essays and reviews. Dunn has been teaching Victorian
literature for over forty years, focusing especially on the major novelists including Dickens, the Brontes, George Eliot, and Hardy. He
has often taught the major poets and nonfictional prose writers and in recent years he has frequently provided courses and talks
with other senior groups in addition to local book clubs.
Mirabella, Seattle
Einstein and Mozart: The Physics of Music
Bernard Silbernagel
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Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Seattle, Mirabella
Music has been part of human culture since prehistoric times. The earliest artifacts in the ancient world reveal well developed
instrumental and vocal traditions. This course will explore the different ways in which musical instruments produce sounds and how
they have evolved from ancient times to the present. Students will begin to understand how the physiology of human hearing
determines which sounds we find pleasant and influenced the choices of tonal scales in various cultures. Each of these concepts will
be illustrated by examples from the classical repertoire. Lastly we will discuss the physical considerations behind the construction of
concert halls and will conclude with a discussion and an optional tour of Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.
Bernard Silbernagel is a retired senior scientist from ExxonMobil’s Corporate Research Laboratories. His training [B.S. (Yale
University); Ph.D. (UC San Diego)] is in physics and he taught physics at UC Santa Barbara prior to beginning his industrial career.
He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, and Sigma Xi. He is the author of over 100 scientific papers. He is a baritone and has done choral singing
for nearly three decades.
Trilogy at Redmond Ridge, Redmond
Thank You, Our Friendly Microbes!
Winston Brill
Tuesdays, Jan 29, Feb 5, 12, 19 and 26; 10:00-noon
Redmond, Trilogy at Redmond Ridge
Who knew that something we can’t even see would be valuable to us! No science background is necessary for this course which will
focus on microbes (organisms only seen under a microscope). When a microbe makes the news, it is usually in context of being
dangerous. However, the vast majority of microbes pose no danger; in fact, we could not survive if it weren’t for certain microbes
living in, on, and near us. Microbes are essential to agriculture and environmental quality. Come learn about microbes in food,
agriculture, your health, and the cycling of matter. We will also learn about how these tiny organisms will likely play even more
important roles in future commercial ventures.
Winston Brill is a visiting University of Washington professor who has received national and international recognition, including the
Eli Lilly Award as “the most outstanding microbiologist under the age of 40 in the U.S. and Canada,” and the Alexander von
Humboldt Foundation Award for “the most important breakthrough in the agricultural sciences.” Business Week identified him as
one of the top ten most innovative scientists. Brill was featured in the television series Nova, CBS Evening News, Time, and
Newsweek. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Before “retiring” Brill was a professor at the University of
Wisconsin, founder of a biotech company, and a consultant and speaker on creativity and innovation.
American Poetries
Roger Berger
Thursdays, February 21, 28, March 7, 14; 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Redmond, Trilogy at Redmond Ridge
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Join us in this fascinating class of American poetry! We will learn and discuss three American poets —Emily Dickinson, William Carlos
Williams, and Wallace Stevens— all who may be the most influential poets in American literary history. In this course we will delve
into each poet’s style as well as get a chance to read an assortment of poems. Participants who prefer to attend without reading any
poems will also benefit from this class too!
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OLLI-UW is pleased to welcome Roger A. Berger, PhD, an English Instructor at Everett Community College. He received his PhD in
20th Century British and American literature from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught at a number of schools, including the
University of Wisconsin, Wabash College in Indiana, Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and Wichita State University in
Kansas. Berger has published many encyclopedia entries and book chapters as well as articles in scholarly journals like PMLA, Essays
in Literature, Film/Literature Quarterly, College Literature, Research in African Literatures, and the African American Review. He lives
in Everett with his wife, Eileen Simmons, and cats, Ding Ding and Rusty Staub.
The U.S. Constitution: Does it Still Work Today?
William Andersen
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Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Redmond, Trilogy at Redmond Ridge
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In the 1780s our Founding Fathers signed a document which still upholds the United States government even to today. This
fascinating course will review the U.S. Constitution and what the Founding Fathers had in mind at the time. We will then move on to
exploring how the U.S. Constitution is being interpreted today and the present structure of government that has emerged from it.
There will also be a special look at how the current government system does work (and doesn’t work) in today’s very different
world.
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William R. Andersen, the Judson Falknor Professor of Law at the University of Washington was educated at Denver and the Yale Law
School and later became the Associate General Counsel for Legislation of the Federal Aviation Agency. Andersen Joined the UW law
faculty in 1964 where his principal teaching duties were in constitutional law, the legislative process and administrative law. He has
published in all these fields. Andersen has held visiting teaching/research assignments at the University of Michigan Law School,
Columbia Law School and the University of Copenhagen, as well as having spent several years teaching U.S. Constitutional Law at the
Johns Hopkins Nanjing University Center for Chinese American Studies in Nanjing, China from 2003-2006.
Masters of the Baroque Period
Kolya Rice
Mondays, Feb 25, March 4, 11, (skip the 18th) 25; 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Redmond, Trilogy at Redmond Ridge
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Through careful exploration of a select group of exemplary artists, this introductory art history course traces key developments and
themes explored in the art of Western Europe during the late 16th-18th centuries. This time was an exciting and revolutionary
period known as the Baroque Period. In this course, particular emphasis will be placed on how artists responded to their cultural and
social contexts. While illustrated lectures anchor the course, discussion is encouraged at all times!
Kolya Rice, currently a Ph.D. candidate in modern and contemporary art history and criticism at the University of Washington (UW),
received his M.A. from Rice University. He has taught a wide range of courses on western art, theory and criticism at the University
of Washington, Seattle University and the University of Puget Sound over the last decade, and is an adjunct professor in the UW’s
Art History and Master of Arts in Museology program.
The Rise of the Japanese Industrial State
Mike Masahiro Meshii
Wednesdays, February 6, 13, 20, 27; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Redmond, Trilogy at Redmond Ridge
This presentation of four seminars focuses primarily the recent 200 years of Japan, examining how the Japanese industrial state
came about and developed. The changes took place in Japan, the Japanese and her politics in the last 200 years were so rapid and
enormous, rarely seen in our world history. Since Mike lived through the most devastating period in Japan, his own experience will
be included in the presentation. The course will include the following: background information prior to the last 200 years, the end of
the national isolation, the period of catching up to the world great power, initial success, overconfidence and invasion into
Manchuria and China, Pearl Harbor to unconditional surrender, recovery from devastation, the new Japan and prospect for her
future.
Mike Meshii was born in 1931 and raised in an industrial town near Osaka in Japan. While he was a graduate student in the
Engineering School of Osaka University, he came to the States as a Fulbright exchange student in 1956 and obtained Ph. D. from
Northwestern University. He stayed in the university until his retirement as the John Evans Professor Emeritus in 2003. He and his
wife, Eiko, moved to the Trilogy shortly thereafter are enjoying life here in social activities, tennis, skiing and golf.
Everett
Winter with the Symphony
Craig Parker
Tuesdays, January 15, 22, 29, February 5; 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Everett, Carl Gipson Center, Lombard Avenue
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Grab a cup of hot coffee and join others in learning what to listen for in classical music. This class will focus on selected musical
works that will be performed by the Everett Philharmonic, the Cascade Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony in February and
March, 2013. Included in the study will be Mozart's final symphony, the Symphony No. 41 ("Jupiter"), the mysterious Enigma
Variations by Elgar, a delightful Concerto Grosso by Handel, and the exciting Francesca da Rimini fantasy for orchestra by
Tchaikovsky. To enrich the experience of listening to these pieces, Dr. Parker will provide interesting information about the
composers and the circumstances under which the musical works were created. He will provide listening guides that highlight
what to listen for in the music, and will clarify terminology such as symphony, symphonic poem, variations, and concerto grosso.
Attendance at the live orchestra performances is optional but highly encouraged!
Craig Parker began his career in music as a public school music educator, and went on to become a professor of music at Covenant
College in north Georgia. Parker has also been music director in several churches, and was a training manager in business for many
years. He received a B.A. in Music Education and an M.A. in Music History from Western Washington University. He holds a Doctor
of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington, with a specialization in Music Education. Since he began teaching with
OLLI-UW in 2010, members have constantly requested more of his fascinating courses.
Keeping Your Brain Fit for the Rest of Your Life
Ellis Waller-Walker
Thursdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28; 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Everett, Carl Gipson Center, Lombard Avenue
Stay sharp in this interactive series which provides an overview of the latest research with regard to aging and the brain. In this
course, participants will have opportunity to challenge their fears of growing older, experience mind stretching activities, identify
factors that lead to life satisfaction, and practice techniques that can sharpen one’s memory. You’ll be sure to enjoy this lively and
insightful course!
Ellis Waller-Walker has worked in education and human development for over 25 years. She received her Master’s Degree in
Gerontology from the University of Southern California when it first established the Leonard Davis School/Ethel Percy Gerontology
Center. Since, she has been working in the field, as an educator, trainer, care-manager, and consultant. Waller-Walker currently
teaches courses at Coastline Community College and provides education and consulting services to various organizations that
provide services to seniors. She has received multiple awards in the fields of gerontology and education, having spent her career
devoted to teaching and senior care.
Hollywood’s 90-Minute Masterpieces
Alan Jacobson
Mondays, March 4, 11, 18, 25; 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Everett, Carl Gipson Center, Lombard Avenue
Do you ever find yourself wondering what makes movies work? Or wonder why some don’t? In other words, do you ever feel like
you need to grab a magazine to make it through an audiovisual digression? How is it that a truly great film conveys both emotion
and story with such power and economy? In this series, we study just that. Enhance your visual literacy as we explore the best and
the brightest, the shortest and the sweetest of cinema's rich history. From the classic to the contemporary from the renowned to
the obscure, we'll dissect the brilliant-but-brief.Films will include: Make Way for Tomorrow (Leo McCarey, 1937), The Lady
Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941), High Noon (Fred Zinneman, 1952), The Big Combo (Joseph H Lewis, 1955)
Alan Jacobson, another new instructor for OLLI-UW is the Branch Manager for the Evergreen branch of the Everett Public Library
System. Alan Jacobson has taught Film History at the college level and instructed at the Facets Film School in Chicago, penned
countless words on film and other subjects for such concerns as Bright Lights Film Journal, and has lectured on hundreds of films in
his capacity as librarian.
Chiaroscuro for Drawing and Painting
Susan Zwinger
Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26; 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Everett, Schack Art Center
Do you enjoy drawing and painting? Chiaroscuro is the use of light/dark modeling to create a convincing illusion of depth and
volume. In this hands-on course you will explore various techniques as you learn how to add volume, depth, and realism to your art.
Although we will begin in pencil, this skill will be excellent for your painting in any media. Come join us for a fun and enriching
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experience as you get to increase your skills and play with light in art!
Susan Zwinger, a returning scholar to OLLI-UW, has written several books of natural history since earning her Ph.D. Her first book
received the Governor’s Author’s Award in 1992. She has also published poems in such journals as Poetry, The North American
Review, and New Letters, in addition to having served as art journalist for The Santa Fe Reporter, American Ceramic, Art Space, and
other journals. Dr. Zwinger worked as a fine artist, museum curator, and art critic in Santa Fe, NM. She teaches natural history, art,
and writing across the West and keeps elaborate illustrated field journals.
Bothell
Energy Technology Next Steps
Bernard Silbernagel
Wednesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Bothell, Northshore Senior Center
This course will provide a basis for understanding the energy initiatives likely to be pursued by our new administration. We will
discuss how energy is used today and the energy sources (coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear…) that supply these needs, both in
the United States and elsewhere in the world. We will also investigate the concerns about the availability and environmental
impact of present energy sources which have led to detailed analyses of our long range energy strategy. Recent studies by MIT,
Stanford, the National Research Council, and the American Physical Society assess the suitability of various energy options and the
potential for new technologies to augment our current energy portfolio. Lastly, the conclusions of these studies will be used to
describe alternative paths to our energy future.
Bernard Silbernagel recently retired as a senior scientist in Exxon Mobil’s Corporate Research Laboratories. He received his training
[B.S. (Yale University) and Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego)] in physics and was a professor of physics at the University of
California, Santa Barbara prior to working in industrial research. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the
American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Sigma Xi. He is the author of over 100
scientific papers and has extensive experience in energy research and development.
The Earliest Poems in English
Sean Taylor
Thursdays, February 7, 14, 21, 28; 10:00a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Bothell, Northshore Senior Center
This course is offered as an introduction to the poetry of the Anglo-Saxon period in England, 600 – 1066 AD. We will trace the origins
of this beautiful mode of elegaic expression from its origins in the pagan past, through its development into a sophisticated
philosophical genre that offers great insight into the mystery of faith and the transitory nature of human existence. Translations will
be provided of the following works: Runic Origins: The Franks Casket and Germanic Heroic Verse, Religion and Romance: The
Husband’s Message and The Wife’s Lament, All Things Must Pass: The Wanderer, The Seafarer and the Boethian Tradition, The Viking
Savior: The Dream of the Rood
Sean Taylor holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington, and has taught as a professor at Portland State University
and Hamilton College. He performs regularly as an actor with Seattle Shakespeare Company and his main areas of expertise are Old
and Middle English literature.
Caligari's Children: The Great Age of German Film
Robert Horton
Fridays, March 8, 15, 22, 29; 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Bothell, Northshore Senior Center
In the first 40 years of movies, no national cinema boasted as much innovation and artistry as the German film industry. This course
will explore the dazzling achievements of this movement, from the exaggerated Expressionistic style of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (a
worldwide sensation in 1920) and Die Nibelungen to the sensuous films of F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and the astonishing triumphs of
Fritz Lang (Metropolis, M). We'll also look at how the rise of the Nazis drove German talent to Hollywood (including Marlene Dietrich
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and Billy Wilder), and how Hitler—using the genius of his favorite director, Leni Riefenstahl—exploited filmmaking for his own
purposes. Plentiful film clips will help bring the era to life.
Robert Horton is a film critic for KUOW-FM and the Herald in Everett, Washington; he is also a longtime contributor to Film
Comment and many other magazines. He curates the Magic Lantern film-discussion program at the Frye Art Museum, teaches film
at Seattle University, and is a guest speaker for Smithsonian Journeys and Humanities Washington. His books include Billy Wilder:
Interviews (University Press of Mississippi), the upcoming Frankenstein (Columbia University Press), and the graphic novel Rotten
and its prose spin-off The Lost Diary of John J. Flynn, U.S. Agent (Moonstone Books), and he blogs on movies at The Crop Duster
(roberthorton.wordpress.com) and What a Feeling! (eightiesmovies.wordpress.com). Horton received his B.A. in Cinema Studies at
the University of Washington and currently is Adjunct Faculty at Seattle University.
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