Curiosity Never Retires

In this episode of "Curiosity Never Retires," one of our founders, Tina Fried Heller, talks about the beginning and we discuss the OLLI of today with Tina and new member Scott Otteman. 

In this episdoe, Jeff Porter, chair of the social committee at OLLI at American University, talks with two of his committee members, Kris Taylor and Barbara Rosen, about the importance of community to seniors and the role it plays at OLLI. 

Ellen Stanton talks about her class in which she explores Canada’s diverse regions, their distinctive characteristics, and the historic events that helped shape them. The class will explore Canada’s natural resources, stunning landscapes, favorite sports, and notable people. Ellen Stanton served as an educator at the US Capitol Visitor Center and as lead historical interpreter at George Washington's Mount Vernon. For several years, she was chair of the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission. For more than ten years, she has facilitated classes at the OLLI programs at the University of Denver and American University. Ellen is a graduate of Manhattanville College and received an MSW from the University at Albany, SUNY.

The pursuit of truth often forms the backbone of some of the most gripping narratives. This curated list of films delves into the heart of human curiosity, where characters navigate through layers of deceit, personal dilemmas, and societal issues, to uncover the truth. These stories not only entertain but also challenge us to question what we accept as reality. Class members will see eight highly acclaimed films about truth, prior to our weekly meetings. Rita and Bill Hadden love leading film discussions with OLLI members. Bill is a sociologist with a career at the CDC and NIH. Rita has done management and culture change consulting for 35 years, and has led OLLI study groups for a dozen years. Both have lived and traveled widely around the world. They thrive in different cultures and speak multiple languages.

Donald Trump is not the first president to launch a project to attempt government reform. These efforts have reoccurred since the Keep Commission in 1905. Trump, however, is the first whose project, DOGE, left the government in much worse shape. This study group will examine some chronic problems of government performance such as wasteful spending and inefficiency, and the consequent efforts to meet these performance challenges. We’ll also confront the possibility that these issues may not originate with the bureaucracy, but that, as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us." We’ll also examine innovative alternative approaches, sometimes called "tools of government," to achieving policy goals.  Mark Nadel was a political science professor at Cornell University and ended his academic career as a professor at Georgetown’s public policy school. In between those two academic stints he took a 20-year detour at GAO dealing with government performance issues and then at the Social Security Administration as an Associate Commissioner. He has long been an active member of OLLI, and has led study groups on politics and public policy.

In episode 1 of season 2 of Curiosity Never Retires, a podcast from the OLLI program at American University, Greg Munford describes his new class that debuts this fall.  He will take students on a rapid tour through the history of classical music and talk about how even the great geniuses were working with frameworks that they inherited - sometimes to perfect and sometimes to break free from.

In this episode of "Curiosity Never Retires," David Hensler continues his examination of major architectural schools by focusing on Mid-Century Modernist architecture in the Washington, DC area. David's last class covered Art Deco.  

In this episode of "Curiosity Never Retires," Leonard King talks about a course he will be presenting in the Spring of 2026 on non-violence along with his wife, Betty.  Leonard has taught a range of courses at OLLI at American including very popular studies of film.  

In this episode of "Curiosity Never Retires," Leslie Frantz talks about the Bronté sisters. Between them, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronté wrote seven books, including 'Jane Eyre', 'Wuthering Heights', and 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' respectively.   Leslie talks about how their childhood greatly influenced their writing and explodes some of the myths surrounding them.  

In this episode of "Curiosity Never Retires," long time OLLI favorite, Penny Hansen, talks about her fall 2025 course on the Supreme Court and touches on the legacy of the Roberts court, the way the functioning of the court has changed radically in recent years, and the "shadow docket."