Course Listing - by Instructor

Name	Biography
Beverly Abderrahman	Beverly Abderrahman is also a retired circus performer. Beverly was “born into” the circus business. Beverly raised a family while working and performing with the circus. She has great knowledge about this topic. Beverly remains an active CFA (Circus Fans Association) Board member.
Jackie Alexander	Jackie Alexander is a retired college business professor who loves marketing and most things business. She has formal education and hands on experience in teaching business classes including management, marketing, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, strategy and accounting. Jackie earned a BS and EMBA from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in management from Auburn University, Alabama. She moved to Las Vegas in 2019 and taught at CSN in 2020-2021. She served as President of her local alumni chapter High Rolling Tide, 2021-2022
Ariel Alicea	Ariel Alicea has worked with seniors for 8+ years, first in 55+ communities, and later transitioned into the healthcare industry. After seeing the many challenges of chronic illness, she wanted to make a more proactive impact on the lives of others. She created Peak Vitality to provide a more holistic approach to senior health. The mission of Peak Vitality is to make the next 50+ years, your best years - through fitness, community, education, nutrition, and gratitude meditation practices.
Frederick Amodeo	Frederick Amodeo is a retired educator from Long Island, NY. He has 20 yrs of Special Education and 15 yrs of Physical Education experience. Fred holds a Bachelors degree and 4 Masters. He coached football, track and volleyball. Along with that, Fred was also a Class advisor for B.U.T.Y. (Bring Unity To Youth).
Rita Ballejos	Rita Ballejos retired from the Army after serving 23 years. She has worked as a cook in Las Vegas at various hotels and retired as a master cook. In attending OLLI, the arts became a passion and carried over into the teaching of art in various forms.
Jean Beard	Jean Beard is an experienced trainer, and an amateur watercolorist who only started painting after retirement. She has taken classes and workshops from prominent artists, and stresses the fun in creating art. Jean admits she often learns more from her students than the other way around!
Diane Benelli	Diane Benelli is a twelfth generation Manhattan native who has been published in the New York Genealogical & Biographical Record. She has also edited several books for publication, among them the United Nations Disarmament Yearbook.
Daniel Berman	Dr. Daniel Berman is the Founder and CEO of the Community Healthcare Innovations. In addition, he has been helping people later in life reinvent their life after retiring from their positions. He has been coaching and working with retired healthcare professionals and other professionals to find fulfillment in the next phase of their lives.
Richard Berman	Dr. Richard Berman has over 50 years of service in mental health as a therapist and supervisor and in his last position as director of mental health services for Lapeer County in Michigan. Additionally, he has instructed over 150 courses for several colleges in Michigan as well as a full-time faculty member at UNLV. Berman also served as president of the Michigan Association of Mental Health Center Directors as well as for the Association of Psychiatric Centers of the Americas.
Jan Biggerstaff	Jan Biggerstaff is a retired circus performer. Jan enthusiastically chose the circus as her career. She worked, performed and raised a family while living the circus life. Jan understands the circus from inside out. She served as a past president of the Circus Fans Association.
John Birkland	Born and raised in Seattle, John Birkland holds a B.A. in humanities from Washington State University, the real Cougars. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany as a transportation specialist when not skiing, traveling, or sampling the different brews. He spent 40 years in the transportation business, the last 20 years employed by Department of Energy (DOE) contractors, shipping hazardous and radioactive materials at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state and then at the Nevada Test Site. Upon retirement he came to OLLI for the watercolor painting classes; he still struggles with that thankless art form.
Vicky Birkland	Vicky Birkland has shared a serendipitous life with husband John for nearly 50 years together. She taught in her native Washington state, California, Guam, Brunei, and Germany. She worked in a variety of roles at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation before working at, and retiring from, the Nevada Test Site. A love of the Smithsonian museums and history inspired the creation of this course exploring the Smithsonian's artifacts and their stories. When they are not in OLLI classes or travelling, the Birklands enjoy the culture and fun of Las Vegas.
Bob Blaskey	Bob Blaskey works at St. Viator and St. Francis de Sales School, where he directs drama ministry groups and teaches classes in the Catholic faith. He has been a guest speaker at various houses of worship with his Parables of Today message. He received his degree in political science from UNLV. Four of the faith-based dramatic videos he wrote and directed received the Silver Angel Award, given by Excellence in Media for “works of outstanding moral, ethical, and/or social impact.” He is the author of Curtain Up!, a book about creating a drama ministry, published by Harcourt Religion. He was also a columnist for Religion Teachers Journal and has published several skits.
Terri Boling	Terri Boling is a retired and repurposing classroom teacher and school counselor, and a lifelong learner. She enjoys OLLI classes, and loves to write! Boling recently participated in two separate trainings: Grief Educator Certification with David Kessler; and, Wild Writing^TM Teacher Training with Laurie Wagner. Boling would like to combine these two efforts into this OLLI class.
Bebe Brechner	Sarah (Bebe) Brechner holds a MLIS degree in Library and Information Science and a Certificate in Competitive Intelligence from the University of Toronto. She retired in 2019 from ProQuest, a global information industry company, after more than 30 years in the library and information industry. An expert in online information, she has developed and managed information databases of primary and secondary resources, including in the fields of oral history, ethnic and gender studies, performing arts, and literature. Before her retirement Brechner traveled extensively for business, visiting universities and libraries throughout North America and Europe. She relocated to Las Vegas in 2016. Her passion is information literacy and the accessibility of online information sources.
Tzvi Bronchtain	While Rabbi Tzvi Bronchtain was a young student in Talmudic seminary, he traveled to FSU where he was active in community service and adult education. After completing his B.A. in Talmudic law, he obtained rabbinical ordination in 2004 from the Central Rabbinical Seminary in New York. In 2005 he and his wife moved to Las Vegas where he was appointed co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center at UNLV.
George Byrns	George Byrns is an Emeritus Professor at Illinois State University and had been a member of the faculty since 1999. Before coming to the university, he had a 25-year career working for the Indian Health Service as an Environmental Health Officer. He earned a Ph.D. in 2000 from the Johns Hopkins University in Occupational and Environmental Health, an MPH in in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota in 1977, and a BS in Environmental Health from Colorado State University in 1972.
Jim Cathey	Jim Cathey is a university lecturer with more than ten years of professional experience. The scope of his work includes a university lecturer, trainer of ESL teachers and academic recruiter. He has been honored to teach in the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and the Marshall Islands. Jim always had a passion to contribute to the dialogue about the Pan African movement and to be a part of the ongoing dynamics of this rich history of Africa.
Fong Chan	Fong Chan is a retired lawyer from New York. He holds a Law degree from St. John's University. Fong practiced most of his legal career in State and City governmental agencies. He served as Counsel to NYS Assembly committee and was counsel to the Chair of the Committee. He also served as Legislative Director to the NYC Comptroller.
Niels Clyde	Niels Clyde has been a student of several disciplines of spiritual principles for many years. His interest in ancient sages and their teachings has enabled him to facilitate several study groups. Clyde added teaching ukulele in 2013. OLLI at UNLV has provided a unique opportunity for Clyde to share his experience in a multimedia environment.
Christy Corzine	Christy Corzine is a retired casino pit supervisor and substitute elementary teacher for CCSD. She came into the MAP program after taking the UNLV OLLI class 'MAP Your Way Through Medicare' in the spring of 2022. So intrigued by what she learned in the class, she became a MAP volunteer in the summer of 2022, and was soon hired as a per diem MAP counselor. Her interest in navigating the Medicare system along with her passion for helping people, make her a great addition to the MAP program.
Dale Cox	Dale Cox has degrees in civil engineering, radio electronics, and liberal arts. He spent the majority of his career at the Nevada Test Site, where his primary responsibility was to oversee preparations for tests. Cox was a staff member of the University of California at Los Alamos, NM. He retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory. He has honorable discharges from both the Army and Air Force.
Rosemary Cunningham	Rosemary Cunningham is a lifelong musician & multi-instrumentalist (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor sax, bass guitar piano & voice). Rosemary attends many amateur adult music camps. Summerkeys, Lubec Me for Jazz, Classical Piano, Composition, & Voice. Big Band Camp in Warwick, R.I., New York City Trad Jazz Camp and New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp with 2nd line parades and Preservation Hall performances. Bosendorfer Piano Workshop in Vienna, Austria to name a few. She has sponsored many Music Salons for amateur musicians in her home.
Frank Davio	Frank Davio worked for Rheingold Brewery in Brooklyn, New York as a truck driver and for Southwest Airlines in Las Vegas as a ramp agent. He was raised in a social club culture and has been playing cards for recreation most of his life. Though he now occasionally plays cards online, Davio knows there is nothing that compares with the fun, entertainment, and excitement of playing cards in person.
Beth Davis	Beth Davis is the OLLI Program Manager. Beth holds a dual degree in Business Management and Human Resource Management from Kent State University. She has a varied background in many areas of business. Her first job was working the back end of a photography studio. She has trained for three companies and has taught classes to Girl Scouts and youth groups in the past. She is looking forward to hosting this class.
Alfred Drake	Alfred J. Drake grew up in Orange County, California, earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. (1989-1997) in English at the University of California, Irvine, and now lives in Las Vegas. He has taught English, American, classical and world literature at UC Irvine, Chapman University, and CSU Fullerton. He has edited works on the Frankfurt School and the American New Critics, and at present his main interests are in classical Greek and Latin literature, literary theory, and Shakespeare.
Janet Duff	Janet Duff, like her husband, grew up watching and enjoying many of these same memorable television classic programs.
John Duff III	John Duff is a retired assistant film editor who grew up during the 1950's, enjoying the classic television programming of that era. Over the years, he has discovered many of these forgotten television shows and has collected several of them in his personal library in the 16mm film, VHS and DVD formats.
Linda Edgeworth	Linda Edgeworth is a senior consultant specializing in domestic and international election law and administration. She has led international observation missions, performed election analyses, and provided direct assistance to election management bodies in 39 countries. She was the Director of Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and rebuilt the voter rolls and election systems after the war. She was Deputy Director for elections in Alaska in charge of election operations, procedural development, federal compliance, and public information. She has also consulted in several states and counties in the United States and has been a speaker and facilitator of many election-related conferences domestically and abroad.
Noell Everhart	Noell Everhart grew up in a funeral home in rural eastern Ohio and formed an interest in history after watching the 1988 mini series "Gore Vidal's Lincoln". Noell started with the Civil War but soon became interested in general history and extensively studied the Civil War, the Holocaust, and musicals, along with many other subjects. Noell discovered a love of musicals at Christmas in 1988 after borrowing the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack (from Mom). Noell has been fortunate to travel extensively and indulge in a love of culture, history and musicals. Noell moved to Las Vegas September 2021 and has been at OLLI since February 2023.
Bruce Ewing	Bruce Ewing is a native of Suffern, NY and is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music, Hartford, CT. He most recently toured the country in The Phat Pack (winner of Best Of Vegas: Best All-Around Performers). Ewing co-created The Phat Pack while appearing in Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian. Before Phantom, he appeared as Jinx in Forever Plaid at the Gold Coast, as well as four years as Jinx and Sparky in Forever Plaid at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino. Before Vegas, Ewing worked all over the country with credits including national tours of Forever Plaid (Jinx/Frankie Sparky), City of Angels (Jimmy Powers), Grand Hotel (Erik and understudy for the Baron), and Ziegfeld: A Night at the Follies (production tenor). Ewing has recorded four solo CDs and recently retired as music director for Community Lutheran Church of Las Vegas.
Nancy Faye	Nancy Faye is a retired social worker with an interest in all forms of health and healing. She was diagnosed with Melanoma in 2016 and underwent treatments with side effects of insulin dependent diabetes. This peaked her interest in alternative healing modalities. Nancy looks forward to sharing old and new forms of healing and bringing in speakers to help you on your journey to health and wellness.
Sonia Feldberg	Sonia Feldberg is a published writer with BAs in Communications and film studies and a MA in Cultural Communications from UNLV. Feldberg grew up in a musical home; her father was a concert violinist with the Detroit Symphony and her mother an opera singer. She played multiple instruments, but dance and live music are her passion. Living in Las Vegas for 45 years, her fondest memory is tap dancing and teaching for tap legends Maceo Anderson and Prince Spencer of the Step Brothers. Jazz was and always is the genre of choice in her home and multiple dance routines along with the American Songbook.
Robert Fishman	Bob Fishman has over five decades of diverse experience in government, private enterprise and non-profit organizations, including senior posts in government as Managing Director of the City & County of Honolulu, first CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Hawaii, and General Manager of Hawaii's 50,000 seat Aloha Stadium. In the private sector, Bob has successfully managed both local and international business entities, ranging from aviation, government services, petroleum trading, information technology, movie theaters and family entertainment centers. Bob holds an MBA from the University of Hawaii, where he has been teaching public administration, ethics and leadership and homeland security since the 1990's. Bob was awarded its Award for Excellence in Public Administration by the American Society for Public Administration and in 2001 was inducted into the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor.
Mercedes Foster	Mercedes Dorothea Foster is 79 years young and a retired Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. She is a show producer, choreographer, Egyptian Belly Dance instructor and Afro-Brazilian Samba Dance instructor from Brooklyn, NY. She has been belly dancing since May 1989 and has performed professionally around the world. She taught belly dance for eleven years in Honolulu, Hawaii and at the historic Doolittle Community Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada for ten years. Mercedes was invited to dance and then, subsequently, taught various dance forms for two years at the Speeding Theater Over 55, in Las Vegas. Her dance style is described as Egyptian Style Belly Dance and Afro-Brazilian style Samba. She has been teaching dance techniques, combinations, and choreography off and on since 1998. Mercedes teaches various forms of dance because it is lots of fun and it keeps her physically fit.
Ziona Friedlander	Ziona Friedlander has been teaching meditation for nearly 10 years using an 8-week course she created called "Everyone Can Meditate!"
Robert Gibbons	Robert V. Gibbons, MD, MPH, FACP served in the Army Medical Corps for over 26 years retiring as a Colonel. His army career gave him unique opportunities in teaching, research, and leadership while working in diverse medical positions. His interest in public health and preventive medicine led him to train as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this and future research Gibbons worked closely with multidisciplinary teams including veterinarians, nurses and laboratory scientists. At the completion of his CDC training he transitioned to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) for three years where he focused on experimental dengue vaccine studies. He served for nine years at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS), a joint laboratory with the Royal Thai Army, working primarily in Thailand, Nepal, and the Philippines but also Bhutan, Laos, the Maldives, and Vietnam in training and improving their laboratories' capabilities. Additionally, Gibbons coordinated with the World Health Organization, Department of State, CDC, NIH, non-governmental organizations, foreign ministries of health and military, industry, and Universities, conducting field, vaccines, diagnostic, and surveillance studies.
Ellen Grossman	Ellen Grossman has dedicated over 20 years of her expertise in the non-profit field with over 17 years specifically devoted to the health and wellbeing of older adults and their caregivers. Ellen is a Program Manager for University of Nevada, Reno Extension™ Healthy Aging Initiative. Ellen is a certified leader in the NCOA Aging Mastery Program, AARP Disrupt Aging Classroom, and Stanford University™ Chronic Disease and Diabetes Self-Management Programs.
Ellen Halperin-Royer	This is Ellen Royer's third year teaching courses in theater history and dramatic literature for OLLI. Ellen loves talking about theater to anyone who will listen, and is thrilled to have a captive audience of learners who are interested in the material she presents. After teaching courses on Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams last spring and summer, Dr. Royer has decided it is time for a lighter view of the world. Ellen received her doctorate in theater from the University of Oregon in 1988 and has taught at universities in Oregon, Nebraska, New Jersey and Texas.
Sharon Harmon	Sharon Harmon holds a BS in Art Design from North Carolina A&T State University and has studied at The Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh and at UNLV. She was a flight attendant with United Airlines for 24 years and was on The Interior Design Team for the A320 Aircraft. Sharon has taught art in Pittsburgh, Chicago and at UNLV. She retired from teaching at CCSD in 2016.
Danielle Hartnett	Danielle Hartnett holds a degree in film from USC, where she worked with renowned film scholar Drew Casper and several blacklisted filmmakers. While on work study in the film library, she looked for any opportunity to steal a moment in the Warner Bros Special Collections, where she would linger over publicity stills of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. She spent a brief time working in Hollywood before pursuing a master’s degree in English literature. Hartnett is a published film reviewer. She has taught several classes at OLLI at UNLV, including classes on the Hollywood Blacklist, the History of the Early Gangster Film, and the Films of the Cold War.
Richard Hoyt	Richard "Dick" Hoyt retired from UNLV in 2010 and in 2014 became an OLLI student. Having occasionally studied and dabbled in art, he started a daily drawing project in 2015. The result is several completed drawing books and over 3200 individual pen and ink doodles/sketches/drawings. The daily project continues here!
Vernice Jackson	Vernice S. Jackson holds a B.A. in Communications and a M.S. in Organizational Development and Analysis. She retired after a long career as a Training & Development Professional and Career Consultant in multiple industries. She has taught numerous college courses. In addition, she is a founding member of Women in History and a docent at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Marcia Johnson	Marcia Johnson, co-instructor, is an avid yoga practitioner and has been teaching yoga at OLLI for more than 8 years.
Ben Kempner	Ben Kempner's genealogical journey started nine years ago with a course at OLLI. Since then, he has grown his family tree from 10 people to over 300. He volunteered at the Las Vegas FamilySearch Center for 3+ years, teaching courses weekly. He has been the VP of a local genealogyical society for the last 4 years, lecturing there and for other groups and societies. Ben retired from a 39-year sales, marketing & consulting career at IBM.
Gail Knapp	Gail Knapp retired after teaching psychology for 38 years in a Michigan Community College. She has a B.A. from Stony Brook University; an M.A. from Hofstra University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She earned a J.D. from Cooley Law School at age 62 and has a PRP credential as a parliamentarian. She has taught for OLLI every semester for the past 11 years, served two terms on the Steering Council as its secretary, and was recently honored with a lifetime membership.
Tori Kolinski	Tori Kolinski has been chasing Vitis Vinifera since 1983. She received her formal wine education through the International Sommelier Guild. However, she has gained a more informal wine education during extensive travel to many of the world's greatest wine regions and learning directly from Viticulturists and Vintners. Tori has been a wine educator since 2010 and believes that wine is made in the vineyard. She has extensive knowledge and a passion for wine and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.
Tony Kouffman	Tony Kouffman has a B.A. and M.A. in political science and history and is known for his extensive knowledge of American history and his ability to tie historic events with policy decisions of today. He spent 30 years manufacturing womens and childrens clothing but his interest in history has never waned. A member of OLLI since 2006, he has offered classes on elections, social justice, and the influence of Jewish culture on American society. He's served several terms on OLLI's Steering Council.
Richard Kram	Richard Kram is the author of a published novel and book of poems. He holds a B.S. in mathematics and electrical engineering from Duke University. Kram performed brain surgery on small primates during his two years of post-graduate work in neuropsychology. His eclectic interests served him well as VP of Systems and Software Engineering for a consulting firm, where anti-submarine warfare (ASW), kidney dialysis, and Naval war games were among his areas of expertise.
David Lavery	David Lavery moved to Las Vegas from Delaware when he retired from the chemical industry in 2018. He has enjoyed a wide range of classes since becoming an OLLI member, especially in the fields of geography, history, and current events. Dave taught his first class in Spring 2023 and continues to lead 'And That's YOUR Opinion' in Soapbox. Outside the classroom, his main hobbies are travel and hiking.
Johnny Law	Johnny Law has been an OLLI Art Instructor for almost 10 years now with an ever-morphing Beginner Drawing Class with an emphasis on creativity, and is probably why so many "OLLI Art Community" artists often return to Johnny’s class over and over again! He never really did anything artsy before his first OLLI drawing class 10 years ago that struck gold. Which is why his class is successfully based on his own journey, as a self-proclaimed 5X7 refrigerator magnet and forever beginner ARTEEST!
Melvin Lazarus	Mel Lazarus is a retired history and law teacher at both the high school and college level. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston University, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, and a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies in school administration from Fitchburg State College. He is originally from Massachusetts, and has served on various town committees including the Wareham School committee.
Rob Levrant	Rob Levrant has been the director of OLLI at UNLV since 2015. Prior, Levrant had an extensive career in higher education administration and community engagement. From 1996-2003 he served as Director of Housing and Residence Life at Rocky Mountain College where he taught an undergraduate leadership course, and led community education efforts aimed at improving student experience, public safety, and quality of life on campus and throughout the community.
Mark Love	Mark Love retired to Las Vegas in 2017 after teaching the children of Air Force members in the Azores for 6 years, and in England for 28 years. He co-taught a course on Modern Board Games for OLLI at UNLV in the Spring of 2020. Mark majored in political science and was an active campaign volunteer for a Presidentail candidate in the 2020 Nevada caucus. He has enjoyed co-facilitating "Soapbox" for the past several semesters.
John Macdonald	John Macdonald has a bachelor’s degree in physics from UNR. Nevada has been his home for 70 years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served during the Korean Conflict. He has traveled extensively throughout Nevada. He has taught Nevada History several times at OLLI. He is particularly interested in the many unique features that make up the state. He has been an OLLI member for ten years and has served on boards and councils several times. His goal is to make everyone want to see more of Nevada.
Theresa Malburg	For Teri Malburg the world of arts & crafts is her "Calgon moment" that gives her a "breath of freshness". It is fun & relaxing learning at her own pace. She has dappled in lots of mediums while instructing with OLLI & the Outreach program. She loves to gather all peers together to share their creations and their smiles. Everyone is an "artist", so bring your creativity and join her for this class.
Mark Marcario	Mark has been investigating conspiracy cases since 1973. While his primary focus has been on political assassination, some of these plane crashes are linked to that. Mark has been attending seminars and has taught classes on these subjects while at OLLI. He is doing ongoing research with numerous organizations in these areas, specializing in missing documents in the JFK/MLK cases.
Anne Mason	Anne Mason retired to Las Vegas in 2022 after 30+ years at Hamilton Beach Brands in Richmond, Virginia. She also spent 20 years volunteering in animal welfare, fostering dozens of dogs. In addition to playing pickleball , she enjoys traveling the United States and has visited all 50.
Kathleen McGrail	Kathleen (Katie) McGrail, OP, has an M.A. in counseling and a master’s degree in theology. She has been an educator, across all levels, for several decades, seven of those years teaching in Kenya, East Africa. For the past 10 years, McGrail has been with Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican. She was formerly Vice President of Mission Integration and is presently a health educator in the Community Health/Outreach programs. She is also active in the Senior Peer Counseling program. McGrail previously taught with OLLI at UNLV, on campus, in the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management course. She has a strong interest in the healing ministry—body, mind and spirit—and sharing that with others.
Keith McMillen	Keith McMillen is a 20-year resident of Las Vegas. He is a retired software engineer who worked in many areas, including the Department of Defense, hospitals, HMOs, small business, and early internet providers. McMillen is a life-long fan of old movies, especially B movies and Saturday serials. He has been a newspaper reporter, a middle school instructor, and a middle school academic coach in LEGO robotics competitions.
Sharlyn Menard	Sharlyn Menard is a retired Montessori teacher who embarked upon a second career by going back to school 12 years ago to study theology. After receiving her MDiv in 2015, she was ordained. She moved to Las Vegas to be near her grandsons. She has enjoyed being a part of the Interfaith community in southern Nevada.
Susan Merritt	After earning degrees in computer science and math from Cornell and UC San Diego, Susan Merritt spent the majority of her career in the world of technology as a data scientist helping biotech scientists manage their laboratory data. Far from being a tech geek dwelling in the cyber world, Merritt has a love of nature and a drive to explore. In her free time, she has traveled to remote locations all over the globe, on all seven continents.
Barbara Miller	Barbara Miller is an avid reader and shares her insightful constructive criticism. She moved to Las Vegas from New York where she ran an orthopedic office for eighteen years. She now has the time to pursue her passion for writing.
Maria Montes	Maria Montes is a Community Health Worker, Workshop Facilitator and HIV Advocate at Dignity Health. Maria is certified in Chronic Disease Self Management, Diabetes, Positive Self management, Chronic Pain and Powerful tools for caregivers and CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program. Maria believes wholeheartedly in our motto of Human Kindness. As CHW, she serves with compassion and empathy. She understands that working as a team and alongside community partners is critical to bringing about positive change in our community.
Anita Morgan	Anita Morgan has a masters degrees from UNLV in Liberal Studies and Public Administration. At OLLI, she has taught Neutralizing Verbal Attacks and Enjoying Better Vision Naturally. During her career as a software developer, she helped clients make decisions about their requirements.
Ken Moser	Ken Moser is a certified executive chef and has worked as a chef for over 40 years. He has owned and operated many restaurants and catering companies. He was Vice President of Food and Beverage for major corporations, having a long and award winning career. He wants to help with better nutrition, and better food options for seniors.
Dan Mysliborski	Dan Mysliborski retired from Ocean Spray Manufacturing in 2011. He has been a Las Vegas resident since 1992 and a student at OLLI at UNLV since 2013. He graduated from DeSales University in 1980 with an accounting degree. Mysliborski is a fan of television from the 50s and 60s and has enjoyed Twilight Zone since its original broadcast in 1959.
Judy Nelson	Judy Nelson has lived in Las Vegas since 1989. She is a retired Department of Defense employee and spent 20 years working at Nellis AFB. Her interest in ukulele began at age nine when she found an old ukulele book in her dad's garage and taught herself some chords on a $6 ukulele. She moved on to learn guitar a few years later, playing from books. Nelson didn't play ukulele again until 2010, when she joined the Ukulele Club of Las Vegas. She is currently the organizer of UCLV and the Ninth Isle Ukulele Club.
Mtisunge Lucy Ngwira-Brooks	Mtisunge Lucy Ngwira-Brooks is a Public speaker, Entrepreneur, and CHW graduate as well as a facilitator at Dignity Health. She is certified in CDSMP, DSMP, CPSMP, DPP, PTC, as well as holding an MHFA certification.
Rebecca Norrington	Rebecca L. Norrington is a Happiness Specialist, Inner Peace Practitioner, Speaker, Author, Fitness Instructor & Radio/TV host. She has a bachelor of Science in Psychology along with decades of studying human behavior.
Ed Ort	Ed Ort started his career as a physicist working on a Mariner mission to Mars. He later gravitated to computer software, where he was a software developer, web content developer, and writer. Aside from the techie side of his life, Ort is a lifelong sports fan. Some of his earliest memories are watching Brooklyn Dodger baseball games with his father on his family's little black and white television. His interest in sports also extends to its impact on society as a whole.
Alethia Olmedo Perlasca	Alethia Olmedo Perlasca has a master degree in Counseling Psychology by the California Institute of Integral Studies and in Psychotherapy by the Ericksonian center in Mexico City. She is a certified Lifestyle Coach by the CDC and has been facilitating a diabetes prevention program and Self Management Workshops at Dignity Health for over a year. She has more than 10 years of experience working with professional athletes and individuals.
Frederick Peters	Fred Peters spent the majority of his 40-year career with NASA's Johnson Space Center working on its manned spacecraft program. He is an aeronautical engineer with an MBA, and has been a frequent lecturer on the manned space program. He was a project engineer during the Skylab program and was responsible for planning and scheduling during the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs. He completed all but the dissertation for his Ph.D. in public administration.
Amy Peterson	Amy Peterson is a retired CCSD teacher & literacy specialist. Now a full-time volunteer for the Alzheimer's Association, she facilitates caregiver support groups, presents classes throughout the valley, and advocates for Alzheimer/dementia-related legislation at both national and state levels. Her passion is fueled by her experience as primary caregiver to her husband, an airline pilot who developed Alzheimer's disease and died much too young.
Julia Pizzi	Julia Pizzi is a Certified Spiritual Director; Reiki Master; Meyers Briggs certified facilitator and Currently Administrative Director of Interfaith Contemplative Center for Spirituality in Healthcare in Nevada with 35 years in executive Human Resource leadership focusing on career development and coaching.
Kayla Ransom	Kayla Ransom is a Community Based Instructor for the Healthy Aging Initiative Team at UNR Cooperative Extension. She’s worked with adults and older adults in teaching them about physical activity and nutrition for the past 2 years. Kayla is currently working towards her bachelor’s degree in public health and enjoys spending time with her family and friends outside of work and class.
Muree Reafs	Muree Reafs continues with her two courses this Spring. Countries, Cultures, Current Issues moves from the Atlantic Coast to countries in the Congo Basin. Our Nation State by State will cover the states admitted in the decade of the 1860s: Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia & Nevada.
Maria Reid	Maria Reid is semi-retired from Human Resources. She begin volunteering for MAP in 2020. She is now a Level 3 Benefits Counselor and Outreach Coordinator. Maria is able to assist in the explanation of Medicare options, plan comparisons, enrollments and appeals, provide referrals to other services, report Medicare fraud, errors and abuse.
Pamela Reynolds	Pam Reynolds is a certified White Lotus Yoga instructor, having practiced for more than 30 years. While living in Detroit, she introduced hundreds of people to yoga through her company, Yoga in the City. Upon moving to Las Vegas in 2001, she conducted after-school workshops for teachers and incorporated yoga in her classroom for behavioral modification. She regularly volunteers as a yoga instructor at the Henderson Public Library and maintains an active yoga practice.
Christina Salinas	Chris Salinas is a 42-year resident of Las Vegas working at the Nevada Test Site and Clark County School District and raising a family here. Volunteer work included Boy/Girl Scout leader/camp staff, CCD Teacher, PTA, Red Cross, USO & LV Natural History Museum. She enjoys travel, museum visits, crafting, and shooting sports. Chris begins her 3rd year as an OLLI instructor and 10th year as a member.
Joey Sassaman	Joey Sassaman has been a Las Vegas resident for the past 7 years. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Joey attended City University of New York – Queens College and has a bachelor’s degree in economics. Helping people has always been a passion of hers and early in her career decided she wanted to stay in Health Care. For the past 17 years Joey has held many roles in Health Care. Some of her most current roles have been Compliance Officer for Sunrise Hospital and Lead Director of Dual Eligible Programs for Aetna/CVS Health. Joey is now part of the UNLV family in her role as Research Integrity Officer. When Joey is not working, she spends time with her husband and their 3 dogs.
Salley Sawyer	Salley Sawyer has a B.S. in Art Education and a Ph.D. in Instructional Design. She has taught classes on basket making and ceramics and bookmaking as well as baker-dough craft. Sawyer is passionate about printmaking and studied printmaking with Anne Hoff at the College of Southern Nevada. Both Sawyer and her husband Stephen grew up in Maine and return to the rock-bound coast at least once each summer.
Esther Schube	Esther Schube has a background in education and over 30+years of being a mental health therapist in a variety of settings across the country. Esther is returning to the motivation that sent her to college at age 27, teaching "kids" to play.
Sarah Shipe	Sarah Shipe has been a health and wellness professional for nearly twenty years. She obtained both her BS and MS degrees in Kinesiology from Indiana University in Bloomington. She strives to inspire others to lead their healthiest lifestyle by empowering them to be their own advocate. A recent transplant to the Las Vegas Valley, she enjoys climbing, hiking, kayaking and meditation in her spare time.
Fran Smith	Fran Smith holds a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in international relations. Her first career was on Capitol Hill as a Congressional aide. Her second was in housing development in Honolulu. And her third was nonprofit management. After retiring, she returned to her love of learning through OLLI at UNLV. Although she has no professional art experience, she minored in art history and has pursued her love of art all her adult life through travel.
Alec Sonenthal Sonenthal	As a professional photographer for over 40 years, Alec Sonenthal is eager to share his knowledge with Android phone users. Alec is a technology specialist and is a strong advocate for Android phone technology.
Doug Verb	With 40 years’ experience in all facets of the sports industry, Doug Verb is one of the country’s most successful executives for new sports and league “start-ups.” With expertise in strategic organization, media, promotion, event creation/management, mediation, and staff building, he served as a consultant to many sports organizations, agencies, and venues. As founder of ACTION Sports America, he developed and managed sales promotions with all the major pro leagues and college conferences and owns international proprietary products. Verb was part of groups that started three pro sports leagues, was president of pro soccer’s Chicago Sting, and spent 10 years as a TV executive and sportswriter.
UNR Volunteer Team	Master Gardeners are trained volunteers with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, located in Las Vegas and providing research-based horticultural information to the public.
Ronald Wallace	Ron Wallace moved to Las Vegas in 1991 and retired from the Air Force in 1999 after 33 years. He worked at Nevada Test Site and Nellis AFB on DOE and DOD contracts for 14 years. A graduate of USAF Academy and also holds BS and MA from Webster University. Ron has been married to his wife Maryellen for 52 years. They have 2 sons and 5 grandchildren.
David Weinstein	David Weinstein is a professional photographer with more than 40 years’ experience and has previously taught 3 digital photography classes with OLLI. David is a new convert to the iPhone photography platform.
Jo Wilkins	Jo Wilkins, Chief Executive Officer and Acquisitions Editor for Mystic Publishers, Inc., runs the companies Ink & Quill Publishers (general genres) and NewLink Publishing (Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy), and Vision Novels, for authors who want to self-publish without a vanity press. She co-authors, the Tyranny Series (Sci-Fi) and one murder mystery. She has published in over 20 anthologies and essays, and on KNPR's "Making NV Home". She taught beginning and intermediate writing for the City of Henderson.
Mary Jean Williams	Mary Jean Williams, OP, has an MA of Science in Education and a Certificate in Applied Theology. She has been involved in education for many decades in elementary, secondary, and teacher education. For 9 years she served as an assistant superintendent of education. These last five years Mary Jean has been a volunteer at Dignity Health, St. Rose Dominican and is active in the Senior Peer Counseling program. She enjoys interacting with others as they engage in opportunities to improve their lives.
Carolyn Yucha	Dr. Carolyn Yucha is both a nurse and a physiologist. She has taught numerous courses in Nursing Schools in Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology. She has served as Editor of Biological Research for Nursing, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, for the past 22 years. Dr. Yucha was Dean of the School of Nursing at UNLV from 2004-2018. She hopes to share her enthusiasm for the relationships between structure and function in our extraordinary human bodies.

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Educational Outreach