Course Listing - by Instructor
| Name | Biography |
|---|---|
| Floyd Alexander | Floyd Stephen Alexander is a playwright/actor/instructor/producer who works in both the stage, film and television mediums and created many instructor/performance projects in live theatre. Loving to share his passion of theatre with young people, Floyd designed and wrote an instructing program, Welcome To The Theatre, which immerses the student in hands on instruction on acting, playwriting, costuming, lighting, set design and musical theatre. He will now bring his concepts to the students of OLLI. |
| 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). |
| Jim Atha | Following a 30-year career in advertising, beginning as a copywriter and ending as Senior Vice President of Creative Services, Jim Atha was encouraged to attend classes at OLLI in 2016 by his late husband, Pete Kambiss. Since that beginning, OLLI has brought a rekindling of interest in art and photography, leading to many of his individual pieces placing in juried competitions, winning awards, and even displayed in Las Vegas City Hall. It’s proof that with the kind of encouragement and community OLLI brings, long dormant interests and talents can have a second act. |
| 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 | As a teenager, Richard Berman would hang out on the corners of his Bronx neighborhood listening to the sounds of the birth of Rock and Roll. In this course, he shares those sounds via videos and provides the back stories of the pioneers of the genre. Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Bill Haley are among the greats to be studied and enjoyed in this course. After retiring from teaching at UNLV, Richard began teaching for OLLI. He has instructed over 20 courses. |
| 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. |
| Lynne Boone | Lynne Boone has been teaching crochet classes at OLLI at UNLV since 2013. She is also the moderator of the OLLI at UNLV book club since November 2012. Boone graduated with a B.A. in English from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1984. |
| Paula Brody | Paula Brody was a lawyer from 1989-1993 and HRIS consultant for 35 years. Paula officially retired in 2024. She has been an OLLI Member for 2 years, Casa Mentor in Nevada, volunteer for OLLI and volunteer coordinator for the OLLI Administrative Office. She has traveled to 45 states and 3 international countries as a consultant. |
| 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. |
| Joan Brookhyser | Joan Brookhyser, MD is a semi-retired physician/hospital administrator/businesswoman raised in Las Vegas. Working from 1984 until today, practicing Internal Medicine, Nephrology (kidney/transplant), and ICU medicine, Dr. Brookhyser was in private practice and managed care and was Chief Medical Officer at UMC in Las Vegas. She is the founder of NV Donor Network, a community activist, and a life-long learner and is interested in healthy living, social justice, and musical theater. |
| 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. |
| Carol Chapman | |
| 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. |
| Sondra Cosgrove | Sondra Cosgrove is a CSN history professor with a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She specializes in the U.S. West and Native American History, Nevada, and Latin America. Sondra participates in many college service activities, such as the Women’s Alliance Community Civic Engagement and Voter Education initiative. As the Executive Director of the nonprofit Vote Nevada, Sondra engages in community outreach, civic empowerment, and civil rights advocacy. |
| 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. He has also had an interest in dreams and the supernatural. He now brings his passions to life in both of his OLLI classes. |
| Beth Davis | Beth Davis is the Program Manager at OLLI and comes from a background filled with education (both my parents were teachers) and sports. Beth facilitates both Professor's Choice and the new Campus & Community speaker class "Speak to the Sport". Beth looks for speakers who are of interest to OLLI members and who may be just a little "quirky". |
| Richard Davis | Dignity Health’s Richard Davis received his B.A. from the University of San Francisco in 1981. He excels in community outreach and is a requested conference speaker and a published writer on health care issues. Davis is a certified trainer and facilitator for Adult Mental Health First Aid Training. He assists in the promotion, implementation and delivery of all health self-management workshops in association with community partner organizations. Davis won the “Humankindness” award in 2019. |
| 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. |
| Linda Edgeworth | Linda Edgeworth's career field was election law and administration. After leaving Alaska as it's Deputy Director of Elections, she became a senior level consultant leading international observation missions, and providing direct assistance to election officials in 39 countries. Her most challenging assignment was rebuilding the voter rolls in war-torn Bosnia & Herzegovina and supervising all the country's national and local elections in compliance with the Dayton Peace Accords after the war. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Andrew Hall | Andrew Hall has an MFA from Antioch University in creative writing and has participated in the national poetry slam. He worked as an adjunct professor of English and as a high school teacher here in Las Vegas. |
| Ellen Halperin-Royer | Ellen Royer is in her fourth year teaching courses in theater, history, and dramatic literature for OLLI. She 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. 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. |
| Roxana Henriquez | |
| Dorothy Howard | After several years teaching elementary school in Boston, Dorothy Howard, DSW, obtained her Master and Doctor of Social work degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She moved to Las Vegas in 1987 to work in the child custody field and continued in the mental health and child welfare fields until her retirement in 2008. Having an abiding interest in history and the arts, she joined OLLI in 2009 and began instructing OLLI classes in 2014. She is also part of the OLLI 'That's Your Opinion' Team. |
| 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 10 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 is the President of a local genealogical society, 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. |
| Shirley Kouffman | Shirley Kouffman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of UCLA and CSULA where she did her graduate work in education. In LAUSD, she taught school, regular and special education. She was a Principal, and then a Director in the District offices in the School Information Branch. She retired with 33 years of service. After retiring, Tony and she moved to Henderson. She co-coordinated some OLLI classes many years ago. She is happy to help Tony with the class this fall. |
| Larry Kuperman | Larry Kuperman has been teaching about Jewish history and culture for over 20 years. He has taught for both the JCS and JCC of Ann Arbor, and at Congregation Ner Tamid and Temple Sinai here in Las Vegas. He currently works as the VP of Business Development for Nightdive Studios, a division of Atari. He has been featured in articles about the portrayal of the Holocaust in video games. He is a graduate of New York University and holds a Masters degree in business from the University of Detroit Mercy. |
| Bob Lathrop | Bob Lathrop is a recent retiree from the world of professional business services sales, with a background in business design and development. He co-founded a startup during the dot-com boom and spent over 30 years in human resources support and security technology sales. In retirement, Bob began reflecting on his parents’ lifestyle and health behaviors, which sparked a passion for exploring new health ideas—along with some frustration at the overwhelming number of trendy “health-kick” solutions on the market. This course serves as an information exchange featuring guests who are experts in the field of health services, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of aging. |
| 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 living abroad for thirty-four years (six in the Azores and twenty-eight in England), working as an elementary school teacher on Air Force bases for the US Department of Defense. For UNLV OLLI he has co-taught a class on Modern Board Games, co-facilitated the “Soapbox” class, and offered a class on the game “Scrabble.” He is a political science major from California State University Northridge in the San Fernando Valley in California. |
| Bernard Malamud | Professor Malamud taught macroeconomics for 50 years at UNLV. Of the texts that he used, only two addressed economic inequality briefly, in a few pages and a footnote. Yet not only National Income but how it is shared matters greatly. This class, examining widening gaps in health, wealth, and education in America, aims to correct the oversight of growing prosperity that was not shared by many. Dr. Malamud has degrees in electrical engineering, industrial administration, and economics. |
| Theresa Malburg | Teri Malburg came to OLLI in 2019. Her first class was "American Sign Language", then a class to down-sizing her life (yeah, right!). The first class she presented was called "Why This Psalm", then "Tea Time Movies" with a spin about different makings of the movies. Now she has been presenting classroom time for the OLLI Art Community in all three semesters each year. She says OLLI is addicting! |
| Mark Marcario | Mark Marcario has had a lifelong interest in the assassinations of JFK. He has attended many conferences since 1968, going to special sessions and workshops put on by many of the top researchers in the field. Mark provided expert commentary about the hearings of the House Select Committee on Assassinations. He also attended the hearings of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) when they were held in Los Angeles. Mark is doing ongoing research with numerous groups to investigate Nov. 22, 1963. |
| 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 Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, received theology certification, and is a practicing reverend. She uses creativity as a spiritual practice and is a mandala facilitator. Menard is also a hiker, dog lover, and soul pilgrim. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Matthew Nishimoto | Matthew Nishimoto spent over twenty years as an acclaimed public school guitar educator. His program at Coronado HS earned recognition from both the Guitar Foundation of America and Grammy Foundation. Under his leadership, his ensembles achieved a perfect track record of "Superior" ratings and a national first-place ranking in 2016. From 2018-2020, as GFA's Director of Education/Education Coordinator, he helped reshape the organization's educational vision. |
| Sarah Nishimoto | Sarah Nishimoto earned her MBA and BS in Education from UNLV. Sarah's day job involves helping entrepreneurs develop compelling business plans and executive job seekers craft effective resumes. In her downtime, Sarah enjoys researching old Hollywood crimes, specifically cold cases like the Black Dahlia. She has taken a deep dive into the case of Elizabeth Short and enjoys discussing theories with others who share her enthusiasm for cold cases. |
| Rebecca Norrington | Rebecca L. Norrington is a Happiness Specialist, Inner Peace Practitioner, Oracle, and student of the Universe and Its Laws. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and decades of education and training on topics from Spirituality to Human Behavior. Her professional journey includes several vocations: Public Speaker, Podcast Host, Author, Workshop/Retreat Facilitator, Fitness Instructor, Reiki Practitioner & retired Legal Secretary. Rebecca has hosted over 600 episodes on RealitySpirituality™ Radio, heard LIVE ON YouTube every Sunday at 9 am (PST). She also co-hosts “What Happens When a Mother & Son Make Sense Out of Nonsense? Plus More!” heard LIVE every Saturday at @9:15am (PST) on her YouTube Channel. Rebecca has taught The Truth About Happiness classes for fifteen years in 3 separate states. February 2025 marks her 6th semester at OLLI. Visit www.rebeccanorrington.com to learn more. |
| Marcia Norris | Marcia Norris is a playwright, songwriter with a Doctorate in Theology, former peace officer, Homeland Security Officer, foster parent and youth advocate. She is a co-author of the Enable Me Theatre Pilot program utilizing the transformative power of theatre to introduce Dementia Caregivers / Care Partners and Griefand Trauma Survivors to modalities that promote and help maintain self-care. |
| 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. He has a wide range of interests that include medicine, sports, and history. Asked why he’s leading a class on Leonardo da Vinci, Ed said, "Years ago, I had the great fortune of seeing the painting The Last Supper on a business trip to Milan, Italy. I was hooked -- I had to do a class on Leonardo. |
| 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 dedicated spiritual director and curator for the Interfaith Contemplative Center, as well as a board member of the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada. She is committed to fostering spiritual awakening for all. |
| Muree Reafs | Muree Reafs, having finished traveling many of the countries in Africa, will return to our nation and travel state by state. She has 8 states yet to explore. All beautiful places with interesting stories in their past and present. Muree has much Information to share from her studies and travels. |
| 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. |
| Shell Reinish | Shell Reinish grew up in Brooklyn, NY, graduated electrical engineering college, and worked in the electronic industry for forty years on projects as diverse as The Luna Module to electronic music. He managed a twelve-man sales group as well as being technical back up. He has designed and built home theater systems and had his own live call in talk show for 15 years. For many years he trained sales people. Shell is most proud of the fact that for 6 years he was a docent at one of the world's foremost auto museums. |
| 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. Chris has a love of reading, especially history, and this has led her to develop classes based upon "The Great Courses". |
| Joey Sassaman | Joey Sassaman is very passionate about the Las Vegas community and even more so helping seniors. Her day job is acting Research Integrity Officer for the Division of Research at UNLV...so you can tell she takes rules/security seriously. She loves teaching her classes at OLLI because "we force seniors to adapt to technology they have never used which is an uncomfortable feeling. The most rewarding feeling is being able to help just one senior at a time." She spends her spare time with her husband and their three fur babies Lolli, Jack and Larry. |
| Esther Schube | Esther Schube has experience teaching first grade through college level classes and now OLLI. She also spent thirty years as a mental health therapist in a variety of settings. Esther loves to teach all ages how to play and have fun. She teaches both Pickleball & Mahjong the "Schube" way for OLLI. |
| 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. |
| Barbara Stratton | Barbara Stratton was born and raised three children in Anchorage Alaska. She taught Kindergarten until 2013. After retiring I discovered Mahjong and the first time she played she was hooked. She loves playing and now really enjoys teaching this exciting game. We moved to Las Vegas to be close to our daughter and family. |
| Mary Ellen Taylor | |
| 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. |
| Adlaidie Walker | Adlaidie Walker, songwriter, playwright, advisory board member Rainbows of Caring, and R.I.S.E. Research Inclusion Supports Equity and The Executive Director, Social Issues Theatre "bringing society together one line at a time" Co-Author of the Enable Me Theatre Pilot Program utilizing the transformative power of theatre to introduce Dementia Caregivers /Care Partners and Grief and Trauma Survivors to modalities that promote and helpmaintain self-care. |
| 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. |
| 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 nine years, she served as an assistant superintendent of education. For five years, Mary Jean was a volunteer at Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican, and is now a Health Educator at the Community Wellness Centers. She enjoys helping others as they engage in opportunities to improve their life. |
| Les Wimmer | Les Wimmer has a BS degree, in Business Management, from the University of Maryland's European Division. He also holds two associate degrees in technology. Les is a retiree of the air force reserve and a retired civilian employee, of the same. He has worked in financial services, to include securities trading. Along with many years of personal involvement, he has an ongoing appreciation, for the history of these troubling topics. |
| Mary Yeargan | Mary Yeargan holds both a BS and MSc in Geology. She began her career in petroleum exploration, then migrated to environmental protection, spending 30 years working, in various capacities, for the State of Florida (FDEP) and local government. Her most recent position was Executive Director of the FDEP Southwest district office. The district comprised 8 counties and was responsible for permitting, compliance, enforcement, and public outreach for air, water, waste, and wetland programs. |
| Carolyn Yucha | Carolyn Yucha, RN, PhD is both a nurse and a physiologist. She has taught numerous courses in Nursing Schools in Colorado, Florida, and Nevada in Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology. She has served as Editor of Biological Research for Nursing, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, for the past 24 years. Dr. Yucha was Dean of the School of Nursing at UNLV from 2004-2017. She hopes to share her understanding of healthcare today while demonstrating that anyone can dance to music. |
UNLV Lifelong Learning
4350 S. Maryland Pkwy.
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 895-3394