Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of North Texas

10/09/2026

Jerry Davis is a nuclear engineer who worked in the commercial electrical power industry for 15 years. He followed that by teaching Engineering at UNT for 21 years. In retirement, he's been giving OLLI presentations on a variety of topics, ranging from the Texas electric grid to his passion for greyhound dogs. This semester, he's presenting on the classic film "Casablanca," including behind-the-scenes trivia.

He recently told Donna Ledbetter of our volunteer Storytelling Team that he's grateful OLLI accepts teaching proposals because "everyone has at least one story they can tell--something you did while working, a hobby, a trip. If you are interested in the topic, it's likely others will be too."

10/08/2026

Our Associate Director Megan Bryan will be giving the pre-screening lecture at this event. Tickets are on sale now at the link below!

COMING SOON - HALLOWEEN SILENT HORROR MOVIE - "THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI.” Featuring a dark, anti-realist visual style twisting in unusual angles, this 1920s German Expressionist silent horror film tells the story of a hypnotist using a sleepwalker to commit heinous crimes.

Projected on three giant screens, this second installment of the University of North Texas College of Music silent movie series features improvisational organist Todd Wilson. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/UNTMusicSilentTickets102426, call the box office at 940-765-9795 or e-mail at [email protected] - open M-F from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. every weekday and one hour before all ticketed events.

Refreshment. Popcorn. Lecture. Costume. Contest. Film.

This event is part of Denton Halloween - the official Halloween Capital Of Texas – check out their full schedule at https://tinyurl.com/UNTDentonSilent1002026

10/07/2026

Last month, as part of our OLLI After Five Series, members enjoyed a presentation by Dr. Nancy Stockdale, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and University Distinguished Teaching Professor. Her lecture, titled "No Escape from Reality: Freddie Mercury's Glam," explored how former colonial subject Farrokh Bulsara became Freddie Mercury of the legendary rock band Queen, creating a pop music persona that he spun as quintessentially English while using his music to interrogate and send up British culture as a form of postcolonial critique.

10/06/2026

ICYMI: Kate Quinn was our guest in the latest episode of our Authors Out Loud interview series. You can check out this conversation and all of our previous interviews for free at olli.unt.edu/aol!

Note: This interview was recorded on June 12, 2026.The OLLI at UN...

10/05/2026

After serving for a decade as UNT's 16th president, Dr. Neal Smatresk spent time teaching graduate and undergraduate students how to commercialize their innovations and launch startup businesses. This semester, Dr. Smatresk is introducing some of those students to OLLI members. Last month, they met Ian Abeyta, a PhD candidate in the UNT - Anuradha & Vikas Sinha College of AI & Advanced Analytics.

Ian has developed a wearable multi-sensor device that uses machine learning to monitor human biomechanics, with the goal of improving the wearer's exercise technique and preventing injuries. Members learned about the work he's done to build Keynetics Labs as a startup business and the relationships he's now forming with personal trainers and physical therapists in our area.

10/02/2026

In September, Dr. Kerry Goldmann of the The University of North Texas History Department (now the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry) kicked off our fall OLLI After Five series with a presentation titled "Behind the 'Halloween' Mask: Finding Meaning in the Frivolous Frights of Nihilistic '70s Slashers." She discussed slasher films in the context of their popularity in the 1970s and how John Carpenter's "Halloween" reflected the tumult of the decade.

09/30/2026

Are you interested in traveling with a group of your fellow OLLI members? We recently announced several new tours we're offering through the Collette travel agency in the coming year. Visit olli.unt.edu/travel to learn all about these tours to South America, Switzerland, Italy, New England, and even Antarctica!

09/28/2026

This semester, Texas Fashion Collection Director Annette Becker is teaching OLLI members about the intersections of quilting and fashion over the past sixty years. Following her recent presentation at CC Young Senior Living, Dr. Becker spoke with Donna Ledbetter of our volunteer storytelling team.

"I think we often see fashion as an elite and special world with cultural value," Dr. Becker said. "When we bring something like a quilt into that space, we see how special it is and that it also has value."

For OLLI member Anna McFarland, the presentation resonated at a personal level. "I had a special interest in this topic because my stepmother made quilted clothing," Anna told Donna. "This presentation gave me more context to what she did."

To learn more about our fall schedule, visit https://olli.unt.edu/catalog.

09/25/2026

The University of North Texas History Department (now the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry) is hosting a free screening of "9 to 5," starring the late Dolly Parton, on October 2 at the Theatre Denton Annex in the Golden Triangle Mall. Professor Danielle Dumaine will give a pre-screening talk about the making of the movie. OLLI members may remember Dr. Dumaine from this spring's OLLI After Five presentation on the history of country music.

For questions about this free screening, please contact Dr. Dumaine directly at [email protected].

09/23/2026

The volunteers who serve on our Ambassador Outreach Team are trained to give presentations about OLLI at UNT to local groups. Are you part of a group in North Texas that would like to learn more about the lifelong learning opportunities right in your back yard? Please contact us at [email protected].