All University Park Courses   

OLLI has a cruise of the Rhine and Mosel planned for 2026, and it happens to feature many of the places that Dr. Bruhn has been! This course will be an overview of some of the great works of art and architecture that can be experienced on the Rhine and Mosel cruise, with particular emphasis on Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo masterpieces.

Commonly associated with Impressionism, Edgar Degas rejected such categorization and instead developed a unique realism, influenced by Old Masters, Japanese prints, and everyday urban life. A difficult and contentious individual, Degas believed artists should be solitary and dedicate their lives entirely to their craft. His subjects centered on the modern world of working women (laundresses, milliners, and prostitutes) as well as leisure entertainments, such as horse racing, café concerts, and, most notably, ballet. This course will explore the life and works of this audacious artist.

The tour will include a presentation on the yearly life cycle of deer and animal care at the facility and an overview of past and current research. Participants will have the opportunity to view deer and participate in a question-and-answer session.

Special notes: Participants will be required to follow the bio-security policy; visitors may not wear footwear or clothing into the facility that has been worn in positive captive facilities or natural deer habitats (forests, agricultural lands, parks, etc.) within Chronic Wasting Disease Management Areas. Participants will be provided with a pair of plastic disposable boots to wear during the visit. The policy will be shared in advance of the course. Participants will be standing for the duration of the course.

Curious about robotics but not sure where to start? This hands-on course invites participants to explore robotics in a fun, approachable way using the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime platform. Working in small groups, participants will design and build a simple robot with LEGO components, learn the basics of block-based coding, and put their creations to the test in a friendly “hopper race” challenge. No prior experience is needed, just curiosity and a willingness to try something new. The course is designed to be creative, social, and low-pressure.

Special notes: The nearest visitor campus parking lot is the Nittany Deck, about a 5-minute walk.

Learn about skin care tips and sun protection and review the factors that influence the development of skin cancer.

Rick will discuss the progress of WWII in the West following the Battle of the Bulge, including the final push into Germany and crossing the Rhine.

Founded in 1962 by Dr. Joel N. Myers in State College, AccuWeather is now the most recognized and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the AccuWeather Global Headquarters.

Special notes: The AccuWeather building has 3 floors, and as such, there will be a fair amount of walking and use of stairs during this tour. There is an elevator available for anyone unable to use the stairs, but use will require a separate chaperone, which may mean missing parts of the tour.

We may think our current situation unique in featuring partisan bubbles in which people mistrust information from the other side. But immediately after the Civil War, a toxic partisan climate caused racial violence to become politicized, with accounts dismissed as fictions to mask a political agenda. To fight this attitude, military officers led by Ulysses S. Grant mobilized the Freedmen’s Bureau to document crimes against African Americans. They needed hard data to counter the nineteenth-century version of “fake news.” The results fortified efforts to pass the Fourteenth Amendment.

During a 90-minute tour, explore several levels of the Millennium Science Complex. Participants will tour lab spaces and discuss the unique arrangement of shared space within the building and see the “quiet” labs, which are vibration-free spaces housing powerful microscopes. There will be ample time to discuss the unique activities and instrumentation contained in this giant building.

Special notes: Participants will meet in the lobby of the Life Sciences wing. Participants must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. The nearest visitor campus parking is East Parking Deck or HUB parking deck; about a 10- to 15-minute walk.