WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Feb. 1, 2010 -- In past years, many Williams College faculty have volunteered at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI at BCC) and its predecessor organization, the Berkshire Institute for Lifetime Learning (BILL).

OLLI was established in 2007 with a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco to the Berkshire Community College Foundation. OLLI at BCC's educational partners are Williams College, Bard College at Simon's rock, and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

The courses are non-credit, delivered in a wide array of formats and locations. The four to six week courses provide opportunities for participants to engage in subjects ranging from biology to Romance languages. There are no entrance requirements, no tests, and no grades.

Since fall 2008, Williams College faculty have taught the following classes at OLLI:

The Big World of Small RNA â€" Marsha Altschuler (biology)

Digital Photography Made Easy â€" Cesar Silva (mathematics)

Frontiers of Science â€" Charles Lovett, David Richardson, Thomas Smith, Lawrence Kaplan, Anne Skinner, and Ari Solomon (chemistry)

Intermediate French - Nicole Desrosiers (Romance languages)

Mesoamerican Civilizations â€" Antonia Foias (anthropology)

Muslims in Europe â€" Leyla Rouhi (Spanish), Katarzyna Pieprzak (French), Chris Waters (history), Magnus Bernhardsson (history), and Helga Druxes (German)

Shakespeare and the Law â€" Philip McKnight (legal studies)

The Silk Road â€" William Darrow (religion), Holly Edwards (art), George Crane (political science) and Georges Dreyfus (religion).

Understanding the Quantum World â€" Stuart Crampton (physics)

Vibrations â€" Douglas Moore (music), and Elizabeth Morse (music)

 

Those teaching in Spring 2010 will be:

Our DNA: Exploring the Human Genome â€" Marsha Altschuler (biology)

Tolstoy's Anna Karenina â€" Julie Cassiday (German & Russian)

Dance: An Affirmation of Life â€" Holly Silva (director of INISH), Erica Dankmeyer (director of Williams Dance Company), and Sandra Burton (dance).

OLLI at BCC is a membership-led organization committed to the idea that learning is a lifelong, multifaceted experience. It offers courses, lectures, trips and special events year round. Courses are given in fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters. For more information or class schedules, call the OLLI Office (413) 236-2190.

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News: Laura Corona