Breadcrumb
Osher Online - Winter 2026
Stay curious from just about anywhere. Explore Osher Online, which offers world-class courses and curriculum, led by engaging instructors known for deep expertise in their field. You’ll learn alongside other curious Osher members across the country, all in a virtual, lively and conversation-centered weekly session.
REGRISTATION FOR THESE COURSES BEGIN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, 2026.
An Osher Online Member Orientation will be provided on Tuesday, January 12, 2027 at 11 a.m. for those registered. Enroll in the Osher Online course(s) of your choice with OLLI at Pacific.
PLEASE NOTE: THESE CLASSES ARE NOT RECORDED
$70 Per Course (6 Sessions Each)
Famous Furniture Makers and Their Fabulous Creations
Date: Tuesdays, January 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 & 23
Time: 12 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Eleanor Schrader
Throughout history, furniture makers and decorative artists often have been viewed as secondary to painters and sculptors, yet furniture and decorative objects are important works of art in their own right. This course will trace furniture styles in Europe and America from ancient times to the end of the 18th century, focusing on marquetry, gilding, lacquering, upholstery, mechanization, and other techniques, while considering the artists, patrons, materials, and methods behind these creations.
If Einstein Climbed Everest: Alexander von Humboldt's Hero's Journey to South America
Date: Thursdays, January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25 & March 4
Time: 8 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Eric Simon
Learn about the incredible life and career of Alexander von Humboldt, Prussian naturalist, mountaineer, polymath, and the era’s second most famous European (after Napolean). Humboldt’s journey to South America (1799-1804) was a groundbreaking accomplishment. We will discuss how his reports from this trip rippled throughout society, affecting politics, history, science, and art. We will explore how his work is an excellent example of consilience: how science and art can intersect to reveal truths about the natural world.
John Muir and the American Environmental Movement
Date: Tuesdays, January 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23 & March 2
Time: 8 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Mike Wurtz
Famed naturalist John Muir, often called the “father of the national parks,” reveled in Earth’s beauty and strove to preserve places such as Yosemite. His observations challenged ideas about the science of nature and how best to protect it. Using Muir’s journals, letters, drawings, and manuscripts, curated at the University of the Pacific, we will explore his masterful observational skills and his legacy in the American environmental movement.
Deaf History and Culture
Date: Thursdays, January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18 & 25
Time: 2 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Matt Cooper
In this course, we will introduce key aspects of Deaf Culture in the United States and explore what defines the Deaf community as a cultural minority. We will examine cultural identity, group norms, social interaction, values, and traditions, while emphasizing awareness, diversity, and language preservation. We will investigate how modern technology shapes community life, along with emerging issues, trends, and advocacy. We will also discuss communication, terminology, educational alternatives, legislation, and community resources.
Functional Healthspan: Measuring What Matters
Date: Mondays, January 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22 & March 1
Time: 8 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Scott Fulton
This hands-on course explores healthspan, the length of time a person lives in good health, through the lens of functional ability. We will examine how strength, endurance, mobility, flexibility, and cognition support independence and quality of life. Each session will blend evidence-based instruction with active self-assessments to help identify personal blind spots. By the end of the course, we will develop a personalized 12-week plan for building and maintaining function in daily life.
Gilded Age New York
Date: Mondays, January 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22 & March 1
Time: 8 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Adam Kocurek
The Gilded Age continues to captivate the public imagination, with glamour and excess that inspire both fascination and critique. In this course, we will trace this transformative era across nearly half a century, examining how it reshaped the US socially, culturally, and economically. With a focus on New York City, we will discuss the people, scandals, places, and trends that defined the period and why they still matter today.
From Gregorian Chant to Bohemian Rhapsody: The Evolution of Vocal Groups
Date: Wednesdays, January 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24 & March 3
Time: 12 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Mike Agron
This multimedia course will celebrate the expressive power of voices coming together. With greater depth and a wider lens than this previous Osher Online course, we will trace how vocal groups have shaped music for nearly a thousand years. We will explore duos, trios, quartets, and larger ensembles across genres, from sacred chant to jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and beyond. We will celebrate iconic performers, unexpected connections, and how their legacies live on through contemporary groups.
The American Revolution and the British Empire
Date: Tuesdays, January 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 & 23
Time: 8 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Rick Bell
This course examines the American Revolution through the lens of the British. While Americans remember July 4, 1776, as the birth of a new nation, British observers saw rebellion, war, and imperial crisis. We will explore the Boston Tea Party, British views of the war, Benedict Arnold, Irish participation on both sides, the fate of empire on Britain’s Caribbean islands, and the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which shrank the Britain’s empire and confirmed the independence of the United States.
The Power of Introverts
Date: Mondays, February 1, 8, 15, 22, March 1 & 8
Time: 4 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Jeri Bingham
“Introverts are hermits. Introverts don’t like people. Introverts can’t hold a conversation.” In this course (a repeat Osher Online offering), we will unpack these myths and explore introversion as a misunderstood personality type. We will discuss the power of introverts, the exhaustion of masking as extroverts, and the stigma attached to the word itself. Together, we will consider how introverts and extroverts can better understand, support, and honor one another.
Embodying the Inner Truth: The Films of Denzel Washington
Date: Thursdays, January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25 & March 4
Time: 12 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Arnold Blumberg
Denzel Washington brings an intensity and dedication reminiscent of Sidney Poitier and Gene Hackman. In this course, we will examine his career across television, film, theater, directing, and producing. We will consider his early work on “St. Elsewhere”, his performances in “Cry Freedom,” “Malcolm X,” and “The Equalizer” trilogy, and his Oscar-winning performances in “Glory and “Training Day.” We will explore his directorial debut with “Antwone Fisher,” and his work as producer, adapting August Wilson’s plays.
Today's Technology: How Does It Work?
Date: Wednesdays, January 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17 & 24
Time: 8 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Elizabeth Burnette
Technology’s pace continues to accelerate. In this introductory course, we will build a general understanding of several important advances, including the internet and cloud computing, cellphones and social media, robotics and 3D printing, self-driving vehicles, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and AI. No prior technical knowledge is required. We will take a broad, overview of these complex subjects, with an emphasis on building understanding rather than exploring each subject in depth or debating ethical questions.
Women's Suffrage: About More Than the Vote!
Date: Tuesdays, January 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23 & March 2
Time: 12 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Diana Carlin
From the earliest days of colonization, the US legal system denied women many rights. Because voting was not part of European tradition, early women’s rights advocates focused primarily on property and legal rights. As voting rights were extended to formerly enslaved people, the women’s movement broadened its goals. In this course, we will examine the well-known and lesser-known advocates who led the decadeslong struggle for women’s rights and the tactics they used to advance equality.
Pulling Out All the Stops: The Organ, Its History and Its Music
Date: Wednesdays, January 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17 & 24
Time: 12 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Kimberly Marshall
We will explore the remarkable history, technology and music of the pipe organ, from its invention in the third century B.C. to its role as both the “king of instruments” and the “instrument of kings.” We will trace its development from the early hydraulis and medieval Blockwerk to Bach’s instruments and the famous Wanamaker Organ. We will listen to organ music from the 14th century to today, with special attention to Baroque and Romantic works.
Funny You Should Mention It: TV Sitcoms in the 21st Century
Date: Mondays, January 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22 & March 1
Time: 12 p.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Jim McKairnes
In this course, we will explore the evolution of the half-hour comedy, from “I Love Lucy,” “All in the Family,” “Soap,” “The Cosby Show,” and “Seinfeld” to today’s meta humor, mockumentaries, cringe comedy, and sad comedies. We will examine how sitcoms changed as American culture changed and broadcast television evolved, considering shifts in writing, structure, pacing, characters, and expectations. Together, we will ask why today’s funniest half-hour comedies do not always have to be funny.
The Last 100 Years of Russian Rulers: From Stalin to Putin
Date: Wednesdays, January 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24 & March 3
Time: 10 a.m. (90 minutes)
Fee: $70
Instructor: Asya Pereltsvaig
In this course, we will examine 100 years of Russian history through the personalities of its rulers: Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. Each week, we will explore one leader’s background, rise to power, and legacy. We will consider how each leader’s personality and peculiarities shaped Russian history, how each leader’s rule ended, and why all of these leaders were men.
