Some of Barbara Bisno's most treasured memories with her late husband, Dr. Alan Bisno, took place on the University of Miami campus. He, a retired physician and longtime vice chair of medicine at the Miller School of Medicine, and she, a retired attorney, signed up to take classes together at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).
They initially took a few undergraduate courses on politics but were most intrigued, Bisno said, by the modern physics class taught by Mark Egdall, a retired aerospace program manager whose book, "Einstein Relatively Simple," explained complex theories in everyday language.
"We discussed quantum physics and string theory,' she said. "As a physician, Alan was much more adept at these concepts than I was. I may not have understood everything we discussed, but we both loved hearing these advanced ideas explained so clearly."
When her husband died in 2020, Bisno said OLLI became a lifeline for her, especially as classes moved online because of the pandemic.
"As I grieved Alan not being with me, the classes gave me a reason to get up,' she said. "They saved my life, you might say. Today, as I read an exciting article in the New York Times on particle physics and the study of the cosmos, I can understand [it]."
Since OLLI was founded as the Institute for Retired Professionals in 1984, many of its members, some of whom joined decades ago and remain involved today, share similar stories of OLLI's effect on their lives.
From Saturday night potluck dinners and visits to art museums, boat tours of the Miami River, and a weekly lunch bunch that calls itself "ROMEO,"—short for "Retired Old Men Eating Out,"—OLLI has given its members much more than intellectual stimulation.
Many say OLLI has given them lifelong friendships—and a place to call home.
"(OLLI) has been instrumental in making our retirement an easier transition,' said Art Young, a ROMEO member who also leads a group called Monday Morning Quarterback that discusses all things sports.
Young, a retired sales executive, said the group is so devoted, they meet even when OLLI is on a break. He said one of his favorite moments was when a woman who didn't know much about football joined "just so she could talk to her grandchildren about topics they love."
While the faces have changed, the program's goal has remained constant: to engage adults 50 and older in intellectual and social enrichment, as well as provide opportunities for service. Courses are taught by a combination of University professors, OLLI instructors, and members.
The motto, "Stay curious, stay connected,' reflects the belief, backed by research, that staying active mentally, physically, and socially can lead to a healthier, longer life.
Housed within the University’s Division of Continuing and International Education, OLLI is also part of the national Osher Lifelong Learning Network, a group of 125 lifelong learning institutes on university or college campuses across the U.S.
Members have been the heart of everything OLLI does since the beginning.
"We are member-driven and member-supported," said Michelle Alvarez, OLLI’s director. "Our membership was affected by the pandemic, as OLLIs around the country were, but we are growing once again. We want to continue expanding our in-person classes to provide members with that sense of community on campus, while still offering classes on Zoom and hybrid."
Roger Shatanof, a retired Air Force pilot and school principal, said joining the program in 1995 was "one of the best decisions I’ve made." One of his significant memories with OLLI occurred right after 9/11, when he and his wife Barbara were taking a course in Middle East politics.
"When we got to class, everyone knew what had happened in New York. The class was so well-attended that day, we had to move it to a larger space," he said. "[The instructor] was an expert on Middle East history, and he explained to us what was happening and how it was impacted by the history of the region."
In the days that followed, he would see the same instructor interviewed on national news programs.
"It was so helpful to have a greater understanding of what we were seeing on the news," he said.
Among the friends he and his wife made was Edna Shalala, the mother of former University President Donna Shalala. Edna Shalala, a retired attorney known on campus as Mother Shalala, was active in OLLI. She died in 2014 at the age of 103.
"I remember attending her 100th birthday party," Shatanof said. "We became good friends. We held OLLI’s 30th anniversary (in 2014) at President Shalala’s home."
Donna Shalala will return to campus on March 1 for a kickoff event in honor of OLLI’s 40th anniversary. Other events are in the works, Alvarez said, including a murder mystery night and Earth Day event.
Some members have taken their OLLI friendships far beyond the campus borders. A group of women—a doctor, a lawyer, a marketing executive, one who had lived in India, another who’d lived overseas for years—met five years ago in a course on global politics and hatched a plan to travel together to Greece. They called themselves the "global posse."
With ABBA music as their soundtrack, they toured Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, and several other Greek islands, stopping to explore, eat seafood, and dance.
"It was truly the trip of a lifetime," said Pamela Dickson, a retired radiologist with the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, who joined OLLI in 2018. "We were driving in Santorini past a beautiful cliff looking over the sea. We blasted ABBA from the car and danced on the cliff to the glorious Aegean Sea. It truly captured the joy and lightness of our trip."
Albert Fine, who joined OLLI in 1999, said he marvels at the changes he has seen in the program over the past 25 years. The biggest growth, he recalls, was when OLLI received its first Osher Foundation grant and moved into its current home in Founder’s Hall.
"We had very little space for many years, and our membership was pretty small," he said of his early experience with the program. "Things really took off when we became OLLI and moved into Founder’s Hall. It was so exciting to be on campus. The School of Architecture helped us with the renovations, and it became our new home."
For more information about OLLI, visit miami.edu/olli.
