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WISE Courses for Spring 2025

Join us for a brand new season of engaging courses beginning in February 2025. For full course descriptions and schedules access the 2025 Spring catalog here

Scroll down this page to view the available courses and register today. Note that courses are listed based on upcoming class dates and may not be in numerical order.

Need help learning Zoom? Contact the WISE office at 508-767-7513 or by email at WISE@assumption.edu for instruction, assistance, and support. Our regular office hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday (excluding holidays).

If you miss a Zoom class, you can access the class recording here for up to 30 days after each class session. 

You can also see some of our recent course offerings on the Past WISE Courses page.

Courses

    • 02/03/2025
    • 03/03/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    This is the last of a 3-part course focusing on a variety of musicians, exploring their lives and the historical times in which they lived. These musicians will be separated by geography and perhaps many years, but the relationship they will share is their great contribution to the history of music composition as well as their intriguing personal life stories. We will examine musicians from the 1600s to modern day. Students will be treated to playlists that they can use to create their own “mix tapes” of these incredible composers. 

    Instructor: Paul Buono began as a classical pianist, discovered jazz in high school and then moved to New York City to hone his skills, somehow managing to play with masters such as Wynton Marsalis. He played a variety of gigs, taught in the NYC public school system, and worked as a musical director for Princess and Cunard Cruises, traveling to exotic locales such as Bora Bora, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Alaska. Paul earned his law degree and passed the MA bar before returning to NYC to work as an attorney in the intellectual property field but was pulled back into the music scene. He served as the musical director for Javier Colon, the Season 1 winner of "The Voice" on NBC, and toured with Maroon 5 on their 2012 "OverExposed World Tour" throughout North, Central, and South America, performing for audiences as large as 35,000. Paul performs regularly and teaches at various universities and online, including Assumption University where he is the jazz band director. Paul also works as a musical director for Music Management, a Boston agency that produces a variety of musical installations.

    • 02/03/2025
    • 03/10/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury St, Worcester
    • 0

    This course is in person at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester. Course is limited to 15 participants (first come, first served) and will have a wait list. 

    The American Antiquarian Society has long welcomed scholars of American history and culture to its home on Salisbury Street in Worcester. This course will provide an overview of the library facilities and introduce participants to the impressive pre-1900 collections at AAS, including books, newspapers, graphic arts, manuscripts, and children’s literature.

    Instructor: Nan Wolverton, Vice President for Academic and Public Programs at the AAS, holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of Iowa. Before joining the AAS, Nan held positions at Old Sturbridge Village, Historic Northampton, and Smith College.

    Scott Casper became the 18th President of AAS in 2020. Long affiliated with the AAS, Scott began his career as a history professor. He has numerous publications in the field of American history, including his award-winning book, Constructing American Lives: Biography and Culture in 19th-Century America.
    • 02/04/2025
    • 03/04/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    As Mary Gabriel did in her 2018 book, Ninth Street Women, we will chronicle the extraordinary contribution of five women in the mid-20th century world of Abstract Expressionism: Lee Krasner (married to Jackson Pollock), Elaine DeKooning (married to Wilhem DeKooning), Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler (married to Robert Motherwell). All of these women participated in the historic 1951 9th Street Art Exhibition, the formal debut of Abstract Expression, considered by many scholars to be the first American art style to achieve international influence. We will explore the lives and art of these five women who helped to revolutionize American art of the 20th century.

    Optional ReadingNinth Street Women, Mary Gabriel, 2018

    Instructor: Martha Chiarchiaro has brought history to life through the art of the times for more than 30 years. She received her Master’s degree in the History of Art from Williams College and has taught a variety of art history classes at the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester State University, WISE, and other cultural organizations. As noted on her Seeing History website, Martha's specialty presentations related to specific periods, artists, and activities provide an in-depth look at the life and times of people through their art.


    • 02/04/2025
    • 03/04/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only
    This course explores the stories of five people who won or were considered for the Nobel Peace Prize and the religious principles that influenced their work. It offers a different approach to the study of religions by focusing each session on the social justice teachings of one faith tradition and its Nobel laureate: Quakers -- Emily Greene Balch (1946) and the Quaker community (1947); Protestant Christianity -- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1964); Judaism -- Elie Wiesel (1986); Buddhism -- The 14thDalai Lama (1989); and Hinduism -- Mohandas Gandhi, the missing laureate, who was nominated several times.

    Instructor: Kathleen Fisher has taught at WISE since 2019, offering courses on The Gnostic Gospels, Celtic Spirituality, the poet Mary Oliver, and the mystics Rumi and St. Francis. She holds a Ph.D. in Medieval History and Religion from Boston University where she focused on Irish history and medieval monasticism. “Peacemakers and their Religious Traditions” arose from her interest and teaching experience in world religions and issues of social justice. Recently retired from a long teaching career in Theology at Assumption University, Kathleen now lives in Chapel Hill, NC.

    • 02/05/2025
    • 02/26/2025
    • 4 sessions
    • Zoom only

    Explore how plants and animals respond to the changes of the seasons. Fall displays its full beauty at the end of the growing season with its abundance of seeds, nuts, and berries. The Winter brings shorter days with colder temperatures, and plants enter a state of dormancy. Next up, Spring ushers in warmer temperatures and sunlight which brings new life to both animals and plants. Then finally Summer arrives with longer days and abundant sunlight when plants are in full growth mode as well as the animals relying on the food produced. These adaptations to seasonal changes are crucial for the survival and reproduction of both plants and animals, demonstrating the intricate connections between life and the Earth’s natural cycles.

    NOTE: This class is 4 weeks onlyInstructor: Sheryl Pereira is a Field Teacher at Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Worcester. She is a longtime naturalist and keeps the sanctuary bird feeders well-stocked. When not birding or working with the public, Sheryl can usually be found teaching her granddaughter about the out-of-doors. Sheryl’s favorite courses to teach are all about birds from our backyard birds to raptors, owls, and waterfowl. She also enjoys taking nature enthusiasts on birding adventures.


    • 02/05/2025
    • 03/05/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    The Roosevelt family dominated American politics in the first half of the 20th century. Theodore was president for 7 years as a Republican, and his distant cousin Franklin was president for 12 as a Democrat. Eleanor Roosevelt linked to both – she was Theodore’s niece and Franklin’s wife. They were wealthy New York aristocrats who felt an obligation to enter public service and did so energetically. Teddy’s “Square Deal” focused on conservation of natural resources, corporate law, and consumer protection. Franklin’s “New Deal” used public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations to rescue the country from Depression. Both promoted the United States as a leader on the world stage. Eleanor Roosevelt was a unique First Lady, acting as Franklin’s liberal conscience and later as the first US Ambassador to the United Nations.

    Optional Reading: The Roosevelts: An Intimate History by Geoffrey C. Ward; Alfred A. Knopf, 2014; ISBN: 978-0-307-70023-0

    Instructor: David Nevard grew up in suburban Boston and has always been fascinated by history – especially World War II and the postwar era. He attended UMass-Amherst and worked as an IT professional for over 30 years. Since retirement, David has been an instructor at WISE and other area lifelong learning programs. His courses include The Worcester Tornado; Suburbia; New York World’s Fair; Displaced Persons after World War II; the Berlin Wall; Operation Paperclip; The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials; and most recently Immigrant Ships.


    • 02/06/2025
    • 03/06/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    New England shares the dual roles of promoting enslavement in the 17th & 18th centuries with its ports and products vital to the Transatlantic slave trade and the 19th century rise of the Underground Railroad and Abolition movement that brought enslavement to its end. We will discuss key events and figures including Sea Captain Paul and his wife Alice Cuffe, Lewis and Harriet Hayden, Charles Lenox Remond, Frederick Douglass, Rev. Samuel J. May, Prudence Crandall, Abby Kelley Foster, and other significant figures who bring this era to life.

    Instructor: Susan Franz holds a master's degree from Clark University and has taught at several local colleges. She has taught several courses on the abolition and Underground Railroad periods for WISE and lectures frequently around the Commonwealth. She played a key role in gaining National Park Service recognition for Underground Railroad locations in the Blackstone River Valley and designed an exhibit on the Underground Railroad for state parks. She has served on the Uxbridge Select Board, Finance Committee, and Historical Commission and has edited a book on French artist Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun titled Moments of Joy.


    • 02/06/2025
    • 03/06/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    From 1831-6, Charles Darwin circumnavigated the globe on HMS Beagle. In the Galapagos Islands and elsewhere, Darwin collected data that, after decades of study and reflection, formed part of the basis for his publication On the Origin of Species. The ideas presented in that volume remain the foundation of all modern biological thought. Drawing upon original source materials and the instructor’s photos, this course will present the historical and cultural context of Darwin’s era, follow the 5-year journey, discuss how Darwin came to his ideas, and explain his theories in detail. This course is intended for people with little or no college-level biology experience; no prior knowledge of biology or evolutionary theory is presumed.

    Optional Readings: 

    The Autobiography of Charles Darwin by Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin and The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin, all in a public domain given to the students.

    Instructor: Eric J. Simon, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Biology and Health Science at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. Dr. Simon is an award-winning nature photographer who leads educational trips for both undergraduates and lifelong learners to such destinations as Belize, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Cuba, the Amazon River, and Patagonia. Prof. Simon earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University. Dr. Simon is the author of a widely used series of college biology textbooks with over 2 million books in print that help teach biology to students in over 40 countries.


    • 02/07/2025
    • 03/07/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    China has the second largest economy in the world by standard GDP, and its rapid rise since the 1980s has transformed global markets. Despite recent turbulence in its housing and financial sectors and strains in its relations with the United States, China continues to grow faster than any other major economy and affects consumers and firms around the world. This course will provide participants with an understanding of the influences that have shaped China’s economy and that continue to guide the decisions of its leaders. Each class session will focus on a major influence and show how it is manifested in today’s events. Class content will include discussions of the role of geography, history, and culture, as well as an examination of the choice of the centrally planned socialist economic model in the 1940s and the sharp turn to a market-based economy in the 1980s. We will conclude with discussions of several prominent current topics, including the explosive growth of China’s auto industry, and the controversial Belt and Road Initiative.

    Optional Readings: 

    Barry Naughton, The Chinese Economy: Adaptation and Growth; Second Edition, 2018, MIT Press. ISBN 9780262534796

    Justin Yifu Lin, et al., The China Miracle: Development Strategy and Economic Reform, Revised Edition, 2003

    China Daily, available online at www.chinadaily.com.cn

    “China,” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, USA; available online at www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/

    Instructor: Tom Gottschang is a Professor Emeritus of Economics at the College of the Holy Cross, where he taught courses on economics and the economy of China for over 40 years. He has lived and worked in China and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan.

    • 02/07/2025
    • 03/07/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    From 1948 until his death in 1975, Walt Kelly gave us Pogo, arguably the best comic strip ever. Ever-lovin’ Blue-Eyed Pogo Possum lived in the lushly illustrated Okefenokee Swamp with buddies Churchy La Femme, Albert Alligator, the forever convoluted bats, Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered, and countless other characters and caricatures. We’ll learn about Kelly’s life, his time in the Disney Studio, his daily and full-page color Sunday strips, his politics that drew fire from left and right, innumerable side projects, and that holiday classic “Deck Us All with Boston Charlie.” The strips made us laugh and made us think. 

    Suggested Reading: The Internet Archive offers many Pogo books for free online viewing: https://archive.org/search?query=pogo+walt+kellyn

    Instructor: Karl Hakkarainen is retired after a 40-year career in the computer industry. A graduate of Amherst College, he is a long-time WISE instructor who has taught courses on technology, history, journalism, music, and law. His grandchildren still ask for and generally heed his advice with their technology concerns. He was born in Gardner, Massachusetts. 


    • 02/07/2025
    • 03/07/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    This course will cover the lives and music of 4 American music icons: Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and John Williams. We will focus on their musical influences, compositional styles, performing, teaching, conducting, and legacies. Their musical output, known domestically and internationally, spans over a century with Copland’s first composition, The Cat and Mouse, being written in 1920 and Williams’ most recent being Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023.

    Instructor: Mitchell Lutch is Wind Band Director at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he directs the concert band and chamber ensembles, and teaches music theory, performance, and appreciation. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Instrumental Conducting at the University of Washington and earned his Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory (NEC). His Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education is from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Conducting appearances and research presentations include concerts and conferences throughout the United States, Quebec, London, Japan, The People’s Republic of China, the former Soviet Union, Luxembourg, Prague, and Mexico. 


    • 03/24/2025
    • 04/21/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 48

    U.S. law enforcement & regulatory agencies have changed such that money laundering is now treated as an independent and primary focus across all relevant agencies. Banks through the Anti Money Laundering Act and Bank Secrecy Act are required to work with U.S. law enforcement and regulatory agencies to identify, solve and prevent financial crimes. This course reviews the history of financial crime enforcement and how agencies and financial institutions work to combat financial crimes and terrorism. This is an overview of the extent, nature, causes, and control of financial crimes. It will examine the nature and extent of offenses committed by individuals, crime networks, corporations, professionals, and public officials. It will identify challenges and techniques to prevent, detect, investigate, regulate, and sanction financial crimes.

    Paperback Readings:

    The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich & Powerful Hide Their Money; F. Obermaier and B. Obermayer, April 11, 2017, Oneworld Publications, ISBN-10: 1786070707; ISBN-13: 978-1786070708

    SPAM Nation; Brian Krebs, 2014, ISBN-13:9781492603238, Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.     

    Instructor: Eddie Goodwin’s experience includes directing financial crime divisions as a Bank Secrecy Act Anti Money Laundering Officer at domestic banks and an international division of a world-wide bank. His experience includes money laundering cases and information sharing with U.S. law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and state and local law enforcement. He is a financial crime professional with extensive criminal justice experience in Bank Secrecy Act, Anti Money Laundering, fraud investigations, international and domestic crime case investigation, fraud detection and anti-money laundering forensic system analysis. He earned degrees at Northeastern University -MS Criminal Justice; Nichols College- MBA; and the College of the Holy Cross -BA. 


    • 03/24/2025
    • 04/21/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 57

    Though it’s a long way from the ancient Mediterranean world where the history of Western Literature begins to the Arctic, some of the works I read during my sojourn in Fairbanks, Alaska have continued to haunt me during my years here in Massachusetts, partly because of the continuing vitality of ancient themes such as patriarchy, child-murder and war in modern fiction, and partly because of the acknowledgment of essentially modern concerns, such as gender roles and ecology in the culture of Native Alaskans. Among the most memorable of Alaskan narratives are those by the Gwich’in writer, Velma Wallis. We will be reading several of her novels: Two Old Women, and The Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun.

    Required Readings

    Velma Wallis. Two Old Women. Fairbanks, (Epicenter Press, 1993)

    The Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun. New York, (Harper Perennial, 1997)

    Instructor: Lillian Corti earned a doctorate in Comparative Literature at the City University of New York in 1984 and has taught at various institutions including Queens College, Tulsa University, Marien N’gouabi University and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she was on the faculty of the English Department and a member of the Women’s Studies Department for many years.


    • 03/25/2025
    • 04/22/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 53

    “The Anthropological Perspective” will introduce students to how sociocultural anthropologists look at the world and do their studies. It will cover some of the major theoretical frameworks used in this field of study and will also discuss the nature of ethnographic fieldwork. In Weeks 3-5, the course will focus on two selected research topics: anthropology of art and the anthropology of gender and sexuality. Finally, we will turn to examples of ethically engaged anthropology, discussing how scholars grapple with current day issues such as the structural violence of extreme poverty in shantytowns and how that impacts infant health and survival.

    No required book readings but all the individual chapters and journal articles are required readings. These will be made available as pdfs on our course page.

    Instructor: Susan Rodgers is a sociocultural anthropologist who taught for 11 years in the anthropology program at Ohio U and for 27 years in the anthropology curriculum at Holy Cross (tenured in both places, in sequence). Her Ph.D. in anthropology (1978) is from the U of Chicago and she has published numerous journal articles and books on a variety of topics within anthropology (e.g., anthropology of literature and village arts; museum anthropology; state power and indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia; refugee resettlement). She has taught two WISE courses in anthropology, for spring and fall, 2024. She also has taught Intro to Sociocultural Anthro many times at Ohio U and at Holy Cross, along with Anthro courses on gender, art, museum representation, modernization, theory, and ethnographic field methods. She has her Ph.D., Professor Emerita Anthropology; Distinguished Professor Emerita, Ethics and Society, College of the Holy Cross.


    • 03/25/2025
    • 04/22/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 46

    This course will study Shakespeare’s most unusual comic heroines: the clamoring Mistress Page and Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor and acerbic Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Usually, Shakespeare’s comic women say their piece while disguised as young men. These women defy that convention in ways that transform our sense of “romantic comedy.” Those who wish to will reassemble for a post-performance discussion of Much Ado performed by the Hanover Theatre Repertory Co.

    Required Readings:

    The Merry Wives of Windsor, Folger edition (free online or buy the paperback)

    Much Ado About Nothing (free online or buy the paperback)

    Instructors: Helen Whall joined the faculty at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA after finishing her Ph.D. at Yale University. At Holy Cross, she taught Shakespeare and Renaissance drama as well as modern drama, frequently writing on all three subjects. Since retiring in 2017, Helen has offered several courses for WISE on Shakespeare, modern drama, and the modern mystery novel.

    Virginia Mason Vaughan taught at Clark University for thirty-seven years, and since retirement, she has taught classes on Shakespeare at WISE, often with her good friend Helen Whall. She is widely published, including books on The Tempest and Othello. She also co-edited with her late husband Alden T. Vaughan, The Tempest (Third Arden Series) and co-authored with him Shakespeare in America (Oxford Shakespeare Topics). Her most recent book is Shakespeare and the Gods (2019), from Arden Shakespeare. She currently serves as Senior Editor for the digital resource, The Literary Encyclopedia.


    • 03/26/2025
    • 04/23/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only
    We’ll review key technological innovations in photography that led to aesthetic changes in the field from the daguerreotype in 1839, the camera in 1841, the Kodak camera in 1888, 35mm film and the Leica in 1913, 35mm SLRs by 1936, and digital photography in 1975. An exploration of iconic images in American photography will provide a history of the evolution of this artistic medium that changed the way we viewed the world.

    Instructor: Martha Chiarchiaro has brought history to life through the art of the times for more than 30 years. She received her Master’s degree in the History of Art from Williams College and has taught a variety of art history classes at the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester State University, WISE, and other cultural organizations. As noted on her Seeing History website, Martha's specialty presentations related to specific periods, artists, and activities provide an in-depth look at the life and times of people through their art.


    • 03/26/2025
    • 04/23/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 44

    Striving for a diversity of ideas and opinions, we will discuss a variety of controversial topics, including updates on our “controversies” discussion in spring 2024.

    • Update: The impact of the ballot question to stop MCAS as a graduation requirement
    • Update: Book bans and bibles in classrooms
    • Update: Free community college in Massachusetts
    • Update: The value of a liberal arts degree in 2025
    • The impact of the SCOTUS ruling that banned race as a factor in college admissions
    • Teaching and learning using an on-line format
    • Speech on college campuses

    Instructor: Susan Starr started professional life teaching elementary school. Unexpectedly, she was recruited by Clark University to teach undergrad and grad students to become elementary school teachers, a job she loved for 20 years. From 1994-2014, she worked with a team of physicians and educators at UMass Medical School in a program that taught educational strategies to doctors who teach med students and residents. Since retirement, she has been helping high achieving/low income (HALI) international students navigate the process of applying to college and succeeding once enrolled.


    • 03/27/2025
    • 04/24/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    The extraordinary fight to end enslavement also opened doors for women in activism, public speaking, education, and organizing. Beginning in an era where educating women was rare and public life was considered the sole province of men, the region soon developed organizers, male and female, for a number of social causes including abolition, prison reform, temperance, and voting rights. We will explore the roles of prominent New England Black families including the Haydens of Boston, the Remonds of Salem, the Cuffes and Wainers of Westport, and Attorney Robert Morris along with Quakers, black and white, who helped to transform the legal, educational, and religious landscape of New England and paved the way for women’s suffrage.

    Instructor: Susan Franz holds a master's degree from Clark University and has taught at several local colleges. She has taught several courses on the abolition and Underground Railroad periods for WISE and lectures frequently around the Commonwealth. She played a key role in gaining National Park Service recognition for Underground Railroad locations in the Blackstone River Valley and designed an exhibit on the Underground Railroad for state parks. She has served on the Uxbridge Select Board, Finance Committee, and Historical Commission and has edited a book on French artist Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun titled Moments of Joy.


    • 03/27/2025
    • 04/24/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only
    What is of more concern to us today than the erosion of human rights? The five trials in this course took place in France, Germany, Israel, and South Africa. Each of these trials was responding to current events (of the time) that illuminate what people are thinking about over the span from 1400 to the 1950s. President Barack Obama said that: “if you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you make progress.”  Let’s look at these trials and see if we think he is right.

    Instructor: Sylvia Solomon is a retired educator who worked in schools, universities, and the Ontario Ministry of Education. Since her retirement, she has presented the Great Trial series at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, the Toronto Reference Library, the 92nd Street Y, the OLLI program (California) and the Instituto d’Allende in Mexico.


    • 03/27/2025
    • 04/24/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only
    We live in an “Age of Anxiety,” beset with many fears about the future: Will the planet survive? Is civil peace possible? Will technology overtake humanity? Can we create community in diversity? Borrowing from the “On Being” podcast hosted by Krista Tippett, this course considers how five “wise elders” from different walks of life reflect on such fears and offer hope for our anxious time: Jane Goodall, primatologist and anthropologist; Desmond Tutu, former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa; Kevin Kelly, co-founder of WIRED Magazine; Marilyn Nelson, poet; and Barbara Brown Taylor, Episcopal priest and writer.

    Instructor: Kathleen Fisher has taught in WISE since 2019, offering courses on The Gnostic Gospels, Celtic Spirituality, the poet Mary Oliver, and the mystics Rumi and St. Francis. “Wise Elders” continues the exploration of diverse sources of spiritual wisdom for today’s world. She holds a Ph.D. in Medieval History and Religion from Boston University where she focused on Irish history and medieval monasticism. Recently retired from a long teaching career in Theology at Assumption University, Kathleen now lives in Chapel Hill, NC. 

    • 03/28/2025
    • 05/02/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • Zoom only

    Artificial intelligence is changing education and research in new, exciting, and sometimes scary ways. What if, for example, we could generate a podcast about the Federalist Papers, look for new themes in old textbooks, and have conversations between Bronson Alcott meeting Maria Montessori? This course will do all of these things and more.

    You won't need any specific experience with artificial intelligence products or technology. Your own curiosity will suffice. 

    Instructor: Karl Hakkarainen is retired after a 40-year career in the computer industry. A graduate of Amherst College, he is a long-time WISE instructor who has taught courses on technology, history, journalism, music, and law. His grandchildren still ask for and generally heed his advice with their technology concerns. He was born in Gardner, Massachusetts. 


    • 03/28/2025
    • 05/02/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 59

    Native Links is an entertaining and insightful course that makes the case that, as with the DNA of American history, Native American history is a leading strand and that is true for golf as well. Beginning in Eastern Long Island at Shinnecock Hills, and carrying through the contemporary rise of Native golf, the course will introduce students to the personalities, legal findings, and surprising stories of Our First People in “the least violent, most difficult game of human history.” Students of history will be amazed.

    Recommended Reading:

    Native Links, The Surprising History of Our First People in Golf by Mark Wagner

    Instructor: Mark Wagner was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the fourth child of eight born to Jack and Pat (Coyle) Wagner. A decorated athlete and educator, Mark has published extensively on golf course architecture and history. In 2021, as he explored the history of Native-owned golf courses, Mark began to realize there were many firsts among our First Peoples in golf, a game he has loved since his childhood outings in the Adirondacks with his family. The result is I (Back Nine Press, 2024), a travelogue and oral history about and by the Indigenous people who have shaped and played the game of golf. Mark’s work on golf has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Worcester Telegram, Northeast Golf, and ICT News. For more information see drmarkongolf.com


    • 03/28/2025
    • 05/02/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 52

    In your life, have you ever taken music lessons on a string, wind, or percussion instrument (such as the piano or xylophone)? If so, when given music/music notation from your teacher to practice, could you first sing, hum, or whistle the melody accurately prior to playing it on your instrument? Or, conversely, did you need to play it to know what the melody sounded like? If this latter question, and its answer, resonates with you... then this class is for you! And yes, it’s also for those of us who have never played a musical instrument.  Many instrumental method books do not reflect the way people naturally learn language - a process that begins with learning to speak, and only then moves on learning to read. This is often called sound–to–symbol because it emphasizes oral and aural recognition as precursors to theoretical knowledge and reading skills.

    Instructor: Mitchell Lutch is Wind Band Director at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he directs the concert band and chamber ensembles, and teaches music theory, performance, and appreciation. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Instrumental Conducting at the University of Washington and earned his Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory (NEC). His Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education is from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Conducting appearances and research presentations include concerts and conferences throughout the United States, Quebec, London, Japan, The People’s Republic of China, the former Soviet Union, Luxembourg, Prague, and Mexico. 


    • 04/01/2025
    • 04/29/2025
    • 5 sessions
    • In Person: Assumption University, Kennedy 119
    • 55

    Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law enacted in 1972 that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government. How did it become law? It is known as the “sports-equity” law, but the original law doesn’t mention sports. What has the impact been on women’s sports? Men’s sports? What other impacts has Title IX had on American schools, including sexual harassment and sexual violence? What’s the lasting legacy of Title IX?

    Instructor: Jean Sifleet is a retired business attorney and CPA. Many years ago, she used Title IX to get equity for her daughters’ high school ice hockey teams. The boys had after-school ice time, bus transportation, uniforms, equipment, all paid for by school (taxpayer) funds. The girls’ teams got no school support; the parents paid for everything. Year after year, the parents worked for some equity for the girls’ teams and recognition as Varsity Teams and were blocked at every turn. Finally, Jean filed a Title IX complaint to change the situation and obtain equity for the girls. Title IX forced the change that was needed. During her business career, she worked in corporate management, consulting, and private practice. In retirement, she served as an Access to Justice Fellow and worked with the Mass Law Reform Institute on immigration and law reform issues. Jean has taught numerous courses for WISE and welcomes participant discussion of the issues.


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Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE)
Assumption University, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester MA 01609
wise@assumption.edu
508-767-7513

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