Learning in Retirement Association (LIRA) 2026 Fall Semester Class Schedule

Most programs (except trips) will be available via Zoom, other than those listed as In Person Only.

For classes listed as hybrid, the presenter will be in person in room 106 University Suites (view a map of University Suites (pdf) and the class will also be on Zoom.

For all programs listed as “Zoom with remote presenter,” LIRA members will have the option of viewing it from University Suites, and if University Suites is closed, the program will be listed as “Zoom only.”

Please check your email for the weekly program announcement, and for any last-minute changes or additions.

LIRA 2026 Fall Semester Course Descriptions

Monday


Post Impressionism Beginnings of Modern Art
Mondays September 14, 28, October 5, 19, and 26: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

This fall we will complete our Great Courses videos on Post Impressionism with instructor Ricky Allman. There will be two videos a week for 5 weeks. We start our course with one of the great masters of this genre, Vincent Van Gogh.  Continuing we will study Gauguin, Rousseau and Suzanne Valadon among others. Among our topics is an investigation of the philosophical and cultural changes in this time of Post Impressionism. Finally, we will journey outside France to learn about other artists transitioning to the world of Modern Art such as Edvard Munch and Gustav Klimt.  

Facilitator: Bev Rudeen*

Amateur Astrophotography
Monday, November 2: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

Presenter: Mark Hertel*

Mark Hertel went to UMass Lowell for Chemical Engineering and Mathematics, and ended up working as a Software Engineer for 38 years, mostly in defense related fields, and was a Lecturer for 20+ years at UMass Lowell. He was interested in Astronomy since childhood, and wanted to go to the next step – astrophotography. Home sees in books and magazines (these were the days before the internet). But it turned out that’s expensive – telescope, camera, tripod, mount – all that stuff costs too much for a kid. Once retired, Mark discovered that modern technology had finally converged with Astronomy to create low cost, high quality smart telescopes that can let anyone experience astrophotography without breaking the bank. He can now create those awe inspiring photographs.

In this talk, Mark will discuss some of the history of astronomy and astrophotography. Then move on to discuss how today's technology makes this complex science available to everyone.

Coordinator: Lisa Hertel*

How Can Robots and AI Help with Essential Day-to-Day Tasks in Homes and Communities?
Monday, November 9: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

Presenters: Samantha Reig, Haritha Malladi, Timofey Fayzullin

Artificially intelligent (AI) technologies and robotics are envisioned to help support people with day-to-day tasks in homes and communities. Recent advancements have enabled agents and robots to communicate naturally with people, provide personalized assistance with physical and cognitive tasks, and collaborate on increasingly complex tasks. 

The PIERS (People, Intelligence, Environment, Robots and Social Outcomes) Lab at UMass Lowell studies how robots and AI can support people’s well-being, while also supporting their autonomy, boundaries, and individual goals. One application of this research is to help people navigate an increasingly digital world in areas such as healthcare, benefits applications, and financial services. 

During this program, participants will learn about ongoing human-agent interaction and human-robot interaction research at UMass Lowell, share their own perspectives on emerging technologies and AI, and participate in interactive activities that can help shape the future design of AI and robotics in home and community settings.

Coordinator: David Troughton*

Nashville Songwriter
Monday, September 14: 1 - 3 p.m. (Zoom Only)

Presenter: Olivia Rudeen

Olivia Rudeen will tell us about the “typical” day in the life of a Nashville songwriter.  Her presentation will include the “nuts and bolts” of making money as a musician.  She will focus on income streams such as; performances and touring, royalties, cuts, and film/TV placements.  Olivia will speak about her biggest credits/successes as a songwriter vs. her biggest challenges. We will also hear about Nashville and its history. Finally, we will be called upon to help her write part of a song.

Coordinator: Bev Rudeen*

2040 Carbon C.R.E.W. (Carbon Reduction for Earth Wellbeing)
Mondays, Sept. 28, Oct. 5 and 19, Nov. 2: 1 - 3 p.m. (Zoom Only)

Presenter: Marjorie Kamp

CREW’s mission is to empower people to reverse global warming and build a regenerative future. Based on the 2019 documentary “2040” and built around the book “2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration” by Damon Gameau, Carbon C.R.E.W. provides a blueprint to assist people to reduce their carbon footprint by creating Personal Climate Action Plans (PCAPs). During this four-part program, participants will be involved in active engagement, discussion, and reflection around ideas presented in the 2040 book, the development of their PCAPs and individual efforts to reduce carbon footprint. 

This program will be presented via Zoom only and will be limited to ten (10) participants.

Coordinator: David Troughton*  

The Music of Mass Incarceration
Monday, October 26: 1 - 3 p.m. (Hybrid)

Presenter: Herman Hampton, Professor Ensemble
Berklee College of Music

This is a course about listening—deeply, historically, and humanely. Across centuries, music has been one of the most enduring ways people facing enslavement, confinement, and state violence have asserted their humanity, told their stories, and imagined freedom. From work songs and spirituals to blues, jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary protest music, these sounds are not simply reactions to oppression; they are acts of survival, memory, resistance, and creativity. To study this music is to study how people have used rhythm, melody, and language to endure what should never have existed—and to transform pain into meaning.

This course does not ask students to dwell in despair, nor to turn away from difficult truths. Instead, it invites curiosity, empathy, and critical listening. Mass incarceration did not emerge in a vacuum; it is connected to the afterlives of slavery, segregation, and unequal justice. Music gives us a way to approach this history with clarity and care, revealing voices that official records often silence. By engaging these traditions, students will come to understand music not only as art, but as evidence—of resilience, of injustice, and of the ongoing struggle to imagine a more just society.

Through listening, discussion, and creative inquiry, students will explore how music becomes a form of knowledge—and how their own listening can become an act of awareness and respect.

Coordinator: Jim Rutter*


Tuesday

Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Tuesdays, September 15, 22, 29, October 6 and 13: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

This Great Courses presentation about Artificial Intelligence is new this year. It is given by Professor Patrick Grim. Patrick Grim is Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Stony Brook University and Philosopher in Residence with the Center for the Study of Complex Systems at the University of Michigan. We will present the final 10 lectures of this series.  These include information about the Foudations of AI, how AI works, how AI evolved, AI Ethics, Promises and Perils, The Coming Singularity and Predicting the Future.  We will also discuss the latest news and controversies in this rapidly evolving area.

Facilitator: Peter Sebelius*

The Myth That Made Us
Tuesday, October 20: 10 a.m. – noon (Hybrid)

Presenter: Jeffrey Fuhrer, Ph.D.
Nonresident Fellow at Brookings Institution, Former EVP and Director of Research at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

The class will discuss The Myth That Made Us. Published in 2023, The Myth exposes how false narratives—of a supposedly post-racist nation, of the self-made man, of the primacy of profit- and shareholder value-maximizing for businesses, and of minimal government interference—have been used to excuse gross inequities and to shape and sustain the US economic system that delivers them. The book argues that systemic racism continues to produce vastly disparate outcomes and that our brand of capitalism favors doing little to reduce disparities. Evidence from other developed capitalist economies shows it doesn’t have to be that way. We broke this (mean-spirited) economy. We can fix it.

The book supplements evidence from data with insights from community voices, and outlines a system that provides more equal opportunity to accumulate both human and financial capital. The key areas of focus include universal access to high-quality early childhood education; more effective use of our community college system as a pathway to stable employment; restructuring key aspects of the low-wage workplace; providing affordable housing and transit links; supporting people of color by serving as mentors, coaches, and allies; and implementing Baby Bonds and Reparations programs to address the accumulated loss of wealth among Black people due to the legacy of enslavement and institutional discrimination. The work emphasizes embracing humility, research-based approaches, and community involvement as ways to improve economic opportunity.

Coordinator: Peter Clark*

From Turbine to Toaster: Bringing Electricity Home in New England
Tuesday, October 27: 10 a.m. - noon (In Person Only)

Presenter: Rick Posch*

The story of electricity in New England is a fascinating mix of science, engineering, economics, and government.  In this session, we begin with the foundations of power and energy, from a science and engineering perspective.  How do we "make power?"  What are the fundamental physical constraints for generating power at a large scale?  What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of various sources of power we may be using here in New England?  With a solid understanding of the fundamentals, we follow the path of electricity from the point of generation to the home.  Along the way we note some of the business and legal frameworks that have been established to ensure we receive electricity reliably and affordably.  This session will include demonstrations, activities, and plenty of time for lively class discussion.

Coordinator: Jim Rutter*

LIRA Travel Experiences
Tuesday, November 3: 10 a. m. - noon (Hybrid)

Presenters: Doug* and Margy Roeck*
Bob and Suzanne Gamache*

Travel Experiences by Doug and Margy Roeck

We had been to Nova Scotia several times and once to Prince Edward Island.  Also had visited New Brunswick as part of a trip to Acadia NP, Lubec and Eastport, Maine.  People kept telling us that we had to visit Newfoundland, and so we did in June 2018.  

In this class we will talk about the various areas visited including Saint Johns, Signal Hill, the Irish Loop, the Avalon Peninsula, Placentia, St. Mary’s ecological preserve, Gros Morne and Terra Nuova National Parks and a fjord called Western Brook Pond. Truly a spectacular part of Canada!

Bob and Suzanne's Excellent Adventure

Over a two-week period in spring of 2026, Bob and Suzanne Gamache traveled to several National Parks in Arizona and Utah.  Stories about their self-planned loop from Phoenix, AZ to Monument Valley, UT and back will transport you with breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon, petroglyphs in Mystery Valley, a bone-jarring Jeep tour and sunset in Zion Canyon, and many unforgettable moments along the way. 

You'll also learn about the formation and geology of the various canyons, gorges, buttes, hoodoos, and caves in the American Southwest.    

Coordinator: Jim Rutter*

Memoir Writing Workshop
Tuesday, September 29: 1 - 3 p.m. (Hybrid)

Presenter: Judith Bessette

Have you considered writing the story of your life for your children and grandchildren?  Judith Bessette will guide participants along a path to creating a meaningful compilation of our experiences, special moments, unforgettable adventures and relationships that have shaped who we are.

By creating time lines of family history, immigration stories, childhood memories, education, and by using prompts to stir up our memories, Judith will share techniques that will assist us in writing that unique and personal memoir.  

I have created a two page memoir-writing workshop, consisting of 4 parts.

Part 1 and 2 create a time line of participant's family history, including parent's names, dates of birth, grandparent's and great-grandparent's and dates of immigration to this country, if known.

Part 2 begins expands the time-line,  including brief information on siblings, formal education, neighborhood, ethnicity.

Part 3 expands the narrative, asking participants to write short paragraphs about their teenage years, college and marriage, if applicable, for example. Other examples: do you like watching sports, cooking, knitting, playing pool, gardening, fixing cars, reading, painting, jogging?

Part 4 includes information on Journaling, keeping a diary, etc., with brief description of expository writing and narrative writing. 

Note: Judith recommends participants bring a clipboard!

Coordinator: Suzanne Gamache*

Last spring we had the opportunity to explore the ancestry of several of our LIRA members. Based on comments received, both the presenters and the audience had a lot of fun. This fall we are going to conduct another session on the subject. 

We are looking for members who missed the opportunity to share their ancestry in the first session, new members who are looking for a way to become active in a small way in presenting material,  as well as those who didn’t have enough time to finish their story the first time and want to continue to tell us about your ancestors 

This is a class where you will be encouraged to contribute. Participation is completely voluntary, but the more members that are willing to provide information, the better we can understand the backgrounds of the group. In a brief period of time (10 minute time limit) we ask you to share some information on your ancestors.

Some possible topics to consider:

  • When did they arrive
  • Where did they first settle
  • What was their first occupation 
  • Did all ancestors come from the same area of the world
  • How often did they move
  • What was their most interesting occupation
  • Were they at or did they participate in any significant event
  • What language was spoken in the home. What foreign words do you remember
  • Did your parents/grandparents share their ancestral roots and stories with you when growing up

We expect that no one can or will answer all of the above topics. We also hope that some of you will come up with additional topics to delight the group.

If you have any material – pictures, artifacts, videos - that you are willing to share, you are encouraged to bring it to the session. We will try to coordinate the material before the class.

Together, let’s have fun learning about our diversity.

Facilitator: Stan Powers* and Diversity Committee*

Opening Doors: The Unlikely Alliance Between the Irish and the Jews in America
Tuesday, October 13: 1 - 3 p.m. (Hybrid)

Presenter: Hasia Diner, Ph.D.

From the latter part of the nineteenth century into the 1930s, Jewish immigrants and their children met Irish Americans in all of the nation's large cities. What they saw was a disliked population of religious outsiders who had come to establish themselves and secure important places in the labor movement, urban politics, and public education as teachers and the newer arrivals, the Jews, relied upon the Irish to help them achieve integration, mobility, and group defense. From the other side, it served the interests of Irish Americans to open the doors to the Jews for their own purposes. A mutually beneficial relationship between two very different groups, they, in the process helped make America more inclusive, just and democratic.

Coordinator: Nancy Pitkin*

Presenter: Evan Schapiro*

Gambling is a rapidly growing industry in the United States, generating over $75 billion in revenue in 2025, yet it is rarely studied as a serious subject. This course uses gambling games as accessible, engaging examples for exploring probability, economics, critical thinking, and human behavior. We will discuss how games of chance work, why people make risky decisions, how odds and incentives shape behavior, and how the gambling industry operates. The class is designed to be both fun and informative, with an overview of popular gambling games, in-class demonstrations, and strategies for understanding games, managing risk, and increasing enjoyment.

Because the sessions will include in-class activities and demonstrations, in-person attendance is highly recommended.

Coordinator: Jim Rutter*

Exploration of Homer’s Odyssey
Tuesday November 3 and Wednesday November 4: 1 - 3 p.m. (Hybrid)

Presenter: Alan Friedman*

The release of Christopher Nolan’s movie the Odyssey has attracted an unexpected flood of attention to this ancient classic, one of the oldest complete surviving literary works in the western canon. Coincidentally, 

in 2026 there have already been LIRA classes on Greek Mythology and on The Iliad, companion epic of the Odyssey. Ending the year with a LIRA class on the Odyssey seems foreordained.

The film has received much critical acclaim and has grossed an enormous amount of money worldwide. There has also been some controversy over its deviations from the book. This class will focus on the book but will also allude to the movie. It will discuss the plot and themes of the book, the factors that have kept it popular over the centuries, significant events depicted, and character analysis.

We will also compare some of the most influential English translations of the Odyssey from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century. Note that a film version of the Odyssey can be considered just another mode of translation.

Coordinator: Marie Voltaire*

Intro to System Dynamics
Tuesdays, November 10 and 17: 1 - 3 p.m. (Hybrid)

Presenter: Ragu Bharadwaj

System dynamics is an approach to modeling the behavior of complex systems over time.  This class will give an overview of systems thinking via practical examples of real-world events.  We will discuss how to identify key elements, and the difficulty of anticipating cause and effect in complex systems.  An interactive computer simulation of a current issue will allow participants to see how changes in one part of a system can lead to unanticipated results.

Coordinator: Evan Schapiro*


Wednesday

Lowell National Park Tour - Educational Tour
Wednesday September 16 10 a.m. - noon (Trip)

Lowell National Historical Park – Boott Cotton Mills 

If you have ever been around Boarding House Park on a weekday morning during the spring or fall, you are likely to have seen busses of school children roll up, disembark, then disappear into one of the many large brick mill buildings in the area. Maybe one of your children or grandchildren have been on one of these excursions. Did you ever wonder what secret sites and activities they were able to explore?

This is your opportunity to explore the Boott Mills area of the Lowell National Park. The program will include a tour of the weave room with a ranger talk and demonstration.  Visit the second-floor museum and then a Worker on the Line education workshop. Hands on opportunities to learn about water power and/or weaving may be offered (a grade school education is required). Members will be able to further explore the museum on their own after the formal tour. 

We will meet at the entrance lobby of the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. Parking is available for free at  the Hamilton Canal Innovation District (HCID) Parking Garage, located at 350.4 Dutton Street. This is in back of the LNHP Visitor Center (half mile walk required to the Boott Mill) or you can park at the John Street garage one block away (fee required).

Tour will start at 10am and the formal session will be done by noon.

There is no cost for the tour but participation is limited to 20 members.

Coordinator: Stan Powers*


The Willard Clock Museum
Wednesday September 23: 10 a.m. – noon (Trip)

The Willard House and Clock Museum is located in North Grafton at 11 Willard Street. The museum has over 90 Willard Clocks on exhibit in the former farm homestead of the Willard brothers (Benjamin, Simon, Ephraim, and Aaron). The brothers made clocks there in the late 18th century before moving to Roxbury. The house was built about 1718 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides the clocks, the museum exhibits a collection of Federal and Victorian period art, period documents the tools and instruments used by the Willard brothers in their clockmaking days.

If you want to come, sign up online or contact Peter Sebelius. And let him know if you need a ride or can drive a carpool.  Admission is $9 for seniors and the docent led tour takes about 1 hour.  Carpool riders and drivers meet at side lot of Hannafords, Drum Hill at 8:45. It is about a 50 minute drive to the North Grafton location.

Coordinator: Peter Sebelius*


Geminai LLC Holograms
Wednesday, September 30:  10 a.m. - noon (Trip)

Who says learning ends at retirement? Join Geminai for a behind-the-scenes look at how holographic storytelling and artificial intelligence are transforming healthcare, education, museums, historical preservation, and community engagement. During this interactive visit, you’ll tour our studio and showroom, experience lifelike holograms and conversational AI personas, and discover how this emerging technology is bringing people and stories to life in remarkable new ways. Along the way, Geminai CEO and co-founder Joanne Stanway may also offer a little evidence that launching a technology company in your 60s can be a perfectly reasonable next chapter. Curiosity, after all, doesn’t retire.

Geminai is located at 55 Middlesex Street in N. Chelmsford. Building B Main Entrance, Third Floor, Suite B316. Cool freight elevator rides on request: 978-273-1473.

Coordinator: Jim Rutter*


Nobel Prize in Economics History
Wednesday, November 7 : 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

Presenter: David Warsh   

David Warsh is a retired Boston Globe columnist and currently has a substack newsletter  on Economic Principles.   The Nobel Prize for economic sciences,was established in 1968 and, fairly quickly achieved a solid reputation among economist, despite the continuing existence of “schools.” Within Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences, which awards economics award, as well as the original prizes in physics and chemistry, there have been arguments about its legitimacy since the beginning. An unusual glimpse of controversy within the Nobel institution.

Coordinator: Nancy Pitkin*


Phone Photography and Editing
Wednesday, October 14: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

Everyone has photos that they treasure despite the images’ shortcomings.  They may be too dark or too light, out of focus, have extraneous things in them, be at weird angles, or simply not be suitable for framing for a variety of other reasons.  This class will introduce you to basic photo editing techniques that can dramatically improve your photos.  You are encouraged to bring your own photos on your own computer so that you can edit them yourself during the class.  We will work with basic software, some of which is free to download.  We’ll also look at what you can do with the editing capabilities that come with smartphones.  We’ll talk about more advanced software, too, and you’ll see some examples of what can be done if you’re willing to spend the time and money to work with those tools.  You’re sure to take away a few techniques that you will want to apply to your own favorite but less than optimal pictures.

Coordinator: Chris Geggis*


The Midterm Election of 2026
Wednesdays, October 14, 21, and 28: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
and Friday, November 6: 10 a.m. - noon (All classes Zoom only)

Presenter:  Prof. Francis Talty, retired

This November 3rd, the American people will vote for all 435 members of the US House of Representatives and 35 members of the 100 members of the US Senate. Currently the Republican Party holds a majority, albeit a narrow one, in both houses of the 119th Congress. This election takes place in the middle of the 4-year Presidential term currently held by Donald J Trump who is not on this year’s ballots. “Midterm elections” have historically (though not always) favored the party not being held by the President’s party. 

Several states will also be electing their state’s Governors, state legislators and judges (in some states).

This course will begin with a review and explanation of the US system of government designed for those who have not had such an introduction previously. Then for the next 2 weeks, we will look primarily at the national elections for the House and Senate but will look at significant state elections as well. If time permits, we may also examine some ballot questions, particularly in Massachusetts.

The schedule is purposely designed to give us 3 Wednesday classes before the November 3rd votes to view and analyze the important races and finally on Friday following the vote to analyze the results.

There will be some opportunities for class participants to conduct individual research and oral presentations on certain races. Otherwise, there are no requirements expected in the course.

Coordinator: Susan Lemire*

The Montessori Method and Philosophy of Education
Wednesday, October 21: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)

Presenter: Charles W. Terranova Jr.

Dr. Maria Montessori, one of the first women to graduate as a physician in Italy in 1885, is the creator of the Montessori Approach to Education. 

From her first residency time, she began to question how children were educated. She then dedicated her life to understanding children development. By observing children all over the world, she discovered patterns that can be applied anywhere. She was recognized by her peers and nominated for several Nobel Peace Prizes.

In this session, we will learn the beginnings of Montessori philosophy, examine Dr. Montessori’s Four Planes of Development and how the type of education and curriculum are determined by the development stage of the child.

Coordinator: Marie Voltaire*


The Novel Dracula
Wednesdays October 28 and November 4: 10 a.m - noon (Hybrid)

Presenter: Prof. Bridget Marshall, UML English Dept.

 “The vampire Count Dracula is trying to relocate from Transylvania to England.” This is the presumably unintentionally hilarious and shockingly insufficient plot summary provided by the US Library of Congress for Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula. In our class, we’ll dig deeper, beyond the relocation and real estate issues of the novel to gain greater understanding of this classic piece of vampire literature. 

In this two week course we’ll read Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. Our sessions will be a mix of presentations on various cultural contexts of the novel and class discussion of key aspects of the text. Please come with the reading completed (first half for the first session, second half by the second session) and be ready to talk about the novel. You can access a free copy of Dracula at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/345/345-h/345-h.htm

Week 1: Origin Stories & Cultural Contexts: Background on Stoker, vampire folklore, phrenology, and discussion of the first half of the novel, especially the characters and narrative devices.

Week 2: Cultural Contexts & Popular Culture: Discussion of key cultural contexts for the novel, including science, industrialization, and urbanization, with a focus on the second half of the novel. Exploration of how the story has been portrayed and reinterpreted over the years, from political cartoons to stage plays to movies to television shows and other forms of media.

Coordinator: Susan Lemire*


Thursday

Great Decisions


Thursdays, September 17 and 24: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)
Ukraine and European Security

Presenter: Neal Berenson*

Great Decisions topic presents the Russia–Ukraine war as a watershed moment for European security—one that tests the credibility of international norms, reshapes NATO and EU defense policy, accelerates changes in modern warfare, and forces difficult questions about long‑term commitments, reconstruction, and the future of the European order.

Thursdays, October 1 and 8 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)
Multilateral Institutions

Presenter: Steve Cerand*

The Great Decisions topic presents multilateral institutions as being at a crossroads. The post‑1945 system—built around the UN, IMF, World Bank, and WTO—is under strain from geopolitical rivalry, domestic nationalism, and global crises. Yet significant reform efforts are underway, and the future of global governance will depend on whether these institutions can adapt to a more multipolar, contested, and interconnected world.

Thursdays, October 15 and 22 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)
U.S. Engagement of Africa     

Presenter: David Troughton*

The Great Decisions topic presents U.S. engagement with Africa as being at a strategic inflection point. The U.S. is moving toward commercial partnerships, targeted stabilization efforts, and governance‑linked development, while African institutions and citizens increasingly shape the agenda. The future of U.S.–Africa relations will depend on whether the U.S. can align its interests with Africa’s own long‑term visions for security, prosperity, and regional integration.

Thursdays, October 29 and November 5: 10 a.m. - noon (Hybrid)
The Future of Human Rights   

Presenter: Peter Sebelius*

The Great Decisions chapter presents the human rights system as standing at a critical crossroads. The post‑1945 architecture is under unprecedented strain from political, ideological, and geopolitical forces. Yet the system retains significant resilience, institutional depth, and normative power. The future of human rights and international law will depend on:

  • Whether states recommit to universal norms
  • Whether institutions adapt to new global realities
  • Whether civil society can fill gaps left by governments
  • Whether the system can evolve to address economic and social rights more fully

In a divided world, the central question becomes: Can international law and human rights remain effective when global consensus is fracturing?

We still have Great Decision booklets available for the four session fall semester.  If you would like to purchase a book or get more information about our Great Decisions class, you can contact Neal Berenson 

The Best Is Yet to Come: Healthy Mind, Body and Spirit
Thursdays September 24 - November 12:   1 p.m. - 3 p.m. (Hybrid)

Presenters: UMass Lowell Students

Doctorate of Physical Therapy candidates provide LIRA members with the best they have to offer in current topics in healthy aging. The doctoral students, in the third and final year of their program will tailor the sessions around your unique interests. The presentations are designed to be interactive, stimulating and simply marvelous!! Please join us!

Participants are encouraged to request topics they would like to know more about.

Coordinator: Peter Sebelius*


LIRA/Chelmsford Public Library

To Be Announced . . .