Learning and Research
Lifelong Learning
NEW in Spring 2025!
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) St. Petersburg
USF OLLI is expanding classes to St. Petersburg in Spring 2025. While we are starting with a handful of classes from some of our most popular faculty, we intend to grow future OLLI programming on campus and in our community.
Registration for classes opened on December 2, 2024. To sign up for a class, you must become an OLLI member by paying the $50 annual fee, but there will be no additional fees for St. Petersburg classes in Spring 2025, as we roll out this pilot of programming.
Email: stp-olli@usf.edu
Telephone: 813-974-5848
Address: 140 7th Ave S, St. Petersburg, 33701
Class Registration: usf.edu/olli
Campus Map
Parking for classes will be available in Lot 2.
Open House
In partnership with the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, an Open House will introduce St. Petersburg audiences to new OLLI programming at USF's downtown St. Petersburg campus. Keynote speaker Jennifer O’Brien, who holds a PhD in Psychology and is an expert on neuroscience and cognition.
Keeping Our Brains Healthy in Later Life
February 12, 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:15pm | USF St. Petersburg campus, USC Ballrooms
Life-long learning is an important piece of the puzzle of how we keep our brains healthy in later life. In this talk, I will introduce some of the science explaining how our brains age, what risk factors we should avoid, and what we should be doing to maximize healthy brain aging.
Classes
Ants Reveal That Cooperation, Not Competition, is What Makes Us Human
March 17, 2025 | 12:00pm-2pm | SLC 2100
Societies share several traits: family units with overlapping generations of parents and offspring; variation in size, fertility, and abilities; division of labor; food sharing; and a common enemy. In this lecture, I will explain the environmental risk factors that favored the evolution of the hierarchical structure of cooperative societies in ants and humans.
Deby Cassill holds an PhD in Biology and is an Associate Professor in Integrative
Biology at ONE USF.
Ten Foods that Define Florida
March 19, 2025 | 10:00am-11:00am | SLC 2100
Florida boasts an extraordinarily rich food culture. In this illustrated talk, he will discuss the significance of Grits & Grunts, smoked mullet, the impact of the Columbian Exchange, and many other foods that generations have enjoyed in the Sunshine State. Professor Mormino teaches a class in Food, History, and Culture at USF St. Peter.
Gary R. Mormino is the Frank E. Duckwall professor emeritus of Florida history at USF St. Petersburg. He has written award-winning books and is currently working on a study of Florida and WWII.
Experience the Healing Arts
March 20, 2025 | 5:30pm-7:30pm | SLC 2100
Experience how interactions with visual art can benefit people on both sides of the healthcare equation - doctors and patients alike. We'll learn by doing, how interactive and fun engagement with art can improve communication, observation, and cognition skills, and discuss how these benefits relate to health and wellness.
Catherine Wilkins holds an MA in Art History and Ph.D. in History from Tulane University. She is currently serving as Associate Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College, where she also teaches community-engaged service-learning courses at the intersection of art and health, and history and environmental science studies.
Building Your Personal Brand With Social Media
Fri March 21, March 28 and April 4 | 6:00pm-7:30pm | SLC 2100
In this course, you’ll learn how to strategically use social media platforms to create and enhance your personal brand. We’ll cover key techniques for crafting compelling content, engaging with your audience, and leveraging analytics to refine your online presence. By the end of the course, you’ll have a robust personal brand that stands out in the digital landscape.
Carrie O'Brion oversees marketing, communications and strategic initiatives at USF St. Petersburg. A former award-winning reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, she is an enthusiastic storyteller with an undergraduate degree in political science from Colgate University and a master's in communications from Johns Hopkins University.
Florida and World War II
April 2 | 10:00am-11:00am | SLC 2100
Pearl Harbor unleashed a series of revolutions that reshaped modern Florida. On the eve of Pearl Harbor, Florida was the smallest state in the American South. Today, it is the third largest state in America. WWII was the lynchpin. The war brought millions of recruits to Florida and the construction of military bases (such as MacDill Field and Drew Field). The illustrated talk will highlight the achievements of women and African Americans in the conflict.
Gary R. Mormino is the Frank E. Duckwall professor emeritus of Florida history at USF St. Petersburg. He has written award-winning books and is currently working on a study of Florida and WWII.
Intro to Craft Brewing
April 25 | 6:00pm-7:30pm | SLC 2100
The intro to craft brewing program will provide participants with the foundational knowledge in the industry of craft brewing including an introduction to the process of brewing, from the base ingredients to the science and business of craft beer.
Dr. Joe Askren is a Professor of Instruction in the School of Hospitality at Muma College and a Certified Executive Chef. He teaches a variety of food and beverage courses and is the Director of the USF Brewing Arts program. Joe was a former Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and was an industry chef for 17+ years.