Class on Fresno Armenians to be Featured in Osher Institute

Staff Report

Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program will teach a special course on “Fresno Armenians” on three consecutive Tuesdays, March 14, 21, 28 from 3:30-5:00 PM as part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program at California State University, Fresno. Space is limited and on a first come basis. Admission is free for Osher Institute members and $20 for the general public on a space available basis.

Der Mugrdechian has been teaching in the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State for over twenty years and is a native of Fresno. He has frequently taught courses on Armenians in America and Armenians in Fresno.

A $100,000 grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation in San Francisco has helped fund the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Fresno. It will offer intellectually stimulating learning and cultural opportunities to people 50 and older.

The institute’s upcoming programs include– topical curriculum, field trips, forums and other educational opportunities taught by academics, writers, artists, and professionals. The event will include a presentation about the institute and the opportunity to become a member.

Fresno State’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) joins 59 other Osher institutes established since 2001 in colleges and universities in California and throughout the country.

The grant to the Division of Continuing and Global Education at Fresno State has the potential for an additional two-year renewal and subsequently, the program may qualify for a permanent $1 million endowment.

Dr. Berta González, associate vice president of Continuing and Global Education at Fresno State, noted, “The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will augment and enhance the many collaborative senior programs already offered by the university.”

Dr. Shirley Bruegman has been named director of the institute. She retired as vice chancellor of the State Center Community College District in 2002 and teaches in the Community College Faculty Preparation Certificate program at Fresno State.

“Our goal is to put together a program that appeals to a very vital population and to create a community of learners. We’ll be expanding our offerings as we gain experience in what our members want.”

Membership in the Osher Institute will provide active seniors the opportunity to participate in short courses, discussion groups, lectures and travel study programs beginning this fall. Members also receive free parking on campus during OLLI events, Madden Library privileges and reduced admission fees at Fresno-area museums.

Memberships per semester are $45 for an individual and $80 for a couple.

Among the fall offerings of the Institute were Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institute and former Fresno State faculty member; William Sadler, author of “The Third Age,” Dwayne Berrett on “How to Retire TO Something—Not FROM Something;” Marilyn Miller on “The Importance of Fitness After 50;” and Kenneth Fugelsang, Fresno State winemaster, “The Art of Winemaking. ”

The Osher Foundation was founded in 2001 by Bernard Osher, a successful San Francisco businessman and community leader, a patron of the arts and education, whose philanthropy has affected countless organizations over the past quarter century.

For more information on Fresno State’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, call (559) 278-0008, e-mail sbruegman@csufresno.edu, or see www.csufresno.edu/ExtendedEd/osher.htm.