Continuing Education at the University of Utah: Classes for All Ages!

Current Instructors

Richard Bell
Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book, "Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home," which was a finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize. He has held major research fellowships at Yale, Cambridge, and the Library of Congress and is the recipient of the National Endowment of the Humanities Public Scholar award and the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. He serves as a Trustee of the Maryland Center for History and Culture and as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
TIMOTHY CHAMBLESS
Tim Chambless, PhD, has taught seven different courses for the University of Utah's Department of Political Science since 1987. He has also taught courses for the U's departments of Communication and History as well as the English Language Institute. Tim has worked for the Mayor of Salt Lake City, the Governor of Utah, a Utah U.S. Senator and a Utah Congressman. He served for over 20 years on Salt Lake City's Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment, and he has participated in more than 30 political campaigns.

Tim emphasizes current events and contemporary world problems in the study of American government as both an experiment in democracy and as a tool for solving societal problems. Since 1980 his home has provided home-stays for international students attending the University of Utah from 29 nations which has helped educate him on global issues. Since January 2007, Tim has taught "Current Issues in American Public Affairs and Politics" every term for Osher. He is a lifelong learner.
CASSANDRA CLARK
Historian Cassie Clark is an Assistant Professor of History at Utah Tech University (St. George). She teaches courses on nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American history, social movements, Utah history, and African American history. Dr. Clark is also an active public historian with experience in digital history, exhibit design, documentary writing and production, and other public-facing projects.
MARCIE COLLETT
Moving to Salt Lake City from Denver in 2005, Marcie has spent her professional and volunteer life working to advance film programs, the arts, health, and educational causes that serve the community. Her work includes organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the University of Utah, Utah Film Center, and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Since 2017, Marcie has been associate director of the Salt Lake Film Society, thrilled to advance their mission and programs through the Broadway and Tower cinemas, slfsathome.org, and the Studio Backlot Motor Cinema.
JAMES D'ARC
Film Historian James V. D'Arc, who is now retired, was the curator of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections' Motion Picture Archive and the BYU Film Music Archive and was adjunct professor of film studies in the Speech & Theatre Arts Department at Brigham Young University. Among other publications he is the author of "When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Movie Making in Utah" which has been recently updated as part of a fourth edition.
SUSAN NIBLOCK
Sue Niblock is a retired Career Minister of the Foreign Service with over three decades of work experience serving the U.S. abroad with the State Department in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She received a B.A. in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and a Master's in Public Administration from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Born and raised in the Philippines as a third culture kid, she raised her two children abroad and in New York and Maryland. Overseas postings included New Zealand, Jordan, Singapore, Belgium, Ethiopia, Russia, Indonesia, and Equatorial Guinea. Domestic assignments in Washington DC were in the Bureaus of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, European and Eurasian Affairs, and African Affairs. Sue retired from the State Department in 2019 and moved to Park City, Utah to be near family. She currently serves as President of the Friends of the Summit County Library and chair of the University of Utah Osher Curriculum Committee. She was previously President of the Newcomers Club of Park City for two years from 2022-2024, as well Secretary of the Friends of the Summit County Library from 2022-2024. Sue is a regular discussion moderator for Great Decisions Discussion Groups hosted by the Summit County Library and has been a presenter for the Osher Lunch and Learn series.
SHAWNA STEWART
Shawna Stewart is an Osher instructor who loves teaching adults and lifelong learning. Before retiring, she spent her career teaching and training adults as a Senior Manager for a large educational software company. She is passionate about helping adult learners discover new ideas, make connections, and learn together. Her mission when teaching is to simplify a topic, break it apart, explain it, stimulate discussion, and help everyone understand how the pieces fit together and why it matters. She's been in all fifty states and eight Canadian provinces. Among her many hobbies are technology, the Wasatch Mountains, long walks, building complex LEGO pieces, Utah football, Formula 1 racing, and singing along with the music.
BRAD WESTWOOD
Brad Westwood retired from his role as the senior public historian with the Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement. He was formerly the director of the Utah State Historical Society and was Utah's State Historic Preservation Officer. He also served as Manager of Acquisitions for the LDS Church History Department (archives, library, and museum) and Chair of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at BYU.
SCOTT WILLIAMS
Scott Williams, a retired civil litigator and trial lawyer, was a partner and member of the board of directors of a prominent Salt Lake law firm, Strong & Hanni. For several years he represented Utah civil trial lawyers in a national organization. He currently is affiliated with Utah Alternative Dispute Resolution as a mediator and has volunteered legal services to some nonprofit organizations. He describes himself as a cinephile or "film buff" because of his passionate interest in movies. He has taught several classes at the Osher Institute including "Law in Film: Parts 1 and 2," "Journalism Law and Ethics in the Movies," "Short Story into Film," "The Cold War in Film," and "Medical Law and Ethics in Film" with Dr. Jay Jacobsen. Scott is the recent recipient of the Brooke Hopkins Award for Excellence in Adult Teaching.