Lunch & Learn Lectures
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
If you're 50 or better you are invited!
Lunch and Learn lectures are wonderful opportunities to experience a sampling of what the Osher program offers, firsthand and for FREE! This special lecture series is open to the general public, as part of our service to the community.
All six lectures will be held live via Zoom Webinar each term, fall, winter, and spring (no summer lectures). Most lectures are recorded (with the speaker's permission) and kept in our archives for re-watching or later viewing after the live session ends.
We also host an in-person Watch Party each term at our building at 540 Arapeen Drive, broadcasting the six Zoom sessions live, from 12 PM to 1 PM for those who would like the option to gather in person and watch the Zoom Event together.
Grab your brown bag lunch, invite a friend, and join us—online or in person at the Watch Party—to enjoy these informative, interesting, engaging and free lectures.
Our huge thanks to longtime Osher volunteer Sandy Clark, who donates her time and energy to creating these sessions each term for fellow Osher members. Thank you, Sandy!
Did you miss a lecture or hope to watch one again? View our archives.
Spring 2026 Lunch and Learn Lecture Series
Self-Care in Trying Times
March 25, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
By Amanda McNab, DSW, LCSW, Manager at Huntsman Mental Health
The news should keep us informed of world events; not be the source of nightmares. Yet these days, exposure to the news frequently creates intense, negative reactions in those that consume it. This presentation will explore ways to address the emotional toll exposure to the world news may cause and how to prevent further distress.
How an Oil Refinery Works
April 1, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
By Alan Eastman, Osher Instructor, Retired Research Chemist, and Co-founder, GreenFire Energy
Every day, thousands of Utahns drive past "refinery row," north of Salt Lake. They usually see the refineries as a more or less incomprehensible tangle of pipes that emit an unpleasant odor, and they often see a big pipe with a huge tongue of flame above it - but have no idea why it's there or what it does. This Lunch and Learn is designed to give Osher members an understandable explanation of what those pipes are, what they do, how they do it, and where their gasoline and diesel fuel come from. We will also discuss what all those trucks are doing as they drive from Duchesne to the refineries. We will be digging around in the Northeast Western South Dakota refinery of the Slippery Oil Company—see you there!
Exercise and the Aging Brain
April 8, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
By Owen Benzley, Graduate Teaching Assistant and PhD Student, The University of Utah, Department of Health & Kinesiology
As we age, many of us notice changes in memory and thinking, but aging does not automatically lead to significant decline. Research shows that exercise is one factor that may help support a healthy brain throughout life. In this seminar, we will examine how physical activity impacts the brain regions responsible for learning and memory, particularly the hippocampus. We will examine how various types of exercise, such as High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), can help maintain brain health and support memory. We will also discuss what researchers are still working to understand, and how science continues to explore the connection between movement, aging, and brain health.
Rare Earth Elements: From Fundamental Chemistry to Global Markets and National Security
April 15, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
By Ryan Stolley, Associate Director of SRI, The University of Utah Chemistry Department
In this talk, we will cover basic the basic chemistry of elements with a focus on the rare earths and then explore why they are "rare", the applications of these elements, how they are isolated, and what it means for the global and national economy, and what this means for national security.
Zane Grey and the Mormons
April 22, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
By Fred Esplin, Osher Instructor and Former Vice President of Advancement at The University of Utah
Zane Grey was a Sigma Nu frat boy who studied dentistry and played baseball at the University of Pennsylvania before going out West and making his name as America’s most famous Western writer. Grey suffered bouts of depression and mood swings that he described as “a hyena lying in ambush.” To keep his “black spells” at bay, he went on a mountain lion hunting trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1908 where he met Jim Emmett, a Mormon who lived on the banks of the Colorado River where he operated Lee’s Ferry. Years later, at the height of his fame, Grey called Emmett “the man who influenced me most,” seeing in Emmett a model of how to tame his “black spells.” His 1912 novel, Riders of the Purple Sage, cast Mormons among its central characters and became the most popular western novel of all time, selling over two million copies and being adapted for five different movies.
Ethics Explored at the Intersection of Arts and Health
April 29, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
By Gretchen Case, Director of the Center for Health Ethics, Arts & Humanities at the University of Utah and Dan Froot, Producer, Writer, Director, Actor, Composer, Saxophonist and the Founder of Dan Froot & Company
Facilitated by Gretchen Case from the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities and Dan Froot of Dan Froot & Company, this discussion will focus on the ethical questions that arise when telling stories publicly that involve emotionally difficult or traumatic experiences. Medical providers often share stories from their clinical work to explore or illustrate critical issues, and the ethical conundrums associated with talking about medical encounters are well-known. How do you tell a story, on the stage or the page, that respects privacy and avoids re-traumatization, but still has the desired impact on your audience?
Osher members attending this Lunch and Learn session are encouraged to attend Dan Froot & Company’s Arms Around America on April 9-10 at UtahPresents. For those unable to do so, a summary of the performance and the creative process behind it will be provided at the beginning of the discussion. For more information about the show and tickets: https://www.utahpresents.org/events/arms. Use UtahPresents 20% discount code for Osher members: OSHER.
Bernard Osher set up the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to be member-led and volunteer-driven. We would appreciate any suggestions for future topics of interest to you for Lunch and Learn Lectures. We especially appreciate recommendations of speakers who could present topics for us in future terms. Thank you for your participation and support!
