Photos & Videos

Ram Kossowsky's Osher Class at Carnegie Mellon University: "Not Your Sunday School Bible" from CMU Osher Lifelong Learning on Vimeo.

April 25 | Osher’s 21st Annual Meeting

Osher hosted its 21st Annual Meeting at Phipps Conservatory, April 25, 2013. The Annual Meeting is an opportunity for members to hear the President's Report, as well as from the various committees (including curriculum, newsletter, day trips, special events, and more).

• View the Annual Report for details
• View the photos in a new window
• View a video from the meeting in a new window

March 12 | Dr. Ed Rubin Lecture: “Clean Coal: Oxymoron, or Bridge to Sustainability”

Dr. Rubin’s talk covered different views of "clean coal technology" and its role in future energy systems, especially in light of growing concerns about global climate change. View a copy of the slideshow (PDF) The critical role of technology innovation was also discussed in seeking an answer to the question posed in the title of this talk. View the slideshow in a new window

Signing Party!

Osher members celebrated a landmark occation: 20 years, 2,000 members, and an additional $1M received from the Osher Foundation! Attendees signed the banner. View the slideshow in a new window

Bringing Meaning to String Quartets and Flute Excerpts

The CMU Graduate Honors Starling String Quartet performed a Haydn Quartet and described the inception of the quartet as an ensemble, and comment on Haydn's compositional style. This was followed by five flute excerpts played by Annie Gordon from various orchestral works by composers such as Ravel, Dvorak, Brahms, Bizet, and Prokofiev. The meaning of each excerpt within the larger orchestral scheme was discussed by the flautist. View the slideshow of photos | View the event flier

Farewell celebration for Phyllis Davidson

Osher members and friends gathered to bid farewell to Phyllis Davidson, who had worked at Carnegie Mellon for many years, most recently at Osher where she worked on the database, the course catalogs, and the bookkeeping. She retired from the university in January 2013.

Ed Reis as George Westinghouse

Osher members and guests enjoyed hearing Ed Reis speak, curator of the George Westinghouse exhibit at the Senator John Heinz History Center. Mr. Reis recreates Mr. George Westinghouse in this captivating lecture. A gifted inventor with excellent business acumen, Westinghouse took out 361 patents and founded 60 companies that employed more than 50,000 people. His successes included Westinghouse Electric, Westinghouse Air Brake, Union Switch & Signal, plus the forerunners of Duquesne Light, Equitable Gas, and Rockwell International. McConomy Auditorium, December 19 2012.

Osher 2012 Holiday Luncheon at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association (PAA)

Osher members enjoyed our annual Holiday Luncheon on December 12 at the Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAA) in Oakland. The food was great as was the company! Always fun to see our Osher friends!

Photos from "The Symphonies of Mahler" an undergraduate university class with registration also open to Osher members. Taught by Prof. Stephen Schultz.

In this regular university semester course, a limited number of Osher at CMU members were able to register and attend. The course was taught by professor Stephen Schultz. In this course, the eleven symphonic works of Mahler were analyzed in relation to their form, melodic and harmonic content, counterpoint, orchestration, program, and emotional content. For more details, see the Fall 2012 Course Catalog; this course was listed on page 37.

Book signing event for Osher's WWII memoir We Were There

This fall, Osher published We Were There, a 250-page World War II memoir written by members of CMU Osher. When the book was released, members were joined by authors who had contributed chapters to the book for a book signing and reception.

Although the pre-orders have already been filled, due to the high demand for the book, we are taking orders for a second printing. Call us (412) 268-7489 if you are interested in purchasing a copy. View the book's flier for more information, or view the video on CMU Osher’s YouTube channel.

“The Life and Work of Thomas Edison,” with Cleon Cornes

Osher members enjoyed learning about Thomas Edison in a class this fall, "The Life and Work of Thomas Edison," with Cleon Cornes as Study Leader. This class reviewed Edison's life and discussed the many ways his work has affected our lives.

We Were There, a 250-page World War II memoir written by CMU Osher members

Osher is publishing We Were There, a 250-page memoir about World War II. In each story, an Osher member has written about his or her direct experience of the war. The video below provides some additional background information about the book. For more information, view the book flier.  

Inside the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) with Monique Mead

Osher members enjoyed a special class offered this fall, “An Inside Look at Music, Musicians and Maestros.” In this course, each week featured different musicians who performed for the class. In each session, violinist Monique Mead presented pieces from the Pittsburgh Symphony's current repertoire and engaged the class in creative ways of experiencing and understanding the music. View the video and photos below:

Dr. Bernard Wolfson Lecture, “When Aspirin Isn't Enough: Memoir of an Anesthesiologist” | September 12, 2012, 7:30 pm

Dr. Bernard Wolfson, retired Clinical Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and former seniorexaminer for the American Board of Anesthesiology joined us for an evening lecture. This lecture’s main emphasis was on the various developments that have led to the extraordinary degree of protection and safety afforded to today’s patients in the modern operating room. The framework was a discussion of the changes seen by the speaker between his start as a "rookie" in 1952, and his retirement in 1993. Held in McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon campus, University Center. Refreshments served. Guests are welcome. For more details, view the event flier.

Day trip to the Laurel Highlands | September 11, 2012

Members joined Osher on a a late summer excursion day-trip to the Laurel Highlands. We spent some time at the Powdermill Nature Reserve, the environmental research center of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and at Fort Ligonier for a tour of the fort and museum. For more details, view the event flier.

August 2, 2012:

Osher Annual Ice Cream Social

Members joined us for the Osher Annual Ice Cream Social, our celebration of all of the volunteers who contribute so generously to our program. Ice cream provided by Bruster’s! Hosted by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. View the invitation

June 17, 2012:

Day Trip to Erie, Sail on the USS Niagara

Several Osher members joined us for an exciting day trip to Erie and a chance to sail on the USS Niagara, an authentic wooden-hulled sailing ship--one of the last remaining ships from the War of 1812. The trip included a deluxe motor coach round trip, a visit to the Erie Maritime Museum, lunch on the ship, and dinner in Grove City. Study Leader Ed Hale was onboard as part of the crew. View the event flyer for details.

Osher Lecture: “Earthquakes and Tsunamis,” with Michael Bikerman, May 24 2012

Michael Bikerman joined us to speak about earthquakes, how they are measured, the effects on human communities, and the special consequences of tsunamis. Bikerman is an emeritus geology professor from the University of Pittsburgh. In his 33 years at Pitt, he taught a couple of generations of students introductory and other geology classes, including Geology of National Parks and World Geography. His research interests were in dating of rocks using the potassium - argon method on samples collected from New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan, Japan, and Nigeria. View the event flyer.

Mary Cay Burke-Hamill Retirement Party | May 16, 2012

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon bid a fond farewell to our outgoing registrar, Mary Cay Burke-Hamill, who retired this spring. View the event invitation. See more photos from this event on our Picassa site.

Osher 2012 Annual Meeting | April 27, 2012

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon held its 20th Annual Meeting in the lush, tropical glass house at Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory on April 27, 2012. Prior to the meeting and luncheon, guided tours were provided to interested members. During the meeting, Osher members elected new officers and board members, and revisions were approved to the bylaws. All enjoyed the Tuscan Buffet lunch and the entertainment provided by CMU School of Music’s Brass Quartet, and by vocalist Lucia Roderique and her accompanist, Adrian Blake Enscoe, both from CMU’s School of Drama. (See more photos from this event on our Picassa site)

Evening with WQED-FM’s Senior Executive Producer Jim Cunningham | April 17, 2012

WQED-FM’s Senior Executive Producer, Jim Cunningham, discussed traveling with the Pittsburgh Symphony on their most recent tour to Europe and New York’s Lincoln Center. He also talked about a few great moments from WQED’s founding as the nation’s first community supported educational TV station in 1954. View the event flyer for more details