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Our 16th spotlight features host Susan Supak's conversation with Russell Crews, President and CEO of CC Young Senior Living. Crews, who earned his MBA degree from UNT, came to CC Young after working for many years in public accounting. He tells Susan what drew him to CC Young and explains why he enjoys serving residents within its not-for-profit structure. He also reflects on the latest developments in senior living as CC Young celebrates its 100th anniversary. OLLI at UNT recently signed a three-year Partnership Agreement with CC Young, bringing our courses to their facilities in Dallas. To learn more about CC Young, visit https://www.ccyoung.org/. To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association, visit https://untalumni.com. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan interviews Dr. Nancy Little, a licensed professional counselor, author, and public speaker who specializes in boosting mind and body health to enhance quality of life and overall wellness. They have a wide-ranging conversation that covers many aspects of health, including some strategies for increasing self-awareness, generating a proactive mindset, and releasing attachment to unhealthy habits. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

The OLLI at UNT Retiree Spotlight Series is presented in partnership with the UNT Retiree Association. In this installment, Susan speaks with Dr. Lenora McCroskey, Professor Emeritus in the College of Music at UNT. Professor McCroskey taught organ and harpsichord at the university for nearly 30 years. She also served as Assistant Director of Early Music studies, teaching Baroque performance, continuo, and coaching chamber ensembles. She provides Susan with a brief history of the organ and harpsichord before tracing the path of her career. To learn more about the UNT Retiree Association, visit untra.unt.edu. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit olli.unt.edu.

This alumni spotlight episode highlights journalist, speechwriter, and strategic communications consultant Charlie Fern, who served as speechwriter for First Lady Laura Bush. She discusses the important lessons she learned as a student at UNT and how that training prepared her to transition from journalism to speechwriting. Charlie came to work for Mrs. Bush after a formative stint with Governor Ann Richards and her career took her all the way to the White House, where she was during the tragic events of September 11, 2001. To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association, visit https://untalumni.com To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

The OLLI at UNT Retiree Spotlight Series is presented in partnership with the UNT Retiree Association. In this first installment, Susan speaks with Dr. Tom Hoemeke, who came to the university in 1979 and directed the Office of International Studies and Programs for over two decades. He tells Susan about his office's efforts to consolidate the university's international studies efforts and grow its study abroad programs. Dr. Hoemeke reflects on some highlights from his career, which included traveling to Thailand with the One O'Clock Lab Band and presenting the king with an honorary degree. He also talks to Susan about his post-retirement roles with the UNT Retiree Association and OLLI at UNT. To learn more about the UNT Retiree Association, visit https://untra.unt.edu. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu.

In this episode, Communications Strategist Jordan Williams provides a preview of the OLLI at UNT Fall 2022 catalog, which is now available to download from olli.unt.edu/catalog.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Ryan Bennett, Director of the Astronomy program at UNT. Ryan tells Susan all about the facilities the Astronomy program operates, including the Sky Theater planetarium, the Rafes Urban Astronomy Center, and the Monroe Remote Observatory. Although the pandemic and the 2021 ice storm have recently limited the program's activities, Ryan explains that there are now many opportunities for the North Texas community to take advantage of these scientific resources in their own backyard. He also gives Susan a preview of some exciting developments the program has planned for the next few years and shares some tips for beginning astronomers. To learn more about the UNT Astronomy program, visit https://astronomy.unt.edu/. Follow UNT Astronomy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RUACatUNT/ and https://www.facebook.com/SkyTheater. The Stellarium Astronomy Software is available at http://stellarium.org/. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Masood Raja, an Associate Professor in the UNT Department of English who specializes in postcolonial literature. They discuss his humanist approach to teaching literature from various cultures across the globe and his belief that reading widely can help make us more empathetic toward others. Professor Raja explains how his service in the Pakistan army helped prepared him for a career of literary scholarship. He also reflects on his recent involvement in an initiative that brought Pakistani scholars to UNT through funding provided by the U.S. Department of State. Finally, Dr. Raja shares some resources for those who may be interested in deepening their appreciation of literature from around the world. Episode Notes: Dr. Raja's website, Postcolonial Space, can be found at https://postcolonial.net/. Dr. Raja's YouTube channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/c/Postcolonialism. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with award-winning artist and educator Francesca d'Atria Romano about her passion for inspiring the community to appreciate and create art. Before relocating to Texas, Francesca lived and worked in New York, where she taught high school art, worked as a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and became renowned for her etchings. She discusses several highlights of her remarkable career with Susan, including her logo design for the Staten Island Ferry, the NOVA award-winning documentary that featured her high school art class, and the advice she gave to the panel of artists who designed the Tribute in Light memorial following the 9/11 attacks. She also previews some exhibitions she will be offering locally this year and encourages listeners to take time to visit the art museums in our area and wherever they may travel. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu, or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Andrew Torget, Associate Professor in the UNT Department of History, about a special summer trip he is leading for OLLI at UNT members called "Revolutionary Road: Tracing the Landscape of the Texas Revolution." Professor Torget explains his inspiration for leading the trip and then describes the itinerary. Over the course of five days, he will lead members through a series of historic sites, describing the battles fought in the revolution and the impact of the war on the lives of people throughout the state and across the continent. Whether you're a lifelong Texan or a recent transplant, we guarantee you've never experienced Texas history like this! For full details of this trip, visit https://olli.unt.edu/revroad. This episode was recorded on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Kim Williams, Chair of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department in UNT's College of Merchandising, Hospitality, and Tourism. Professor Williams begins by explaining the relationship between an individual's personality type and their travel preferences. She also shares some tips for how people with different interests can travel well together. In the rest of this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Williams discusses her work at UNT, provides some insights into the hospitality and tourism industries, and reflects on how the pandemic has changed the way we travel. Episode Notes: - Take the travel personalities quiz: https://besttripchoices.com/travel-personalities/quiz/ - Learn more about The Club at Gateway: https://cmht.unt.edu/club To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with retired geologist and Audubon Master Birder Scott Kiester. He tells Susan about some of the birds that can be found in North Texas during the winter and explains why so many different kinds of birds can be found in Texas. Scott also provides some helpful tips for those who are new to birding or are interested in going on a bird walk. Finally, he reflects on the importance of appreciating and preserving nature around us. To learn more about Scott's bird walks and other events of the Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter, visit https://txmn.org/elmfork/events-calendar/.

In this Alumni Spotlight episode, Susan speaks with Frank Bracken ('63), former president of the Haggar Clothing Company, about his time as a student at UNT, his experiences in professional life, and his passion for community service. Frank encourages all listeners to dedicate themselves to serving those in need and shares some of the lessons he's learned from his experiences as a mentor. He and Susan also discuss some of the remarkable innovations of the Haggar Clothing Company. To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association, visit https://untalumni.com. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Joanna Davis-McElligatt, Assistant Professor of Black Literary and Cultural Studies in the Department of English at UNT. Although her primary area of research is in Africana Studies, Professor Davis-McElligatt's lifelong interest in comics eventually grew into a significant scholarly pursuit. She traces the evolution of the artform for Susan, from the "funny pages" to the underground comix associated with 1960s counterculture to the increasingly diverse representation found in present-day comics. Along the way, Dr. Davis-McElligatt describes how comics tell stories using their own unique graphic language, making them rich sources of meaning for scholars to mine. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Clinical Associate Professor Cassini Nazir about the important role that curiosity plays in the field of Interaction Design. Interaction designers help us to communicate with digital objects through screen interfaces or with our own voices. Professor Nazir encourages his students to design interfaces that provoke a user's curiosity, inviting them to explore the available information in a way that creates lasting memories. He and Susan discuss the wide-ranging benefits of remaining curious in all aspects of our lives. They conclude their conversation by considering whether, in the digital age, designers ought to be bound by an ethical code that takes their social impact into account. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, please visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

The University of North Texas Latinx Alumni Network (UNT-LAN) is the newest culturally based affinity chapter of the UNT Alumni Association. In this episode, Susan learns about the chapter's mission from Bob Garza ('74) President of the UNT-LAN Executive Committee. He first tells Susan about his journey from the Air Force to UNT, where he learned valuable skills that served him well during his long career at AT&T. Then he explains how alumni and administrators came together to establish UNT-LAN for the purpose of recruiting Latinx students to the university and mentoring them for academic and career success. To learn more about UNT-LAN or join the chapter, visit https://untalumni.com/chapters/lan/. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. John McKenzie, who worked for 30 years as a Family Practice Specialist with additional certification in Geriatric Medicine before retiring to teach at the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. McKenzie also spent time caring for his parents, both of whom developed Alzheimer's disease. He and Susan discuss some of the lessons he learned from his professional and personal experiences, which now form the basis of the OLLI courses he teaches on common geriatric medical problems and end-of-life issues. Dr. McKenzie recommends this printable pocketcard, which details the AGS Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: https://www.elderconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/PrintableBeersPocketCard.pdf In this episode, Dr. McKenzie references Susan's interview with Dr. Becky Knight about senior housing and healthcare trends, which was featured in Episode 31 of our podcast. Explore that episode and all of our previous interviews at https://olli.unt.edu/podcast. Dr. McKenzie is offering Parts 1 & 2 of his Geriatric Medicine series this fall at several of our classroom locations. For dates, times, and locations, check out page 31 of our fall catalog: https://olli.unt.edu/catalog. We'll be back with another new Alumni Spotlight episode on October 6. In the meantime, we encourage you to catch up on episodes you may have missed. You can also let your family and friends know about our podcast by directing them to our website: https://olli.unt.edu/podcast. We have dozens of episodes available featuring a wide variety of fascinating guests. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, please visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

This semester, UNT welcomes its first cohort of students through the brand new ELEVAR program, which offers an inclusive post-secondary educational experience for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With support from staff, faculty, and volunteers, these UNT students will attend classes, gain experience living independently on campus, and ultimately gain an internship in their career of choice. Susan sat down with Dr. Brenda Barrio, Associate Professor of Special Education and co-founder of ELEVAR, to discuss this launch of this remarkable program. To learn more about ELEVAR, visit https://elevar.unt.edu/. Donations to support the program can be made online at https://one.unt.edu/elevar. To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association, visit https://untalumni.com. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Jeff Coffin finds inspiration all around him. As Susan learns in our latest Alumni Spotlight episode, that’s no accident. He regularly collaborates with renowned musicians, including other UNT alumni. Perhaps most notably, he has performed around the globe as a member of both the Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones. When he’s not touring or recording solo projects, Jeff is inspired by his jazz saxophone students at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He’s also channeled his inspiration into photography and a series of children’s books. Listeners are in for a treat as Jeff even plays a Hungarian tarogato for Susan while explaining his passion for studying the world’s various music cultures. Learn more about Jeff’s music at https://www.jeffcoffin.com/ and https://www.thesaxloft.com/. If you’re interested in seeing some of the tintype photos Jeff describes in this episode, check out his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/jeffcoffin/. To learn more about the UNT Alumni association, visit https://untalumni.com/. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Officer David Causey, Community Relations Officer for the UNT Police Department. Officer Causey explains some of the most common scams he encounters in his work, including various examples of fraud and identity theft. After revealing some of the tactics that scammers may employ, he shares some guidance on steps we can all take to reduce our vulnerability. To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email olli@unt.edu.