Value-added Fridays
Each semester, Osher@Mizzou offers a collection of one-time, 90-minute lectures that are open to all current Osher members. Yes, this is another value-added perk!
9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. each Friday of the semester.
All sessions will be offered in Hybrid format (choose whether to attend in person at the Moss building or online via Zoom), unless otherwise indicated.
Session Schedule
Sept. 18: If You Can’t Beat’em, Then Eat’em!
Over 820 million people worldwide suffer from undernourishment, many of whom live in developing countries. Carbohydrate-rich diets (i.e., beans, rice and other starchy foods) result in massive global health issues, such as stunting, wasting and anemia. Protein is the simple answer, but how? The use of Asian carp to address hunger relief is a promising but overlooked humanitarian aid strategy. Unbeknownst to many Americans, silver carp are a superfood that contains macro- and micronutrients, including vitamins. They are a solution to a global problem. You’ll be able to snack on them after the presentation.
Instructor: Dr. Mark Morgan retired as an associate professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. Mark taught classes and conducted research on the social aspects of natural resources management. Studies on fish and fishing, including the use of Asian carp as a hunger relief strategy, are among his most noteworthy accomplishments.
Sept. 25: Understanding Missouri's Public Charter Schools: History, Innovation, Accountability and Impact
Missouri public charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate with great flexibility in exchange for a high level of accountability for student results. This session will explore the origins of the initial Missouri law in 1998 through the present. We will discuss how charter schools differ from traditional districts, how they are authorized and governed, and public opinion and attitudes of Missourians towards public charter schools. Finally, we will discuss common misconceptions and research on student achievement.
Participants will learn how Missouri charter schools are serving communities, innovating in curriculum and instruction, and responding to workforce and college readiness demands. The session will include discussion of policy trends, real-world examples from Kansas City and St. Louis, and opportunities to remain informed and learn more about public education options.
Instructor: Noah Devine is the executive director of the Missouri Charter Public Schools Association, where he leads advocacy and policy efforts to expand public education options across the state. His career spans roles as a special education teacher, district education staff member and deputy director of the Kansas City Action Fund. He holds master’s degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and University of Missouri. Raised in Columbia, he now lives in Kansas City with his wife, two small children and a dog.
Oct. 2: Book Talk: Joey Brown, Oklahomaography (poetry), 2010
Speer Morgan, editor of The Missouri Review, provides this review of Oklahomaography: “These poems are snapshots and narratives of people, even whole towns, whose identities are drawn from their geography. Though most of them are set in Oklahoma, they are for anyone who understands the abiding connection to place.”
Instructor: Joey Brown has a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of Colorado (1992). Her second collection of poetry is The Feral Love Poems. Her work has also appeared in a number of literary journals.
Oct. 9: Coming Home to Embodied Awakening
ONLINE ONLY
We will experience a few practices from Master Mingtong Gu’s new book, Coming Home to Embodied Awakening: Reclaim Your Body, Power, and Purpose in an Age of AI. Come as you are, and explore a deeper connection to your body, mind and spirit.
Instructor: Karen R. Onofrio, M.D., artist and former pathologist, continues to deepen her knowledge and understanding of the body, mind and spirit. She is an Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner, Usui Reiki Mater, Healing Touch Level 1 student, Free Soul Instructor, and a HealthRhythms trained facilitator. She continues to study Qigong with Master Mingtong Gu and sound healing with Dr. John Beaulieu.
Oct. 16: Overview of Autism: Understanding and Supporting People on the Spectrum
IN PERSON ONLY
Whether you're new to learning about autism or simply want to better support autistic individuals, this session will provide a practical overview of autism and everyday strategies for communicating, building connections, and fostering understanding.
Instructor: Dr. Cortney Fish is the Director of Training at the University of Missouri Thompson Center and a Licensed Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri. Dr. Fish develops and leads autism training programs for parents, educators, businesses, and professionals, with a focus on translating research into practical strategies that foster more inclusive and supportive communities.
Oct. 23: The Prague Experience: Osher Learners Join Mizzou
During the Spring 2026 semester, five of your Osher colleagues joined 12 Mizzou undergraduates for a class focusing on the history of Czechia and its capital. Together, we engaged in readings, lectures and discussions. Then, after nine weeks of class, the students, both young and seasoned, met in Prague for spring break.
Prague, with its art, architecture, music, food and history had much to offer. Each day began with a learning experience ranging from presentations to visits by tram or metro to historic places in the city. Following those group adventures, time was set aside for individual exploration and research.
This session will be a combined effort of the instructors, Mizzou undergraduates and your fellow Osherites. Please join us as we share how this opportunity came about, highlights of our days in Prague and what it was like for a multi-generational assemblage to become a learning community.
Instructors: This will be a multi-person presentation consisting of staff from MU International Programs, MU undergraduate students and Osher members who visited Prague last spring..
Oct. 30: The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine: Enslaved Trader, Prairie Diplomat and Missouri Settler
The story of Jeffrey Deroine (de-rō-NAY) defies stereotypes. Born enslaved in St. Louis in 1806 of both French and African ancestors, he gained his freedom and became a successful businessperson and property owner who enslaved others. Though details remain elusive, historian Greg Olson skillfully traces Deroine’s life from enslaved worker in the fur trade to free person of color. Along the way, Deroine became an interpreter for the Ioway Nation before running his own trading business and participating in the founding of St. Joseph, Mo., where he became one of the few people of color to own property in the state. Greg will demonstrate that Deroine’s amazing life offers valuable insights into a crucial era in Missouri’s history and the multicultural intersectionality of life in 19th-century America.
Instructor: Greg Olson served as the curator of exhibits and special projects at the Missouri State Archives from 2000-2018 and is the author of seven books, including The Ioway in Missouri; Voodoo Priests, Noble Savages, and Ozark Gypsies: The Life of Folklorist Mary Alicia Owen; and Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present.
Nov. 6: Book Talk: Marlene Lee, Middler (fiction), 2025
Marlene Lee is the author of two novels, Anna and Sebastian (2024) and Middler (2025), both published by Stephen F. Austin State University Press. She wrote for 30-plus years without publishing and finally broke through the rejections barrier when she was 74. Her work centers on characters who belatedly come to know themselves and must make changes in their lives––sometimes more than once. She received a Master’s of Fine Arts from Brooklyn College in 2010.