In the event registration for a course fills up, a waitlist will be available on the website. Waitlisted individuals will be contacted in the order the requests are received, if someone withdraws from the course as a whole.
A Tough Neighborhood: Israelis and Palestinians Trying to Forge a Future
Mondays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm - February 3, 10, 17, and 24
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Dr. Lynn Tatum spent the summer of ’22 in an intensive seminar centered in Israel. He met with security officials, diplomatic officials, military leaders, Palestinian leaders, religious leaders, fellow academic, and Israeli and Palestinian politicians. Dr. Tatum will share with our learning group his experiences that are “up to date” and from “on-the-ground.”
Old Testament Stories: Then and Now
Tuesdays, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - February 4, 11, 18, and 25
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
How did stories and narratives in the Old Testament communicate messages in the ancient world and how do they communicate with us today? Bill Bellinger offers extraordinary insights into four major stories from the Old Testament: (1) Ruth’s story of God’s providence; (2) the story of Esther as a different kind of divine providence; (3) the story of Jacob and Rachel/Leah and the divine covenant promise to Israel; and (4) the Joseph generation and the continuation of the ancestral covenant promise.
Dr. Bellinger taught for decades at Baylor University as a Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament in the Religion Department and chaired the Department. He has published books and articles with an emphasis on the Psalms including Psalms (New Cambridge Bible Commentary, co-authored with Walter Brueggeman, 2014), Psalms as a Grammar for Faith: Prayer and Praise (Baylor University Press, 2019), and Introducing Old Testament Theology: Creation, Covenant, and Prophecy in the Divine-Human Relationship (Baker Academic, 2022).
The World of Autonomous Mobile Robots: An Introduction
Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm - February 5, 12, 19, 26
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
You may hear a lot about “drones” in the media. You might even have a robot vacuuming your house! What makes them work? In this course Scott Koziol will explore the science and engineering behind the systems that need to work together for a mobile robot to make its way in the world. We will look at how robots think, sense, and act -- and explore the idea of what an “autonomous” robot is. The content will be about the concepts, so no calculator needed!
Scott Koziol is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University. He has taught at Baylor since 2013 and before that also worked in the aerospace industry at Lockheed Martin in “Silicon Valley” (San Francisco Bay Area). His research has been funded by the Office of Naval Research and Department of Energy, among others. He mentors graduate students, and their work often involves mobile robots, neuroscience inspired systems, and electronics, and ideally, at the intersection of all three! He as a PhD in Robotics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Exploring the Natural World Through the Lens of DNA
Thursdays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm - February 6, 13, 20, and 27
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
This course will examine the genetic information content of cells, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and how this information can be used to understand the natural history of life on earth. Themes will include an introductory description of DNA, diversity of genetic information, mechanisms of inheritance, the human genome, genetic diseases, and family trees. Jason Pitts will use a mix of lectures, group activities, and discussion to respond to participants’ interests.
Dr. Jason Pitts is an Associate Professor of Biology at Baylor University. His research team investigates the genetic basis for chemical detection in insects that transmit human and animal pathogens or cause damage to agricultural crops. He has received funding awards from the National Institutes of Health, the American Mosquito Control Association, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. His teaching portfolio includes courses in Introductory Biology, Cellular Biology, Global Health, Sensory Biology, and Medical Entomology.
Discovering the Men, Not the Legends: Four American Civil War Leaders
Mondays, 2:00 - 4:00 pm - March 3, 24, 31
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Bradley Bush brings to life four key figures of the Civil War: Confederate Army leaders Robert E. Lee and Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson and Union Army leaders George Armstrong Custer and Ulysses S. Grant. Become exposed to the real men who have been so mythologized that they have become iconic and not human. Consider the unfolding drama of their lives, full of mistakes, blunders, successes, ambitions, motivations and personal relationships.
Bradley Bush resides in Waco. He has worked in the marketing and sales of agricultural products to farmers and ranchers from 1978 until present. Education: Texas A&M University, BS in Agricultural Economics 1978, The University of Texas at Arlington, BS Biology Magna Cum Laude 2008, Norwich University MA in Military History 2016.
The Early Church and the People Who Shaped It
Thursdays, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - April 3, 10, 17, 24
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
The early church was developed through ideas and practices that still influence the church today, but who were the influencers and how were decisions made? Bill Pitts will cover the formation of the Bible; beliefs that became the foundation of theology; Jesus as divine or human; types of spirituality (monasticism or mysticism); how God is encountered through worship; church organization; church expansion (missions); and the Church/State relationship.
Dr. Bill Pitts is Retired Professor Emeritus, Department of Religion, Baylor University. He earned his BA degree at Baylor in history and religion, his MDIV at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and his PhD in Church History at Vanderbilt University. His 52-year teaching career included 43 years at Baylor University.
The Three Georges: Empire and War in North America
Wednesdays, 2:00 - 4:00 pm - March 5, 26 and April 2
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
The relationships between the British Crown and the colonies of North America were complex. It included world wars, economic expansion, wars for independence, and a new definition of liberty. Bracy Hill will cover the reigns of George I, George II and George III, and discuss the events from the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) to the death of George III after the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars.
Bracy Hill is a Senior Lecturer in the History Department of Baylor University. His studies have focused on hunting cultures in America and on marginalized religious groups in late medieval and early modern England. He was the primary author and editor of God, Nimrod and the World: Exploring Christian Perspectives on Sport Hunting (Mercer University Press, Sports and Religion Series), a project he conceived and constructed out of his interests in the presence of hunters in past societies and concern for the conservation of both the natural environment and of hunting cultures for generations to come.
Curtain Up: From Page to Stage (Enrollment limited to 25)
Wednesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - March 19, 26, and April 2, 9
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
How does a play go from script to performance? Join Baylor's Department of Theater Arts as Guilherme Almeida and Michael Sullivan unpack the journey from play selection, auditions, blocking and rehearsals, to set, lighting, and sound design, then learn about stage managing and props as well as costumes and make-up. The final session will be a visit and tour of the Baylor theaters. Space is limited, so sign up early.
Guilherme Feitosa de Almeida is a pianist, conductor, and teaching artist, a native Brazilian, Guilherme, completed his Master in Music at Baylor University in 2008. He earned a Bachelor in Sacred Music with emphasis in Composition at the Seminário Teológico Batista do Norte do Brasil in Recife (Brazil) in 2005. Previously, Professor Almeida taught at McLennan Community College (Waco), Centro de Educação Musical de Olinda (Olinda/Brazil), Conservatório Pernambucano de Música (Recife/Brazil). Prof. Almeida is an ordained minister in the Baptist tradition. A much sought after music director, performer, liturgist, and consultant, Prof. Almeida is immersed in storytelling, spirituality and the arts, transformational education, and social justice.
Michael Sullivan is an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts at Baylor University. He previously served on the faculty of the University of North Texas Theatre Arts Department and the University of Oklahoma School of Drama. Professor Sullivan is an active professional set designer and has worked extensively with a variety of production companies, such as the WaterTower Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Stage West, Circle Theatre, The Huntington Theatre, The Adirondack Theatre Festival, and the Pollard Theatre.
In 2005 Professor Sullivan received a Leon Rabin Award — for best set design — for the musical Cabaret at the WaterTower Theatre. For Michael Sullivan's web portfolio, please visit www.sullivansetdesign.com.
The Voice of Media in Waco’s History
Thursdays, 3:00 - 4:30 pm - March 20, 27, and April 3, 10
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Explore the rich history of local media that reported the news locally and to the world. In four sessions, several aspects of Waco media history will be explored. Ken Sury (March 20) will cover Waco-area newspapers and magazines; Carl Hoover (April 3) will share his take on the Iconoclast and other off-beat journalism; Ann Harder (April 10) and Bruce Gietzen (April 10) will reflect on their long careers in television newscasting; and Robert Darden (March 27) will lead a session on the vast media coverage of the 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian compound outside Waco.
Ken Sury - Ken Sury is a communications specialist at the Farmer Veteran Coalition and former editor of the Waco Today magazine with 38 years in the field of journalism; Carl Hoover has become a household name among Wacoans for his 40 years of writing feature articles for the Waco Tribune-Herald; Ann Harder and Bruce Gietzen were co-anchors at News 25, bringing the news to Central Texas and inspiring future journalists; and Robert Darden is a Master Teacher and Professor Emeritus of Journalism from Baylor University, considered the “most awarded” professor in Baylor history.
Bob Darden - Dr. Robert Darden retired two years ago after 35 years of service to Baylor University, most recently as a Master Teacher and Emeritus Professor of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media. He is the most awarded professor in Baylor University history, having received all of the university’s teaching and research awards, including Outstanding Teacher, College of Arts and Sciences, Diversity Award (with the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program and on his own), Cornelia Marschall Smith Award for Outstanding Professor at Baylor University, and Outstanding Researcher, College of Arts & Sciences. The author of at least 27 books, he is widely cited, quoted, and interviewed on a variety of topics in the international and national media.
Carl Hoover - Carl Hoover has been a reporter at the Waco Tribune-Herald for over 40 years, covering Waco arts and entertainment and more. He describes himself as a “lover of words, movies, and the arts.” For this course, Carl has gathered a wide array of interesting journalism that started and spread from the Waco area, including the widely-known William Brann and “The Iconoclast,” and other interesting newspapers and periodicals that made central Texas a huge center of journalistic efforts representing such diverse groups as the German community, Paul Quinn College, the Cotton Palace Festival, and the Ku Klux Klan.
Ann Harder - Ann Harder is a native Wacoan and proud graduate of Baylor University. Her radio and television broadcasting career spans nearly 50 years beginning in radio in the early 1970’s. Although retired after 25 years on the anchor desk at KXXV, she’s continued sharing through “Traveling Texas With Ann Harder” and she hosts “Central Texas Living, the Podcast.” Through the years, Ann has previously taught courses for Baylor Lifelong Learning. She is married to Mike Harder and they have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law and three beautiful granddaughters.
Bruce Gletzen - Bruce retired from Baylor University 2 years ago from the position as Director of Student Media after 33 years as a broadcast journalist. He has specialized in Media Crisis Management and public speaking. After his long career in television, Baylor asked him to build up a small student broadcasting program. Over a period of six years, he implemented an entirely student-run weekly newscast, Lariat TV News, which has launched a new generation of broadcasters and reporters.
Create Your Bucket List: Texas State Parks, Wildlife Areas and Historic Sites
Mondays, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - March 31 April 7, 14, 28
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept services 95 state parks and historic sites, 51 wildlife management sites and numerous field offices. All of these areas provide interesting and informative programs for visitors as well as camping and hunting sites. Larry Smith will take a comprehensive look at these locations with critical information for creating a personal "Bucket List,” whether or not participants plan to just enjoy hearing about Texas highlights or actually planning an outing.
Larry Smith, a Baylor graduate with an MS degree from TCU and doctoral studies at OU, Larry has taught nine classes for Lifelong Learning/Continuing Education since 2018. Formerly a university administrator and secondary science teacher, Larry retired after serving as a National Park Ranger at Yellowstone & The Badlands National Parks. Larry has taught over ten LLL classes.
Stroll Down Memory Lane Through Songs
Tuesdays, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm - April 8, 15, 22, and 29
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Join Ann Harder and Lydia Bratcher and their talented friends for another of their fun singalongs! Reflecting on “memory lane” through the years, they will include those songs that defined eras through life. The back stories of composers and lyricists will be shared, along with the songs. Come and vocalize together -- or simply sit and listen!
Ann Harder - Ann Harder is a native Wacoan and proud graduate of Baylor University. Her radio and television broadcasting career spans nearly 50 years beginning in radio in the early 1970’s. Although retired after 25 years on the anchor desk at KXXV, she’s continued sharing through “Traveling Texas With Ann Harder” and she hosts “Central Texas Living, the Podcast.” Through the years, Ann has previously taught courses for Baylor Lifelong Learning. She is married to Mike Harder and they have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law and three beautiful granddaughters.
Lydia McCall Bratcher, NCTM, has taught private piano and theory for over forty years in Waco. She majored in Piano Pedagogy at Baylor University. She enjoys teaching a full studio of students of all ages and stages. Lydia accompanied the Midway High School choirs for 18 years before retiring in 2018, but still returns annually to accompany students in the UIL Vocal Solo Contest. Lydia has also served on the staff of Seventh and James Baptist Church as Organist and Sanctuary Choir accompanist since 2004. Lydia volunteers with the Waco Symphony Council and Meals on Wheels. She enjoys reading, gardening, and cooking. She and her husband Kent, an attorney, have two grown children and Lucy, a rescue dog of varied ancestry.
The Watergate Scandal (Course full- Waitlist open)
Tuesdays, 4:30 - 6:00 pm - April 8, 15, 22, and 29
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
The Watergate Scandal is arguably one of the most important events in U.S. history. Brad Livingstone will explain how Watergate involved all branches of our government, the FBI, the CIA, local police, the press and even the US Military. The individuals involved ranged from powerful politicians to a minimum wage hotel security guard and all points in between. Impressively, Watergate proved the power of our Constitution when the most powerful political person in the world was removed from office without any violence.
Brad Livingstone
Brad Livingstone received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Oklahoma State while also playing basketball for the Cowboys. He had been an educator at Oaks Christian High School in southern California, served as Dean of Students, principal, and history teacher at Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, VA, and taught at Vanguard in Waco in the mid-1990s, returning in 2017 to continue teaching history with a specialty in World War II.
A Walk on the Wild Side: Cameron Park Zoo (off-site) (Enrollment limited to 40) (Course full- Waitlist open)
Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm - April 9, 16, 23, and 30
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
What goes into operating a Zoo? Connie Kassner will unfold the complex functions involved in bringing animals to Waco for the enjoyment of visitors. Participants will visit the new Education Center, go behind the scenes in “keeper” areas, and visit Penguin Shores. There will be walking and exploring areas not generally open to the public. Come and see the Waco Zoo by walking on the wild side!
Connie Kassner, (M.S., Baylor University, 2001) taught elementary education, early childhood education and was a part time lecturer at Baylor University before joining the Cameron Park Zoo staff as Education Curator in 2005. She oversees all aspects of the Education Department, including the Animal Ambassador program, writing curriculum, and manages the volunteers