May 2024

In This Issue: 2024 Osher Faculty Grant Award Recipients | Thank You, Osher Volunteers! | Osher Presenters on Idaho Matters | Spring Recording Links | Member Spotlight: Steve Villachica | SIGS in the News | Casual Coffee Social on May 8 | Collette Travel Trips Filling Up Fast! | Upcoming Partnership and Community Events | Office Closures and Summer Hours

2024 Osher Faculty Grant Award Recipients

Established in 2011 by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Advisory Council and funded

entirely by Osher members, the Osher Faculty Grant has awarded over $217,256 to fund

Boise State faculty research projects. The grant supports Boise State faculty research and raises awareness of the Institute within the university. Annual member contributions to the Osher Excellence Fund make these grants possible.


The 2024 Osher Faculty Grant Award recipients are:

Dr. Daniel Fologea, Department of Physics


"Rapid Quantification of Cardiac Biomarkers"


This project aims to develop a novel methodology for fast and accurate quantification of acute myocardial infarction in biological samples. By using this approach, researchers anticipate contributing to reducing mortality caused by cardiac disease.

Dr. Jeremy Ford and Dr. Kathleen Conley, both of Department of Early and Special Education


"Strengthening Community With Shared Meals"


The Providing Exceptional Education and Raising Standards (PEERS) Program at Boise State University is a two-year program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project seeks to build community by offering shared meals that are planned, prepared, and served by students in the PEERS Program.

Dr. Konrad Meister, Department of Chemistry


"Bringing 3D Molecules to Life"


The objective of this project's research is to utilize the Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary to offer interactive structural perspectives on biomolecular sciences to a broad audience and to bridge the science and arts communities at Boise State.

Congratulations to these Boise State University faculty members! Our thanks go to the Faculty Grant Committee for reviewing the 2024 grant applications, and to the many Osher Institute members for their generous contributions to the Osher Excellence Fund.

Thank You, Osher Volunteers!

It was great to see all the Osher volunteers who attended our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Friday, April 5! Participants enjoyed refreshments while they visited with each other, and they even scored some take-home goodies! A big thank you also goes to Chef Pedro Martinez for supplying the delicious pastries.


We are grateful to our amazing volunteers who help with greeting before programs, bringing donations to the Campus Food Pantry, supporting our office staff, distributing catalogs, baking treats for the Casual Coffee Socials, taking photos in classes, and cleaning up the courtyard garden. They also serve on our Advisory Council, Curriculum Track Committees, and as Special Interest Group (SIG) leaders. We thank you all for everything you do from the bottom of our hearts!

We'd also like to thank Osher Advisory Council members Cindy Anson, Michael Bixby, Chuck Folkner, Dennis Hall, and Chuck Robertson, whose terms will be ending this summer. We're grateful for their expertise and their years of service at the Osher Institute on the Council, as part of Curriculum Committees, and in other volunteer capacities.

Congratulations to Janet Matthews for winning the April volunteer drawing! A new winner will be drawn at the end of each month. If you are a current volunteer, you can fill out the entry form located at the Volunteer Corner in the Osher office.


If you would like to become a volunteer, please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.

Osher Presenters on Idaho Matters

Our Osher presenters are frequently featured on the Boise State Public Radio (BSPR) show Idaho Matters, hosted by Gemma Gaudette. You can hear the show weekdays from noon to 1:00 p.m. and again at 8:00 p.m.


Each show is archived on the BSPR site, so you can catch up in case you miss one. We also post the episodes that feature our presenters (such as Dr. Steve Clayton and Barbara Perry Bauer) on the Osher on Demand page of our website.

Spring Recording Links

This is a friendly reminder that Thursday, May 23, is the last day to register for any spring semester recordings that you would like to view.

Now Osher members can access their program recordings

from their Osher account!

Once you log in to your account, go to the top menu bar and choose "My Course Links" (see right). All the recording links that you've registered for will be listed here. You can view these recordings anytime before they expire at the end of the Osher membership year on June 30, 2024.

Member Spotlight: Steve Villachica

This month, our Member Spotlight shines on Steve Villachica.


Steve joined the Osher Institute in the summer of 2022 and became an active volunteer. He enjoys working with the members of the Osher Volunteer Committee and looks forward to chairing the committee starting this month. Steve says, "Our Curriculum Committees and the Osher staff do such a great job finding and bringing such a wide range of great presenters to us. And they do it again and again!" It's hard for him to choose a favorite Osher class; a few that are high on his list include the recent "442nd Regimental Combat Team" and "Censorship and Book Banning in Idaho" lectures.


When he's not busy at Osher, Steve works with graduates and graduate students in Boise State's Organizational and Workplace Learning Program as part of the Process Management Lab (PML) that he co-founded with Rob Anson. The PML works with nonprofit and other community-serving organizations to help them improve their internal processes so they can grow their internal capacities to better meet their missions and serve their communities. In his spare time, Steve also enjoys cooking.

SIGs in the News

The Personal Writing SIG welcomes the opportunity to share selected works of its members. This month's featured writing is from SIG facilitator Merilee Marsh.


Raised on Air Force bases, Merilee spent her professional career in marketing. With the family scattered coast to coast, she and her husband moved to Boise from upstate New York in 2009, and Merilee embraced the Osher Institute. Observations kindle her writing.


You can read Merilee's piece Coffee on Osher on Demand.

The Hiking in the Foothills SIG resumed their hikes in March at trailheads around the greater Boise area.


The Craft Beer Buds SIG has learned about the brewing process and sampled the wares from local breweries such as Gem State Brewing, Lost Grove Brewing, Mother Earth Brew Co., and Woodland Empire.


The Walking the Greenbelt SIG (pictured right) has enjoyed their Friday morning jaunts along the Boise River.

Casual Coffee Social on May 8

The last Casual Coffee Social of the spring semester will be held on Wednesday, May 8, at the Yanke building. Our special guest speaker will be Erika Harmon, Program Specialist at the Dick Eardley Senior Center.


Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. for members to mingle and get acquainted, and the program will start at 12:10 p.m. Afterwards, members are welcome to enjoy refreshments provided by the Osher Baker's Dozen and continue their social visits until 1:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Collette Travel Trips Filling Up Fast!

Osher members have the travel bug...Collette Travel's Countryside of the Emerald Isle trip in October 2024 is already full! However, there are still spaces available for European Christmas Markets (December 12-20, 2024).


Christmas 2025 is coming early! We are excited to announce an exclusive, limited-time opportunity for members to register for and travel with the Osher Director and staff on Collette's most popular holiday tour, Christmas on the Danube (December 3-11, 2025). There are only 28 spaces available until May 23, 2024. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't wait! This tour usually sells out 12 to 18 months in advance, year after year. Let's make some international Osher memories together!

Upcoming Partnership and Community Events

Martin-Hindrichs Lit for Lunch Discussion Series

The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley

Friday, May 3, noon MT

Yanke building, Room 510


For more information, contact Dr. Ann Campbell at anncampbell@boisestate.edu.

Constitutional Conversations: Torn From the Headlines

Dr. David Adler, President, Alturas Institute

Thursday, May 9, 4:00 p.m. MT

Yanke building, Room 207


PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT an Osher Institute program and it will NOT be recorded. This event is free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $10 at the door. Doors open at 3:45 p.m. No phone calls, please.


For more information, visit the Alturas Institute.

Boise State Alumni Learning Consortium

Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to

What Matters

Dr. Charan Ranganath, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Dynamic Memory Lab, University of California, Davis

Tuesday, May 14, 10:00 a.m. MT

Livestream via Zoom


To register for the livestream, visit Boise State Alumni Learning Consortium.

City Club of Boise

7th Annual Marilyn Shuler Human Rights Forum

Wednesday, May 15, 4:30 p.m. MT

Jack's Urban Meeting Place (JUMP), 1000 W. Myrtle St., Boise


For more information and to register, visit City Club of Boise.

Office Closures and Summer Hours

The Osher office will be closed on Friday, May 17, and for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 27.


Staff will be taking vacation and working remotely intermittently throughout the summer. If you need assistance, you may contact the office at (208) 426-6554 or osher@boisestate.edu.

Our thanks for the continued support from our Community Sponsors and Partners:

The Osher Institute is a proud underwriter of
Boise State Public Radio.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University

Phone: (208) 426-OLLI (6554)

Email: osher@boisestate.edu

Website: boisestate.edu/osher


The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University operates within the Division of Extended Studies. It is a membership-based, lifelong learning program offering non-credit, college-level programs designed for intellectually curious adults age 50 and over.



Support the Osher Institute here.

Osher Institute Advisory Council

Chair: Cindy Anson | Chair Elect: Bae Emilson | Tom Baerwald | Michael Bixby

Chuck Folkner | Bob Fontaine | Dennis Hall | Rod McLean | Sharon Moses

Rainey Pieters | Dr. Chuck Robertson | Diane Ronayne

Osher Institute Staff

Director: Dana Thorp-Patterson | Assistant Director: Laura Mehlhaff

Senior Communications Specialist: Jill Chmelko

Administrative Assistant II: Cherie Ellingson


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