Author: ASA Webmaster

Dr. Steve Smith: Associate Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom Plants play essential roles in human life, providing oxygen, food, materials, energy,

Phoebe Charpentier, M.A.; PhD Student, Applied Intercultural Arts Research; Communications Specialist of Western Museums Association Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 3:00 – 4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom The Arizona State Museum’s Avery Collection features artworks from the

Alex La Pierre: Citizen Diplomat, Co-founder Borderlandia Monday, June 1, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom Alex La Pierre joins us at least once a year for one of his extrardinary presentations, sometimes exploring the tastes

Deborah Robin: Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University; Regional Director of Operations, Keller Graduate School of Management; Docent Emeritas, Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Time: 3:00 pm Place: Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom It’s the

Deborah Robin: Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University; Regional Director of Operations, Keller Graduate School of Management; Docent Emeritas, Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Time: 3:00 pm Place: Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom In Part

Meet Arizona Senior Academy Board Member Loran Dake By Leslie Evans “Coming to Academy Village was one of the best decisions I’ve made”, said ASA board member Loran Dake. He grew up under northern California redwoods in Eureka California where

Chris Eustis was born in Darien, CT. He graduated from Brown University in Providence, RI with a B.A. in Spanish. He then went on to earn a M.A., also in Spanish, from Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT. A few years after spending

Meet Maria Dobozy, ASA Board Member, AV Resident By Marilyn Skinner Maria Dobozy, presently in the second year of her three-year term as a resident ASA board member, is a naturalized American citizen. Born in a displaced persons camp in

Meet Bill McCourt, ASA Board Member, AV Resident By Celeste Scholz Bill McCourt moved to Academy Village from Bellingham, Washington, with his wife, Judy, in 2011—fifteen years ago. With a degree in environmental studies, Bill began working in water treatment and

Meet Callie Tippett, new ASA Board Member By Mary Ann Gillespey   We are pleased to welcome Callie Tippet to the Arizona Senior Academy (ASA) Board of Directors. Callie’s personal and professional roots in our region run deep. Raised in

Meet Denise Bowls, new ASA Board Member By Bill Tobin   Denise Bowls grew up in Ventura, California, where she was among the first high school girls in the world to dunk a basketball in competition. She earned her degrees

Welcome to returning ASA Board Member Stan Davis By Patti Woodbury Kuvik   Stan Davis has been a resident of Academy Village since 2007 and is currently serving his second term as an ASA board member. He graduated from Brown

Meet Jim Matsushino, new ASA Board Member By Diane Holtz   Diane Holtz met with Jim Matsushino who is one of our incoming ASA board members. He is currently employed as the Fine Arts Coordinator in the Vail School District.

Meet Kate Robold, new ASA Board Member By Laureen Heath   I discovered a kindred spirit when talking with Kate Robold. She is a native to Tucson. Kate and her family enjoy the outdoors and take full advantage of biking

Meet Suzanne Ferguson, new ASA Board Member By Ann Ratcliff   Suzanne Ferguson is in a unique situation as a board member for the Arizona Senior Academy. She is one of the new ASA board members who does not live

Meet Returning Board Member Alain-Philippe Durand By Leah Hewitt   Alain-Philippe Durand (who goes by his initials A-P) originally hails from Marseille, France and came to the US after his secondary schooling in France. He is the Dorrance Dean of

Meet New ASA Board Member (ex officio) and ASA Treasurer, Paul Caputo By Karin Norton   For Paul, life has always been about family and community. Growing up in Brooklyn, as one of eight brothers and sisters with an extended Italian

Don Swann: Retired Rangeland Manager, Saguaro National Park; Biologist Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Don Swann, retired Rangeland Manager at Saguaro National Park, was responsible for managing the park’s rangeland ecosystems

Greg Sakall: Part-time Prof. of Practice & Guest Lecturer, James E. Rogers College of Law, U of A; Judge, Pima County Superior Court, Tucson, Arizona Monday, April 20, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   In

Lindsay Halladay, Ph.D: Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom   In her presentation, Dr. Lindsay Halladay explores a surprising shift in how we understand the

Yongda Zhu Ph.D: post-doctoral research Associate; James Webb Space Telescope znIIR Cam & MIRI Teams, Stewart Observatory, University of Arizona Monday, April 13, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope which orbits

Michael L. Burgoyne M.A.: MA.’s in Strategic Studies and Security Studies; Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona; Research and writing on security in Western Hemisphere, insurgency, alliances, defense policy Wednesday, April 8, 2026,

Deborah Robin: Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University; Regional Director of Operations, Keller Graduate School of Management; Art History Instructor, Art Institute of Phoenix; Docent Emeritus, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA

Deborah Robin: Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University; Regional Director of Operations, Keller Graduate School of Management; Art History Instructor, Art Institute of Phoenix; Docent Emeritus, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Monday, April 27, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA

Nancy Fitzgerald: Published poet, retired professor of creative writing, College of St. Scholastica; Poetry Editor of the The Village News Monday, April 6, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Listening to poetry read aloud combined

Kerri Rodriguez, DVM: Assistant Professor, Veterinary Medicine; Director, Human-Animal Bond Lab, University of Arizona Monday, March 23, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom Emerging science is rapidly reshaping our understanding of the human-dog relationship, showing it

Melissa Fitch, Ph.D:  University Distinguished Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese and Latin American Cultural Studies, University of Arizona; Global Trekker Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Dr. Melissa Fitch will explain

Sonya Norman, B.S., Geosciences: Public Programs Coordinator, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; Taught rainwater harvesting workshops; Participant, invasive species control Monday, March 16, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom In her presentation, Sonya Norman will treat us to

Jared Suydam: Sonoran Biogeographer; Environmental Education Program Coordinator, Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources Monday, March 30, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom   Ever wondered how deserts are formed? Have you pondered the tangible ways

Marilyn Skinner, Ph.D: Professor of Classics Emerita, University of Arizona; Village resident Monday, March 2, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom   In 18 BCE, Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, made adultery on the part

Debbie C. Buecher, M.S.: Wildlife Biologist; Project Manager, Buecher Biological Consulting Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom   Come and find out why we should appreciate bats for their intelligence, benefits to our

Steve Erdman, M.D.:  Retired pediatric gastroenterologist; Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine. Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   March is Colorectal Cancer Prevention Month, a disease that is

Melody Loya, Ph.D: Professor of Social Work; Associate Dean of University College; Tareton State University, Texas Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Dr. Melody Aye Loya draws on her many years of

Tammi Walker, PhD: Associate Professor of Law and Psychology Monday, March 9, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Title IX is often treated as a settled civil rights law, especially when it comes to sexual

Murat Kacira,  Ph.D: Interim Department Head, Biosystems Engineering; Director, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, University of Arizona Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   In his lecture on “Bioeconomy and Circular Economy,” Dr. Murat

In part 1 of Deborah Robin’s 2-part presentation, you were taken into the Palazzo Vecchio for the celebrated head-to-head painting competition initiated by the city’s Mayor in 1510.  You saw what Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci created, learned about their

Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, the greatest artists of the Renaissance, worked in Florence at the same time and became fierce rivals? In this 2-part presentation you’ll learn about their lives, the city that shaped them,

Stephen Fairfield, Ph.D: Public art sculptor, formed New Media Public Art Collective Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   The area of public art is enormous; therefore, Stephen Fairfield will provide an anecdotal

Gerald Newman: PhD: Professor emeritus in history at Kent State University Monday, February 9, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom After spending  three weeks cruising between Rome and Lisbon in October with his wife, Gerald Newman

Mary Welch-Keesey, Ph.D: Degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, horticulture, Rice University and Purdue; Volunteers with the U of A Herbarium and the stinknet and buffelgrass initiatives at Saguaro National Park; Academy Village resident Monday, February 16, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great

        Jennifer Wishnie, DVM, MSC, MPH, DACVPM: Associated Professor and Director, One Health/Veterinary Public Health Residency Program, University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom

Feb 4: “The Music of Jewish Composers ” Matthew Mugmon, PhD: Associate Professor of Music and Applied Intercultural Arts Research; School of Music, University of Arizona; author; Speaker, Researcher Monday, February 2, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA

Jan 28: “A Discussion on Alzheimer’s Disease: Personal and Professional Insights” Marisa Menchola PhD:  Board-certified clinical neuropsychologist; past-president, Southern Arizona Psychological Association and the Arizona Neuropsychological Society Lucy Wilson PhD: retired clinical psychologist; past president, Southern Arizona psychological Association; University

Jan 21: “The Vanishing Enforcement of Title IX ” Tammi Walker, PhD: Associate Professor of Law and Psychology Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Title IX is often treated as a settled

Jan 12: “Volcanoes of Italy”   Dr. Tony Waltham: Retired Senior Lecturer, University of Nottingham, UK, Award-Winning Geologist, Author, and Lecturer Monday, January 12, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm To be followed by informal discussion. Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom

Jan 26: “Louise Serpa: The Woman Who Shot Cowboys” Jan Cleere: Author, Historian, Public speaker Monday, January 26, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Anyone who has ever stared down an angry bull coming full

Jan 21: “The Vanishing Enforcement of Title IX ” Tammi Walker, PhD: Associate Professor of Law and Psychology Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom   Title IX is often treated as a settled