The Arizona Senior Academy (ASA) Lifelong Learning Lecture series brings the best of Arizona’s academic and professional worlds directly to Academy Village. Twice weekly, we host presentations from University of Arizona faculty, regional experts, and our own distinguished Resident Members ⭐️.
From climate change and healthcare to local art and global issues, these sessions deliver cutting-edge research and diverse perspectives to our community. Every lecture concludes with an interactive Q&A, allowing for direct, personal engagement with the presenters
Select the dates below for more information!
Monday, May 11
Biosphere 3: Using Artificial Intelligence to Explore Earth’s Ecosystems
Dr. Joaquin Ruiz: Director, Biosphere 2, Thomas R. Brown Chair, Professor, Geosciences
Biosphere 3 positions the University of Arizona as a leader in AI-driven, closed-loop experimentation. Dr. Joaquin Ruiz shares how Biosphere 3 enables rapid simulations and climate testing. AI agents generate hypotheses, robots run experiments, and machine learning refines results, creating a continuous system for autonomous, accelerated scientific discovery. Read More…
Wednesday, May 13
Our Roots: ‘First Generation’ Southwest Native Women Artists Speak
Phoebe Charpentier, M.A.; PhD Student, Applied Intercultural Arts Research; Communications Specialist of Western Museums Association
The Avery Collection at the Arizona State Museum features early modern Southwest Native artists. Collected by Marjorie Avery, the art reflects colonial realities and highlights Native women’s leadership. Phoebe Charpentier shows how these women’s art expresses Indigenous philosophies and advances visual sovereignty. Read More…
Monday, May 18
Women, War and Coming of Age in the Hispanic World
Dr. Malcolm Alan Compitello: Professor Emeritus of Spanish, U of A; Executive Editor Emeritus, Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies
Dr. Malcolm Alan Compitello highlights overlooked female contributions to the Bildungsroman (novel of development) in the Hispanic world, analyzing works by several Hispanic female authors, including Matute, Morales, and Mastretta. He contextualizes the importance of these writings within the context of 20th century Hispanic, European, and American fiction writing. Read More…
Wednesday, May 20
Stories of the Plants We Overlook
Dr. Steve Smith: Associate Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona
Plants provide humans with oxygen, food, materials, energy, and medicine; many remain poorly understood. Dr. Smith’s lecture explores key plants’ biology, habitats, and relationships with humans. We examine their growth, uses, management, and explore why they matter today. Finally, we consider how their importance may change in the future. Read More…
Monday, May 25
Picasso & Matisse: Rivals Who Revolutionized Modern Art (Part 1 of 2) ⭐️
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
In Part 1, Dr. Deborah Robin explores early 1900s Paris, where rivals Picasso and Matisse fueled artistic revolution. You’ll meet the Stein family, whose famous Saturday gatherings became the epicenter of Parisian avant-garde. Their bold passion for radical art helped launch two of modern art’s most significant careers in history. Read More…
Wednesday, May 27
Picasso & Matisse: Rivals Who Revolutionized Modern Art (Part 2 of 2) ⭐️
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
Dr. Deborah Robin presents session two on art in early 1900s Paris, where Picasso and Matisse drove modern art’s transformation. Their fierce rivalry sparked Cubism and Fauvism, reshaping perspective and color. By sharing background stories and seeing their masterpieces you will know how to interpret and appreciate their revolutionary styles. Read More…
Monday, June 1
Sonora’s Spirit: Bacanora
Alex La Pierre: Citizen Diplomat, Co-founder Borderlandia
Alex La Pierre will diving into the distillation process of Sonora’s Sierra Madres and uncover the roots of agave culture in northwestern Mexico by way of geography, history, and culinary arts. We’ll leave with an understanding of mezcal, tequila, sotol and bacanora and what makes them distinct. Read More…
Monday, June 22
Towards Measuring the Atmosphere of Temperate Terrestrial Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e
Sudrit Ranjan, Ph.D: Professor, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona
During his presentation, Sudrit Ranjan will explain how, with the use of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have the best chance at characterizing the atmosphere of a potentially habitable planet outside of our solar system called TRAPPIST-1e, which has some characteristics similar to earth. Read More…