top of page

OLLI=Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Sonoma State University
"For those 50 years old or better"

PDFs of OLLI lectures will be posted here after each presentation
Click here for more information & to register for OLLI classes

Nicole' Future OLLI Courses through SSU

OLLI Fall 2023
Journey of the Continents

6-week series on Fridays 1-3pm from September 22nd - October 27th
HYBRID! In Person at SSU & via Zoom
Earth’s continents are on the move, as they always have been. Through plate tectonics the landmasses are carried by the motions of the mantle below and are steered by the formation and destruction of oceanic plates. This class will follow the deep time adventures of Earth’s continents, as we learn how they have moved across the Earth’s surface over time, been impacted by volcanism, been shifted by earthquakes, and built by the process of continental accretion. The movements record an echo of the ancient oceans & ecosystems otherwise lost to time. We will track the climate changes recorded in the rocks accumulating on each continent as the landmasses evolved through tropical, temperate, and polar environments in seemingly endless iterations.

Mentioned Course Materials & Resources

Course slides & handouts will be posted here

Nicole's Recommendations:

​

Walking with Monsters: Life Before Dinosaur Series (Paleozoic Era evolution in 3 parts):

​

Walking with Dinosaurs: Mesozoic Era Series (in 6 parts):

​

Other Dinosaur Documentaries:

​

The Common Descent Podcast!

  • All about biology& geology & the science of evolution. You can listen to the Podcast (=audio, not video) on PodBean, YouTube, Stitcher, iTunes/Apple Podcast or whatever resource you associate with your favorite podcasts. They also have WordPress blog where they post links and details. If you are new to the Podcast world and have an iPhone just go to the Podcasts app (already downloaded on all iPhones = purple app with white symbol), click search, type in "The Common Descent" and chose an episode title.​

Past OLLI Course I have taught through at SSU

  • Fall 2017: The Dinosaur Revolution: Fossils Finds & Avian Genetics
  • Fall 2018: Catastrophism: How Natural Disasters Have Affected Earth and Human Evolution
  • Fall 2019: Geology of California
  • Spring 2020: Geology of the National Parks (sadly cancelled due to the pandemic but will be offered again Fall 2021!)
  • Spring 2021: Volcanic Cataclysms That Changed The World
  • Fall 2021: Geology of the National Parks
  • Summer 2022: How Geology Formed California
  • Spring 2022: The Story of Earth Conveyed by Rocks
  • Fall 2022: Age of the Reptiles - Evolution of Scales & Feathers During the Mesozoic Era
  • Spring 2023: Climate Change
  • Summer 2023: Pangaea Supercontinent
bottom of page