The courses listed below start in April
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The 1991 Gulf War | $50 Rob Andrew
April 1-22, 2026 | Wednesdays | 9:30-11:30am
In the wake of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, a series of events has since unfolded that have dominated America’s involvement in the Middle East. The initial response, which this course will cover, was the enormous logistical and military effort to defend Saudi Arabia and eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait during Operations Desert Shield/Storm in 1990/1991. In addition to examining lessons learned from Vietnam, the Iran-Iraq War, and Desert Shield and Storm, I will provide eyewitness accounts of my own experiences as a young Army officer who fought in that “war in the desert” nearly 35 years ago.
God’s Century? Religion and Global Politics | $50 Allen Hertzke
April 2-23, 2026 | Thursdays | 10:00-11:30am
Once expected to fade with the advance of modernity, religion is emerging as a major force in twenty-first-century politics. This shift surprised many who had assumed that modernization would lead to secularization. Recent decades have prompted a reevaluation: the processes of modernization and globalization that initially seemed likely to marginalize faith have, in fact, contributed to its public resurgence, granting religion renewed visibility and influence. We will examine global religious demographics and then explore questions about how religion manifests in various parts of the world. Why does religion sometimes support democratic practice but elsewhere underpin autocratic rule? What explains religion’s role in violent conflict, terrorism, and civil wars on the one hand, and in peacemaking, reconciliation, and social healing on the other? How do international faith-based humanitarian organizations successfully uplift the poor and empower women, while other religious movements pursue militant or exclusionary aims? To answer these questions, we will analyze the interaction between diverse religious traditions and political systems, as well as models of religion–state relations. Cases around the globe serve as a laboratory for observing what happens when religions are repressed, favored, or co-opted by political authorities, and how these arrangements shape political stability. A focus will be the rise of religious nationalism—in Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, and Christian contexts— which fuels sectarianism and erodes democratic institutions. Growing evidence suggests that religious freedom, equality, and institutional separation between religion and state are the most effective defenses against religious tyranny. Because religion touches core human convictions, our classroom will prioritize civility, respect, and dignity for people of all faiths and worldviews.
Engineering Medical Treatments: from “Concept” to “Cure” | $5 John Clegg (Mornings with the Professor)
April 7, 2026 | Tuesday | 9:30-11:30am
Have you ever wondered what research and development steps are required to take a new drug or device treatment from idea/concept to a usable product? The purpose of this class is to describe state-of-the-art practices in biomedical research, such that someone without any scientific or medical background can understand how medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs are developed and tested. Testing processes will be taught using illustrative case studies from recent medical research on cell and gene therapy. Here, we will discuss the various tools that scientists have developed over time to screen candidate treatments for useful drug properties, such as human cell lines, 3D-printed engineered tissues, and laboratory animals, prior to human clinical testing. We will highlight the differences between simplicity and complexity and explain why both can be important. The specific advantages and limitations of each testing method will be emphasized. Following completion of the class, you will have a better understanding of the research steps that are used to bring promising drug or device candidates to clinical trials, while minimizing risk or harm to the greatest extent possible.
Fascinating and Exotic Islands (Part 1): Iceland, Bermuda, and the Falklands | $50 Ken Johnson
April 8-29, 2026 | Wednesdays | 10:00-11:30am
Islands range in size from Greenland, the largest island (823,000 miles²), to small, unmapped rocky islets that are just out of the water. Islands can be rifted parts of continents or be raised up by tectonic activity (i.e., Greenland and Falkland Islands), can result from volcanism (Iceland and Hawaii), can be built up by reefs (Bermuda and other atolls), can be due to glacial activity (Long Island and Martha’s Vineyard), or can be barrier islands (Cape Hatteras and Padre Island). Always critical to islands forming or disappearing is the rise or fall of sea level: islands appear or enlarge as sea level drops or become smaller or even disappear as sea level rises. Learn where islands come from, in general, and then explore in depth the origin, history, and culture of three fascinating islands: Iceland (“Land of Fire and Ice”), Bermuda (“A Jewel in the North Atlantic Ocean”), and the Falklands (“Remote Islands Contested by Britain and Argentina”).
The Good, Great, Bad, and the Very Bad: Oklahoma Elections 2026 | $50 Cal Hobson
April 13-May 4, 2026 | Mondays | 1:00-3:30pm
In this seminar, we will take a deep dive into the extensive list of Oklahomans who want you to re-elect them, or first-time elect them, and, crazy as it sounds, cast your vote for them as they attempt to overcome very long odds to defeat someone who has the great advantage of already serving in elected office. Most statewide elected positions will be on your ballot, and one of our two United States senators - Markwayne Mullin - will ask to be re-elected. Five congress people want to be rewarded with another term in Washington, and back here in our Capitol, all the seats in the House of Representatives and half of the state senate will be up for grabs. As I write this seminar introduction, early indications are that there will be a larger-than-normal slate of candidates for you to choose from, which means, of course, it’s your job to get to know them, their platforms, promises, and plans, before election day. I will have a number of these brave souls join us, so you can hear directly from them and ask them questions or share your thoughts with them. Some, like me, will be old retreads. Others are brand new faces with ideas ranging from the obvious to the absurd. But one thing is for sure. Unless you enroll for the bargain price of $50 bucks, you may never meet so many candidates for public office over such a short period of time...and some of them may actually win!
Exploring the Relationship Between 20th Century Architecture and Music | $50 Dave Boeck
April 21 – May 12, 2026 | Tuesdays | 9:30 – 11:00am
It has been said that architecture is frozen music. In a past class, we briefly explored the architecture of Bruce Goff and Frank Lloyd Wright and listened to some of the music they enjoyed. We observed that this music may have influenced the design of their buildings.
In this course, we are broadening our examination of the architecture of several 20th-century architects and the music they enjoyed, seeing if we can find a connection between this music and the architecture they designed.
The Life of Will Rogers | $50 Marvin Beck
April 30 – June 4, 2026 | Thursdays | 10:00am - 12:00pm
A cowboy entertainer who became the most popular man in this country. The most revered and highest paid performer in the Ziegfeld Follies- Movie superstar (71 films)- Most popular Radio star- Wrote more than 4000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns- Bestselling author- Globe-trotting Goodwill diplomat, humanitarian, and so much more.
The New York Times referred to him as “America’s Aristophanes.” Will Rogers was the most beloved humorist of his time. If, as he often remarked, he never met a man he didn’t like, also true is that Rogers never met a man he didn’t like to make fun of. Everyone from congressmen and Presidents to Hollywood movie moguls and wealthy industrialists bore the brunt of his gently lacerating wit--and seemed to be charmed in the process. So popular did Rogers become--through dozens of films, a daily column that ran for nine years in newspapers across the country, and countless lectures and stage performances--that he was often urged to run for Congress and even the Presidency. Upon receiving a mock appointment as Congressman-at-Large for the whole United States, Rogers protested, “I regret the disgrace that’s been thrust upon me here tonight. I’ve tried to live my whole life so that I would never become a congressman.” This seminar will set the stage, using commentary, video, graphics, and quotes to help you understand and appreciate the background, heritage, culture, and history that helped immortalize Oklahoma’s favorite son.
