OLLI Café is a venue for the exchange of ideas and experiences focusing on improving the quality of life. These are not courses, and cost no additional charge – OLLI Cafe is one of the benefits of your annual membership. Pre-registration IS required. Cafe events feature a guest speaker followed by a short Q&A session.

 

OLLI Café Location and General Schedule:

Fridays – Multipurpose Rooms (113 – 119)

11:45 am – 12:00 pm: Arrive & Get Seated

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm: Speaker Presentation

 

Presentations:

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Event Description: Asteroid and comet impacts shaped the early solar system and, though rare today, still pose a significant threat. Fortunately, with early detection and tracking efforts, catastrophic collisions can be prevented or mitigated. We’ll explore what’s being done – even locally – to safeguard Earth.

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Event Description: Camille Pissarro, a French-Jewish painter and often called the Father of Impressionism, mentored artists like Cezanne, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, Monet, and Van Gogh – even those with anti-Semitic views. We’ll examine these relationships, their influence on the movement, and how the Impressionists ultimately won over French society.

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Event Description: We’ll review general descriptions of the types of wounds we encounter and how to manage and prevent them. We’ll also review what’s new in the field.

 

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Event Description: Ronald Napoli, Jr. is a State Representative from Waterbury’s 73rd District and the House Chair on the Bonding Subcommittee.

Event Details: Friday, April 10, 2026 from 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Event Description: Ronald will share his life philosophy: OPIAO (Only Positivity In And Out). (He’s the second happiest person he knows!). He will be including how to be creative using vertical A-to-Z lists to plan and create, and he’ll share pathways to obtaining a super memory. Additionally, he will present a few 60-second courses, including how to draw better and how to be a stand-up comedian.

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Event Description: Britain faced an enormous, seemingly impossible task during World War II as the only European nation not under Nazi control, allied with Germany, or neutral. This talk reveals how British intelligence – those famous MI agencies – became a secret weapon, sharing fascinating stories and surprising details you may not know

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Event Description: Hill-Stead Museum houses world-class Impressionist paintings in Alfred Atmore Pope’s historic home, complemented by decorative arts and original furnishings. Its archives – filled with diaries, letters, and invoices – reveal the rich story behind the collection and the Pope family.

Event Description: This presentation reviews GOD is Watching the Apples, a heartfelt story of faith, resilience, and the history of Tops Marketplace in Plantsville, including its devastating 2019 fire and community-driven rebuild. More than a business tale, the book explores themes of grit, grief, God, and groceries through inspiring first-person accounts.

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Please Note: OLLI at UConn’s end-of-semester celebration will be on Friday, May 8, 2026! We are delighted to welcome Professor Gina Barreca to OLLI!  Register now: https://www.campusce.net/uconn/course/course.aspx?catId=204