Osher 'Spark' lecture series explores Baltimore history, wonders of the universe

By Rebecca Kirkman on February 28, 2022

What if, instead of binge-watching “CSI,” you could hear from a forensic scientist about how realistic popular true-crime dramas are through real-world examples of forensic tools in action?

With “Spark,” a new evening lecture series from TU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, you can. In “The Forensic Sciences—Thinking Outside the Box,” Dana Kollmann, Towson University clinical associate professor of anthropology, shares how pacemaker data, rubber bands, seed pods, and atmospheric carbon-14 have solved crimes.

“Spark” runs March 22 – May 5 and is divided into four courses. Each course meets once per week on TU’s campus from 6:30 – 8 p.m. for a total of six sessions per course. Classes are taught by some of Baltimore’s top subject matter experts, including TU faculty.

The series expands upon Osher's 20-year legacy of offering daytime, non-credit, liberal-arts-style programming geared to people ages 50 and older.

“Most of the students who participate are retired or semi-retired, but we always get questions from people who are still working and who would love to take courses in the evenings,” says Osher Director Tracy Jacobs.

It also reintroduces students to the great resources found on TU’s campus, from world-class arts productions to cutting-edge technology. TU, as an anchor institution, is a national leader in higher education for the public good.  

“With ‘Spark,’ there are no course credits, no prerequisites, no homework, no grading and no exams to worry about—it’s learning for the joy of learning,” Jacobs adds. “It’s a great activity for a few friends to do together or for a couple’s date night.”

On Tuesdays, students in “Behind the Scenes—An Operatic ’Midsummer Night’s Dream’” will get behind-the-scenes access with Courtney Kalbacker, director of music for the stage, to the production process for a reimagining of one of Shakespeare's classic works.

“The series talks about the history of ‘Midsummer’ as an opera, the process of producing an opera like this, getting to know the players in the artistic team and in the technical team and meeting some of the students,” Kalbacker says. Then, students in the course will have the opportunity to attend a technical rehearsal and the production before debriefing in the final class.

“So often people go to a performance and they don't realize what's happening behind the scenes and I wish that shows could be more transparent so that people could really experience what's happening backstage, while they're actually watching what's going on stage,” says Phillip Collister, professor and chair of the Department of Music. “The Osher class is designed to peel back the curtain a little bit, not only from the technical perspective, but also from the historical perspective.”

Spark Course Options

Baltimore History—The Emergence of a Modern City
Begins Monday, March 28, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Instructor: Jack Burkert, senior museum educator, Baltimore Museum of Industry
Location: College of Liberal Arts

Change has come frequently throughout Baltimore’s history, affecting its people and their lives and work. At no time was change more dynamic than in the hundred-fifty-year period that first made Baltimore an industrial giant. Learn about the rise and fall of industry and the prosperity that came with it. Examine Baltimore from the Industrial Age through its time as a thriving metropolis and reflect on where the city is today. Jack Burkert is a Baltimore native who lectures at Osher and at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, following a long career as an educator and consultant.

Behind the Scenes—An Operatic “Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Begins Tuesday, March 22, 6:30–8 p.m.
Instructor: Courtney Kalbacker, director, Music for the Stage
Location: Center for the Arts, including backstage areas

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation, production, and performance of a new opera. From the history of Shakespeare’s classic, to a chat with the music director and composer of this reimagining, to a peek at the sets and costumes, along with conversations with the cast, this class will take you behind the curtain—quite literally!

The Forensic Sciences—Thinking Outside the Box
Begins Wednesday, March 30, 6:30–8 p.m.
Instructor: Dana Kollmann, clinical associate professor of anthropology
Location: College of Liberal Arts, including the Forensics Lab

Ever wondered how realistic those true crime dramas are when it comes to the forensic crime scene processing? Gain insight into typical real-world forensic science principles—and some that are not so typical. Learn how pacemaker data, rubber bands, seed pods, and atmospheric carbon-14 have solved crimes and how forensic science applications impact other disciplines including art, history, and archaeology.

Wonders of the Universe
Begins Thursday, March 31, 6:30–8 p.m.
Instructor: Jennifer Scott, professor of physics and astronomy
Location: Science Complex, including the planetarium

From its ancient roots to today’s modern developments including the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, this course will have you seeing stars—and other astronomical wonders. Topics include: the history of human understanding of the cosmos; the formation and evolution of stars and planets inside and outside the solar system; the structure and properties of galaxies; and the origin of the universe. Students will engage in telescope observing and other hands-on activities, and a visit to TU’s planetarium.