Check out the wonderful people who are involved with the Academy: OUR COURSE FACILITATORS

(Listed alphabetically)

Archaeologist and photographer Inga Calvin (Spotlight on the Maya) teaches at the University of Colorado-Denver. Having originally planned to conduct ethnographic fieldwork among the Navajo, her life was transformed after viewing the dynamic exhibit about Maya art and writing, “Blood of Kings.” Inga has conducted archaeological research in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—and regrets that her Spanish is not better. Her most recent studies have taken her to the basements of Guatemala’s bodegas and museums in search of Classic Period (AD 200-900) Maya ceramics. She served as director of the Center for Latin American Art and Archaeology and participated in the reinstallation of the New World galleries at the Denver Art Museum.

John Falconieri (History of the Theatre) received his PhD. from the University of Michigan in Romance Literature and Theater--disciplines which he taught at Bowling Green State Univ. in Ohio, at Case-Western Reserve Univ. in Cleveland, at the State Univ. of New York at Albany. From Albany, at the behest of Governor Rockefeller who promoted international studies, he established extensive divisions in Coimbra (Portugal), Nice, Madrid, and Rome. In Rome he founded John Cabot University and served as its first president. He also presided over the American University of Rome. He has an intense love of history plus that wonderful ability to keep historical names, dates, facts and details straight.

A teacher, lover, and scholar of English literature, Irene Gorak (Detecting the Detectives) was recently assigned to teach a course on detective fiction at DU. She was amazed at the amount of critical writing on this fiction, especially the serious attention given to one canonical author in the genre, Agatha Christie. Another surprise was how highly undergraduates rated the queen of crime. Irene has also taught high school English literature and language in Britain, her country of origin. She has a PhD in nineteenth-century literature from UCLA.

Jim Hartmann (More Adventures with Great Ideas) received his B.A. degree in the humanities from Regis College and M.A. degree in history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. After a three-year stint in radio-television, he began a thirty-year career at the Colorado Historical Society, beginning as deputy state historian and ending as president of the Society and gubernatorial appointed state historic preservation officer for the State of Colorado. After retiring from those positions, he was appointed executive director of Four Mile Historic Park where he remained for five years.

Leigh Holman (Tuning Up for the Opera) is the new Director of Education & Outreach with Opera Colorado. Before receiving a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Leigh sang professionally with the Resident Artists of Portland Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera Theatre of Rochester and toured nationwide with the National Opera Company singing over 70 performances of the title role in L'Italiana in Algeri. Leigh is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Opera America, the College Music Society and the National Opera Association.

Connie Hyde (The Music of Activism in 20th Century Social Movements) spent her college and graduate days immersed in literature, but, after a final year in the rare book room at Duke University library with 16th century folios, decided that her intellectual life needed more human dynamic. She spent the next several decades practicing commercial real estate law (and raising children, who, according to Connie, taught her more about the psychology of negotiation than all the law books in the world). Recently retired, Connie has returned enthusiastically to her first loves of literature, history, politics, music and art (and, of course, gardening). “I am fascinated by the people and ideas that have shaped our world and the interconnectedness of literature, music and art with history and politics. The modern world is so complex and perilous that we, as thoughtful adults, have to be alive to the historical currents that brought us to the present.” The class focuses on the music of protest and activism as a means of tracing some of those currents and will be filled with lots and lots of wonderful music that should not be forgotten.

Tom Joy (The Roman Republic & the First Twelve Caesars) is athletic and loves bicycling, hiking, skiing, swimming, and fishing. His intellectual love has always been history. Through the years he has had opportunities to teach many classes, most of which focus on famous people at pivotal points in history. He was in the corporate world for 31 years, in sales, marketing, personnel, training, medical education, and government affairs.

After a career in financial management, Jim Kneser (The Dilemma of Immigration) (Economic Growth, Egalitarianism, and Inequality, Part 2) (Mahler: His Life & Work, Part 2) (Rational Investing Essentials) (Tuning up for the Opera) has turned his attention to educating adults about the workings of complicated economic principles in the real world. In the past few years, he has taught classes in microeconomics, macroeconomics, globalization, and public policy. Hardly a Johnny one-note, Jim indulges his lifelong interest in music by facilitating courses showcasing some of his favorite composers.

As executive director of Independent Higher Education of Colorado, the nonprofit agency responsible for public policy research and lobbying for Colorado College, Regis University, and the University of Denver, Toni Larson (What's Up with Higher Education in Colorado?) keeps abreast of state and federal issues, especially as they affect higher education. To relax Toni enjoys biking, cross-country skiing, classical music, theater, and her grandchildren.

Larry Matten (Evolution, Intelligent Design & the Courts) (Getting Your House in Order) started teaching science when he turned 21. Most of his teaching experience was as a Professor at Southern Illinois University. He has taught over 10,000 students in his large general biology and general botany courses. He was a major advisor for 5 Ph.D.’s and 15 Master’s students. His area of interest has been on early land plants. Dr. Matten has published extensively, received numerous grants, been the president of his national professional organization, is a past editor of the international journal Palaeontographica, and has had two species of fossils named in his honor. He retired from academia and received his law degree in 2000, passed the bar and went into private practice as an Elder Law. His practice has specialized in estate planning that includes: powers of attorney, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, trusts, and probate. He also represented clients having Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security issues. Dr. Matten is a trained mediator/arbitrator and is currently doing arbitrations for the Better Business Bureau. He has recently retired from the practice of law and has returned to his first love, teaching.

In 2000, Jim Mingle (More Literary Walks in Britain) retired as the executive director of the State Higher Education Executive Officers, a national association of public higher education officials and university administrators. He has written extensively in the field of higher education policy and has consulted with boards of trustees, foundations and national organizations in all 50 states. Since retirement he has taken on a new career as “outdoor leader.” Jim is a national outings leader for the Sierra Club, working closely with such agencies as the National Park Service. Through the years, he has led numerous walking trips to England, Scotland and Wales. His goal is to walk to the length of Great Britain – a journey of about 1200 miles – half of which is now completed.

Don Morgan (The Supreme Court in Action, Part 2) graduated from Harvard College with a major in Government in 1956 and from Harvard Law School in 1962, with high honors at both schools. He was an Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review. From 1962 to mid-2004 he practiced with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, a multi-national law firm of about 800 lawyers in recent years. Except for five years in the firm’s Tokyo office, he worked in the Washington, D.C. office. Rene Morgan (The Supreme Court in Action, Part 2) graduated from the University of Michigan in 1962 with honors in literature and history. She received an M.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Denver in 1984, and a J.D. from the University of Denver in 1990.

Deborah Morrow (Tuning Up for the Opera), director of education and community programs for Central City Opera, manages the company’s educational, touring, and community service programs. A singer and former public school music educator, Deb brings to her position a passion for the art form, an understanding of the education community, and a dedication to providing opportunities for artists, students, and adults around the region. In addition to casting, coordinating, and marketing existing programs, she works with artists and community organizations to develop new programs that respond to emerging needs and opportunities. This collaborative approach has resulted in the creation of numerous outreach programs over the past ten years and visits to over one hundred communities in the Rocky Mountain region. Deb holds a degree in music education from Colorado State University and is a former chair of the Education Committee of the Community Awareness Project, a coalition of twenty-two major arts, science and cultural organizations that have joined forces to increase the impact and reach of arts and cultural education in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area.

Laura Pardee (Masterpieces of European Art, Part 1) has a special fascination and interest in the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Renaissance and has had the opportunity to experience these magnificent works of art firsthand. She and her husband have spent one month in Italy several years in a row. Laura received her undergraduate degree in French language and literature with a minor in art history from Wellesley College. Laura taught French and English language and literature in Vermont, Texas, New Jersey and Delaware.

Darwin Rolens (Buddhism) has both B.A. and B.D. degrees. He completed a one year graduate scholarship in the classical language department at Missouri University. He served ten years as an American Baptist minister in central Illinois. After leaving the ministry and the Baptist Convention, he spent twenty-two years as a software programmer in physics research at University of Denver before retiring in 1988. After retirement, he facilitated many workshops at the First Universalist Church in the fields of Humanism, language theory, Poetry, Religious philosophy, etc.

John Rupainis (Practical Philosophy) is a retired clinical social worker with a lifelong interest in the humanities. He has taught adult classes on Montaigne, Lincoln and the Civil War, Aristotle’s Ethics, the history of philosophy, political philosophy, the life and thought of Machiavelli, and the Middle Ages. His long-standing interest in history and philosophy keeps him coming back to facilitate classes in these subjects. “There is,” he explains, “always something new to learn about them.”

Richard Timberlake (Tuning up for the Opera) has been attending symphonies and operas since age sixteen. He has stated, “If I knew just a bit more about the composer, the music, the story, I know tonight’s performance would be even more exciting and entertaining.” Every regular opera attendee has had these thoughts and observations. Opera 101 is one of the easiest ways of expanding one’s personal opera database. After a career as a CPA, Richard is indulging his interest in classical music and opera by co-facilitating Opera 101.

Educated at Williams College, Oxford, and Harvard, Douglas Wilson (Homer’s Odyssey & the Sequel to the Trojan War) has taught literature courses, from Homer to Hemingway for over 30 years. His appointment, at the University of Denver, was in Romantic Studies. He has published on Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and Shakespeare. He has a wide range of interests and passions, including sustaining the environment.

Currently a docent and curatorial staff research assistant at the Denver Art Museum, Sunny Wold (Masterpieces of European Art, Part 1) originally earned a degree in Nutritional Sciences with a second major in psychology. Returning to college later in life, she loved the opportunity to change careers and explore various interests from upholstery to Colorado History to French and Italian.

As a volunteer and community activist for many years, Lorie Young (What’s Up with Higher Education in Colorado?) has served as President of the League of Women Voters of Denver, the League of Women Voters of Colorado, and the City Club of Denver. She was also employed by the Colorado Division of Local Affairs, and headed a family business, Park Village Development Corp, until its dissolution in 2000. She serves on the Steering Committee of the United Nations Seminar program of the UNA/Colorado Division, and the Dale Tooley Cancer Research Lab Fund. Lorie’s B.S. degree is from the University of Michigan where she met her husband, Dick Young. Her joy is being with her four daughters and their families, which includes six grandchildren, gardening, reading, travel and entertaining.