Adult Learners Institute of Chelsea, Michigan


Home Fall Courses Winter/Spring Courses Fall Instructors Winter/Spring Instructors Gallery Committees Press Directions Contact Us Calendar	Winter/Spring 2010 Instructors Instructors for the 2010 winter/spring courses. Bill Allen is teaching Our Greek Heritage. He is a retired attorney and history buff. He is past president, treasurer anddirector of the Jackson County Historical Society. He has presented papers on The Origins of the Republican Party, Billy Durant and General Motors, Coins our Ancestors Used, George Armstrong Custer and Little Big Horn and Paper Money Our Ancestors Used. Rosina Bierbaum is Dean of the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, and has been a scientific advisor on environmental research, including global change, air and water quality, eco-system management and energy research and development. Dr. Bierbaum received her Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her course is Climate Change: Insights from Science/Imperatives for Policy . Ron Biedron is teaching Rwanda: After the Genocide. He has lived and practiced dentistry in Chelsea since 1979. He says “I never would have gone to Africa, but my daughter Caitlin is in Rwanda now as a Fellow in the Center for Disease Control (CDC), studying infectious disease transmission and control. HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB are all prevalent in Africa today. In fact, this was my first trip away from the United States. I received a new title, Mzungu, or “white guy”. It was enlightening to be in the minority ... very much in the minority.” Jack Brisbin and Arthur Suits are teaching From Chelsea to the Universe. Jack Brisbin received his BA and MA from Eastern Michigan University and is retired. He is an avid amateur astronomer and member of astronomical organizations in both Michigan and Canada. Arthur Suits is professor of chemistry at Wayne State University and came to amateur astronomy late in life, but says he makes up in enthusiasm for what he lacks in experience! Deborah Bruening CHt. is on a quest to help people heal themselves. She graduated from the Clinical Hypnosis Institute in 2002. In hypnosis, she helps her clients reprogram their subconscious to agree with their conscious goals. She is also a Reiki Master. She is teaching Change Your Thoughts, Improve Your Life with Self-Hypnosis . Barb Cherem is teaching Senior Sages: Happiness and Metal Alertness As We Age. She has worked in areas of human learning and development for 25 years. Barb has a PhD in Adult Development from MSU and is presently researching what motivates seniors to engage in learning opportunities. Some ALI members have participated in Barb’s research on senior lifelong love of learning. Martha Churchill is teaching Electric Trolleys in Chelsea: Mass Transit 1890's Style. She is an attorney in Milan with a long-standing interest in local history. She writes a weekly history column in the Milan Leader. Her book, Electric Trolleys of Washtenaw County, co-authored with Mark Hildebrandt, was released in July 2009 by Arcadia Press. Her second book through Arcadia, History of Milan, is due out in February 2010. She has extensive experience riding trains and subways across the U.S. and in Toronto, Europe and Asia. Wendy Chiodo is teaching Container Gardening for Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers . She owns Eden Design Greenhouse and Gardens and has lived her entire life in Michigan. She received her Master Gardener’s Certificate 15 years ago and worked for 8 years at Abbott’s Landscape Nursery in Ann Arbor. Wendy grows all manner of plants from hardy northern stock to temperamental tropical, vegetables and herbs in a 2400 square foot greenhouse and 250 square foot glasshouse. Join Chef Craig Common for Wine and Dessert Tasting. He is Executive Chef and owner of the highly acclaimed Common Grill, Chelsea, MI. Craig’s first cookbook, The Common Grill Cookbook, debuted in November 2000, and the sequel Return to the Common Grill, was released in Fall 2005. Tom Collier is teaching Welcome to the Cold War! He graduated from West Point in 1952 and earned a Master’s degree in History at Duke. Retiring from the Army in 1972, he was Command Historian of US European Command until moving to Ann Arbor, with his wife Vivian, in 1978. He lectured at both the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan for the next 20 years. Now happily retired himself, he still enjoys teaching retirees. Kevin Frahm and Judy Radant are teaching The Bittersweet World of Chocolate. Kevin Frahm is Executive Director of the Mission Marketplace, a locally owned non-profit Fair Trade store in downtown Chelsea. The Mission Marketplace’s vision is one of cultural respect, understanding and education. Kevin is an admitted ‘choco-phile’. Judy Radant is Culinary Arts Instructor for Washtenaw Community College, retiredCulinary Arts Instructor for Saline Public Schools, and instrumental in setting up the Saline School System catering service. Judy is a knowledgeable chef, who has given of her culinary talents to the Chelsea community for years. John Gibney, who is teaching History of the West, is Director of Monroe Historical Museum and the River Raisin Battlefield. John is also an instructor in the Historic Preservation Program at Eastern Michigan University. He participated in the filming of the movies, “Dances With Wolves”, “Last of the Mohicans”, “Gettysburg”, “Glory”, and “Gods & Generals”, as well as numerous radio and TV specials. John’s expertise in diorama-making has won several national awards and his exhibit of “Peeble’s Farm” was selected for permanent display in the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing. John was the 1999 Michigan Adult & Community Education Association Staff Member of the Year and he received the National Citizenship Education Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2000. In 2005, the Michigan legislature voted John a Special Tribute in recognition of his preservation activities. Jeremy Lopatin owns and operates Arbor Teas, an on-line retailer of organic loose leaf teas, based in Ann Arbor. Jeremy’s enthusiasm for tea is a product of both his passion for all things culinary, as well as his fascination with tea’s deep historical and cultural roots. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability in both conducting business and growing food, which is reflected in all aspects of Arbor Teas’ operation. His course is An Afternoon of Tea. Emily Neace is teaching Healthy Cooking for One or Two People. She is a registered dietitian who currently sees patients in the outpatient nutrition clinic at Chelsea Community Hospital. She completed her Dietetic Internship and Masters Program at the University of Kansas. She has worked as a dietitian for over 20 years and enjoys educating others about healthy choices, understanding current “nutrition news” and encouraging people to be adventurous with food. Nancy Booth Nilsson returns to continue Journeys Through Western Civilization. Nancy earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history from the University of Michigan and has been teaching the arts and humanities for nearly 40 years. Her diverse audiences range from public school first graders through high school seniors, college undergraduate and graduate students to senior citizens, church groups to business organizations. Twice nominated for Michigan Teacher of the Year and a guest lecturer for the Detroit Institute of Arts, Nancy has traveled widely in Europe, including Italy, France, England, mainland Greece, and the island of Crete. Kenneth Phifer graduated from Harvard College and holds a Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Chicago Divinity School. Ken served 25 years at the First Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, and now serves part-time at the Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bowling Green, Ohio. His course for ALI will focus on Women in the Bible. Guy Sanville is conducting Inside the Purple Rose:Stories, Scenes and Scoop. He celebrated his 14th anniversary as artistic director of the Purple Rose last May. He has directed 33 productions for the company, including favorites such as The Oklahoma Kid, Escanaba In Love, and Guest Artist. Guy also enjoys teaching workshops for the Purple Rose. Grace Shackman is teaching Historic Washtenaw County. She is a history columnist for the Ann Arbor Observer, the Community Observer and the Old West Side News. She is the author of four books: “Ann Arbor in the 19th Century”, “Ann Arbor in the 20th Century”, “Ann Arbor Observed”, and “Webster: A Time, A Place, A People”. From 1986 to 1988 she was a staff writer for the Chelsea Standard/Dexter Leader. Grace served eight years as a Washtenaw County Commissioner. She has been teaching local history at Washtenaw Community College for the past eight years and has provided numerous popular courses for ALI. Wendy Warrick and Dana McGrath are teaching Redecoration with What You Have. *Wendy Warrick,* A.A.S., B.S.F.A. Interior Design, has been designing and consulting on homes and offices for over 20 years. She has offered workshops to schools and organizations throughout the midwest, east coast and Ontario. Wendy currently works as an interior designer for Merkel’s in Chelsea. Dana McGrath, B.S. Interior Design, is interior designer and visual display coordinator for Merkel’s 18,000 square foot showroom in Chelsea. Her vast project experience includes model homes and a full range of design services, including flooring, furniture and custom drapery.
Who We Are Based in Chelsea, Michigan, the Adult Learners Institute (ALI) provides a diverse selection of quality community-based learning experiences and camaraderie for adults in western Washtenaw County. ALI is a Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) affiliated with the Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN), a group of 320 similar organizations. We conduct our programs in cooperation with Washtenaw Community College. Fall Courses ~ Winter/Spring Courses ~ Fall Instructors ~ Winter/Spring Instructors Gallery ~ Committees ~ Press ~ Directions ~ Contact Us ~ Calendar ~ Home

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Winter/Spring Instructors

Winter/Spring 2010 Instructors

Instructors for the 2010 winter/spring courses.

Bill Allen is teaching Our Greek Heritage. He is a retired attorney and history buff. He is past president, treasurer anddirector of the Jackson County Historical Society. He has presented papers on The Origins of the Republican Party, Billy Durant and General Motors, Coins our Ancestors Used, George Armstrong Custer and Little Big Horn and Paper Money Our Ancestors Used.

Rosina Bierbaum is Dean of the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, and has been a scientific advisor on environmental research, including global change, air and water quality, eco-system management and energy research and development. Dr. Bierbaum received her Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her course is Climate Change: Insights from Science/Imperatives for Policy .

Ron Biedron is teaching Rwanda: After the Genocide. He has lived and practiced dentistry in Chelsea since 1979. He says “I never would have gone to Africa, but my daughter Caitlin is in Rwanda now as a Fellow in the Center for Disease Control (CDC), studying infectious disease transmission and control. HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB are all prevalent in Africa today. In fact, this was my first trip away from the United States. I received a new title, Mzungu, or “white guy”. It was enlightening to be in the minority ... very much in the minority.”

Jack Brisbin and Arthur Suits are teaching From Chelsea to the Universe. Jack Brisbin received his BA and MA from Eastern Michigan University and is retired. He is an avid amateur astronomer and member of astronomical organizations in both Michigan and Canada. Arthur Suits is professor of chemistry at Wayne State University and came to amateur astronomy late in life, but says he makes up in enthusiasm for what he lacks in experience!

Deborah Bruening CHt. is on a quest to help people heal themselves. She graduated from the Clinical Hypnosis Institute in 2002. In hypnosis, she helps her clients reprogram their subconscious to agree with their conscious goals. She is also a Reiki Master. She is teaching Change Your Thoughts, Improve Your Life with Self-Hypnosis .

Barb Cherem is teaching Senior Sages: Happiness and Metal Alertness As We Age. She has worked in areas of human learning and development for 25 years. Barb has a PhD in Adult Development from MSU and is presently researching what motivates seniors to engage in learning opportunities. Some ALI members have participated in Barb’s research on senior lifelong love of learning.

Martha Churchill is teaching Electric Trolleys in Chelsea: Mass Transit 1890's Style. She is an attorney in Milan with a long-standing interest in local history. She writes a weekly history column in the Milan Leader. Her book, Electric Trolleys of Washtenaw County, co-authored with Mark Hildebrandt, was released in July 2009 by Arcadia Press. Her second book through Arcadia, History of Milan, is due out in February 2010. She has extensive experience riding trains and subways across the U.S. and in Toronto, Europe and Asia.

Wendy Chiodo is teaching Container Gardening for Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers . She owns Eden Design Greenhouse and Gardens and has lived her entire life in Michigan. She received her Master Gardener’s Certificate 15 years ago and worked for 8 years at Abbott’s Landscape Nursery in Ann Arbor. Wendy grows all manner of plants from hardy northern stock to temperamental tropical, vegetables and herbs in a 2400 square foot greenhouse and 250 square foot glasshouse.

Join Chef Craig Common for Wine and Dessert Tasting. He is Executive Chef and owner of the highly acclaimed Common Grill, Chelsea, MI. Craig’s first cookbook, The Common Grill Cookbook, debuted in November 2000, and the sequel Return to the Common Grill, was released in Fall 2005.

Tom Collier is teaching Welcome to the Cold War! He graduated from West Point in 1952 and earned a Master’s degree in History at Duke. Retiring from the Army in 1972, he was Command Historian of US European Command until moving to Ann Arbor, with his wife Vivian, in 1978. He lectured at both the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan for the next 20 years. Now happily retired himself, he still enjoys teaching retirees.

Kevin Frahm and Judy Radant are teaching The Bittersweet World of Chocolate. Kevin Frahm is Executive Director of the Mission Marketplace, a locally owned non-profit Fair Trade store in downtown Chelsea. The Mission Marketplace’s vision is one of cultural respect, understanding and education. Kevin is an admitted ‘choco-phile’. Judy Radant is Culinary Arts Instructor for Washtenaw Community College, retiredCulinary Arts Instructor for Saline Public Schools, and instrumental in setting up the Saline School System catering service. Judy is a knowledgeable chef, who has given of her culinary talents to the Chelsea community for years.

John Gibney, who is teaching History of the West, is Director of Monroe Historical Museum and the River Raisin Battlefield. John is also an instructor in the Historic Preservation Program at Eastern Michigan University. He participated in the filming of the movies, “Dances With Wolves”, “Last of the Mohicans”, “Gettysburg”, “Glory”, and “Gods & Generals”, as well as numerous radio and TV specials. John’s expertise in diorama-making has won several national awards and his exhibit of “Peeble’s Farm” was selected for permanent display in the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing. John was the 1999 Michigan Adult & Community Education Association Staff Member of the Year and he received the National Citizenship Education Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2000. In 2005, the Michigan legislature voted John a Special Tribute in recognition of his preservation activities.

Jeremy Lopatin owns and operates Arbor Teas, an on-line retailer of organic loose leaf teas, based in Ann Arbor. Jeremy’s enthusiasm for tea is a product of both his passion for all things culinary, as well as his fascination with tea’s deep historical and cultural roots. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability in both conducting business and growing food, which is reflected in all aspects of Arbor Teas’ operation. His course is An Afternoon of Tea.

Emily Neace is teaching Healthy Cooking for One or Two People. She is a registered dietitian who currently sees patients in the outpatient nutrition clinic at Chelsea Community Hospital. She completed her Dietetic Internship and Masters Program at the University of Kansas. She has worked as a dietitian for over 20 years and enjoys educating others about healthy choices, understanding current “nutrition news” and encouraging people to be adventurous with food.

Nancy Booth Nilsson returns to continue Journeys Through Western Civilization. Nancy earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history from the University of Michigan and has been teaching the arts and humanities for nearly 40 years. Her diverse audiences range from public school first graders through high school seniors, college undergraduate and graduate students to senior citizens, church groups to business organizations. Twice nominated for Michigan Teacher of the Year and a guest lecturer for the Detroit Institute of Arts, Nancy has traveled widely in Europe, including Italy, France, England, mainland Greece, and the island of Crete.

Kenneth Phifer graduated from Harvard College and holds a Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Chicago Divinity School. Ken served 25 years at the First Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, and now serves part-time at the Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bowling Green, Ohio. His course for ALI will focus on Women in the Bible.

Guy Sanville is conducting Inside the Purple Rose:Stories, Scenes and Scoop. He celebrated his 14th anniversary as artistic director of the Purple Rose last May. He has directed 33 productions for the company, including favorites such as The Oklahoma Kid, Escanaba In Love, and Guest Artist. Guy also enjoys teaching workshops for the Purple Rose.

Grace Shackman is teaching Historic Washtenaw County. She is a history columnist for the Ann Arbor Observer, the Community Observer and the Old West Side News. She is the author of four books: “Ann Arbor in the 19th Century”, “Ann Arbor in the 20th Century”, “Ann Arbor Observed”, and “Webster: A Time, A Place, A People”. From 1986 to 1988 she was a staff writer for the Chelsea Standard/Dexter Leader. Grace served eight years as a Washtenaw County Commissioner. She has been teaching local history at Washtenaw Community College for the past eight years and has provided numerous popular courses for ALI.

Wendy Warrick and Dana McGrath are teaching Redecoration with What You Have. Wendy Warrick, A.A.S., B.S.F.A. Interior Design, has been designing and consulting on homes and offices for over 20 years. She has offered workshops to schools and organizations throughout the midwest, east coast and Ontario. Wendy currently works as an interior designer for Merkel’s in Chelsea. Dana McGrath, B.S. Interior Design, is interior designer and visual display coordinator for Merkel’s 18,000 square foot showroom in Chelsea. Her vast project experience includes model homes and a full range of design services, including flooring, furniture and custom drapery.

Who We Are

Based in Chelsea, Michigan, the Adult Learners Institute (ALI) provides a diverse selection of quality community-based learning experiences and camaraderie for adults in western Washtenaw County. ALI is a Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) affiliated with the Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN), a group of 320 similar organizations. We conduct our programs in cooperation with Washtenaw Community College.