Alvernia University is excited to announce a new round of Seniors College courses. Discover the joy of lifelong learning at Alvernia University! Our diverse courses for seniors keep your mind sharp, spark new interests and offer a platform to share your expertise. Join us to enrich your life, connect with others and explore new horizons in a vibrant, supportive community.
Beginning in 1998, the Alvernia Seniors College has offered educational opportunities to thousands of students over the years. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Alvernia University and President Emeritus Dr. Thomas Flynn, whose leadership, vision, and sense of mission enabled us to grow our program and have provided us with ongoing opportunities for cultural exploration. Special thanks to the Carol K. Hession Fund for sponsoring Seniors College. For more information, contact seniors.college@alvernia.edu or 610-790-2958.
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Fall 2025 Courses
- Sept. 16: Pollination & Pollinators - What We Can Do to Help
Presenters: Sandy Weiss and Hannah SalvatoreTime: 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Course Description: Pollinators are essential to both natural ecosystems and human agriculture. Animals like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even some bats and beetles play a key role in transferring pollen between flowering plants, which allows these plants to reproduce. This process is vital for the growth of many fruits, vegetables, and nuts that make up a large portion of the human diet. Beyond food, pollinators help maintain healthy ecosystems. Many wild plants rely on pollinators to reproduce, and these plants provide habitat and food for other wildlife. This interconnected system supports clean air, water, and soil. Today you will learn about the plight of pollinators and how you can help in simple but meaningful ways where even small actions can help sustain these vital species and the ecosystems they support.
Sandy Weiss has been a Penn State Extension Berks County Master Gardener since 2019. She is the Chairperson for the Native Demonstration Garden located on the grounds of the Berks County Agriculture Center located in Leesport. Sandy has a bachelor’s degree in biology and is retired from a career in the public water supply industry including Laboratory and Water Quality Supervisor.
Hannah Salvatore has been a master gardener since 2005. Starting in 2000, she took a 1.13-acre lawn and turned it into a garden of mostly native plants. Hannah speaks on gardening for wildlife, pollinators and pollinator plants, invasive species and other nature related subjects. An avid birder, she volunteers at the Philadelphia Zoo, National Aquarium in Baltimore and Berks Nature.
- Sept. 23: Advancing a Sustainable Energy Future at UGI Utilities
Presenters: Seth Pelepko and Jordan FisherTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: UGI Utilities, Inc. (UGI) is a natural gas and electric utility company committed to delivering reliable, safe, and affordable energy. Advancing infrastructure modernization projects, ensuring system integrity, and being responsive to customer needs requires a commitment to sustainable business practices and environmental stewardship. Speakers will focus on how UGI minimizes environmental impacts during projects and discuss efforts underway to quantify and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, promote the growth of renewables, minimize waste, and enhance biodiversity.
Serving in the role of UGI’s Sustainability Program Manager for over two years, Seth Pelepko's responsibilities include supporting the company’s ESG strategy, ensuring compliance with any regulations relevant to emissions reporting and helping to advance renewables projects. Prior to joining UGI, Seth worked as a staff scientist and manager in a number of state regulatory programs including air, brownfields, mining, and oil and gas. He began his career as a consulting hydrogeologist and holds an undergraduate degree in Earth Science from Penn State and a Master’s in Geology from the University of Delaware. Seth is also a licensed professional geologist in Pennsylvania.
- Sept. 30: The History of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and Francis Hall
Presenters: Sister Rosemary StetsTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: Sister Rosemary Stets will present an engaging exploration of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters’ inspiring history and their enduring impact on the Reading community. Her presentation will highlight the origins and mission of the Sisters, leading to the founding of Alvernia University, and the central role Francis Hall has played throughout its history. Attendees will gain a deeper appreciation for the legacy, faith, and vision that continue to shape the University today.
- Oct. 7: Watershed Basics
Presenter: Al GuiseppeTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: This presentation is routinely given as an introductory course to the Pennsylvania Master Watershed Steward training program. The purpose of which is to orient volunteers on the basic concepts of a watershed. The discussion, with challenge commonly held notions, of what a watershed is and our role within it. Key Learning Objectives - Average PA Precipitation; Hydrologic Cycle; Amount of usable water on Earth; What is a watershed; Stream Order; Prevalence and importance of headwater streams; Point & nonpoint source pollution.
A graduate of Millersville University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wyoming, Al Guiseppe is the Geoscience Manager of the Geologic and Geographic Information Services Division of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. Overseeing a staff of geoscientists, geospatial specialists, and librarians, Guiseppe is responsible for managing projects and services that ensures continued public access to the geologic information collected, compiled, processed, and interpreted by Survey staff, and provides geospatial data to the Survey, DCNR, and the public. Services include management of GIS staff (cartography, geospatial analysis, 3D mapping, drone surveys, elevation-derived hydrography), Survey Library (books, journals, maps, photographs, etc.), and Rock Sample Library (rocks and their derivatives).
- Oct. 14: The Hope Rescue Mission and the State of Homelessness
Presenters: Robert Turchi and Kate AlleyTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: The history of the Hope Rescue Mission, current programs and its future plans. A macro look at the current state of homelessness across the United States and Pennsylvania, and a micro look focusing on Berks County. How can you help those battling homelessness as individuals, and how can we collaborate to help homelessness as a community.
Robert Turchi has served as CEO of Hope Rescue Mission for over 14 years. His prior work history includes corrections officer, court-appointed investigator, police chaplain, youth pastor, real estate investor, and short-term foreign missionary. Robert majored in criminal justice at Bucks County Community College and Theology and Missionary Studies at Cairn University. Robert has overseen tremendous growth at Hope Rescue Mission, which is in its 131st year of serving the community. Under his leadership, the nonprofits annual budget has grown from $650K to $3.5M, individuals served annually has grown from 600 to 1,500, staff has grown from 4 to 53, annual volunteers have grown from 250 to 2,500, over $10M in facility renovations have been completed, and the LightHouse Women & Children's Center was opened in 2023. Robert is now focused on offsite permanent supportive housing options to combat the affordable housing crisis those seeking to leave shelter programs are faced with. Robert feels his greatest accomplishments are not career related, but rather his family - wife, Monica, of 25 years, and four sons, Daniel, David, Jonathan, and Luke.
- Oct. 21: Women's Work, Motherhood and Activism in the United States from 1890-1920
Presenter: Amanda BrennanTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: This session will explore both the realities of the work women were doing inside and outside of the home in 1890-1920 as well as conversations in the burgeoning mass media landscape. Women engaged in political and community work through newly formed national organizations like the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). We will look at speeches and reports from organization conferences as well as debates and images in magazines, examining a variety of perspectives on women’s roles and duties at the time. Questions and discussion will be welcomed throughout the session.
Dr. Amanda Westbrook Brennan is Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Vassar College. She received her Ph.D. in United States History from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center. In addition, she holds an M.A. in Humanities from New York University and a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University. Her research and teaching interests include African American history, women’s history, the history of social welfare and public health, and the history of motherhood. She has previously taught at the City College of New York, Queens College, and Hunter College. Her book manuscript, “The History of ‘Having It All’: Women and Work-Life Balance, 1890s-2010s” traces the history of that at once vaunted and contested aspirational image, “the woman who has it all,” from the late nineteenth century through the early twenty-first.
- Oct. 28 and Nov. 4: The American Scripture Project
Presenter: Rabbi Brian Michelson
Times: 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. both days
Course Description: What do we learn about our country and ourselves through a close reading of some of the important documents of American History? Do our beliefs about these texts truly mirror these texts and history? This class will dive deep into two important texts of American history to see what is revealed.
Rabbi Brian Michelson is the rabbi of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom in Reading, PA, where he has served since 1998. Previously, Brian spent six years as a rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in Melbourne, Australia. He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1992. He received his BA from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. In 2003, Brian earned a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Ethics from Rush University in Chicago. In 2017, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity by the Hebrew Union College in honor of twenty-five years of service to the Jewish community. In the community, Brian serves as an active chaplain with the Reading Police Department. He is the Jewish chaplain at the Reading Hospital and a member of their Institutional Review Board. He is president of Easy Does It, Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment program for the previously homeless. He also serves on the board of the Berks County Community Foundation. Brian has been heavily involved in interfaith projects and dialogue in the Berks County area. He was one of the founders of “A Common Heart,” a Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim Dialogue. Brian and his co-founders were awarded the Franciscan Prize by Alvernia University in 2016. He is married to Holly and they have two daughters, Naomi and Gabriella.
- Nov. 4: "La Boheme" Opera Live in HD
Presenter: Deanna ReubenTime: 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Course Description: We will take a close look at the opera prior to seeing it as a group on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at the IMAX Theater in Reading. "La Boheme" is one of the world's most beloved operas, and you will learn a bit about the composer, Puccini, and his style; the historical & cultural context; the libretto; musical highlights; characters & relationships; the staging and set design; and the performers. This course and the opera is one not to be missed.
Deanna Reuben has had an extensive vocal performance and recording career, appearing throughout the mid-Atlantic states. Notably, as a professional soloist with the internationally renowned Paul Hill Chorale and the Washington Singers. She has performed under such masters as Marvin Hamlisch, and Leonard Slatkin, and in prominent venues as The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap and Carnegie Hall. A former classical singer, she is now hailed as one of the finest singers of the American Songbook and has recorded and produced 4 albums. All have received commercial and public radio airplay, as well as global streaming on platforms such as I-Tunes, Spotify, Rhapsody and Prime. Deanna has taught voice and piano for many, many years, as well as directing community and church choirs. She taught her course “Singing into Your 60’s and Beyond” at Alvernia Seniors College, which then evolved into the Alvernia Seniors Chorus. She is a graduate of Alvernia College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1979. She has served on Alvernia’s Board of Trustees, is an Ellen Frei Gruber award recipient and a Rabbi Weitzman award recipient. She is presently an active member of the Advisory Committee for Alvernia’s Seniors College.
- Nov. 11: Treasures of the Reading Public Museum
Presenter: Scott SchweigertTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: Join Scott Schweigert, curator of art and civilization, as he showcases a selection of the Reading Public Museum's most fascinating and beloved objects drawn from art, history, science, and everyday life. Through vivid stories and engaging discussion, participants will discover what makes each item unique, whether it's its origin, its role in a changing world, or the lessons it offers for today. This session reveals how collection highlights spark wonder and conversation, connecting visitors to broader themes and inspiring lifelong curiosity.
Scott Schweigert is an American art historian and the curator of the Reading Public Museum in Reading, PA. Previously, he was the director of the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery at Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA.
- Nov. 18: Highlights of the Reading Public Museum Arboretum
Presenter: Rebeka BirchTime: 10:30 to 12 p.m.
Course Description: Spend an enlightening session with Rebeka Birch, The Reading Public Museums, Arboretum and Education Programs Manager as she leads participants through the highlights of the arboretum’s exceptional collections. Explore the stories behind the arboretum’s most notable trees and plantings, from rare specimens and historic giants to the ever-changing colors and fragrances of the gardens. Discover how outdoor sculpture integrates with nature, creating spaces where art and horticulture inspire reflection, learning, and creativity. This engaging talk celebrates the diversity, beauty, and significance of botanical and sculptural treasures, revealing how the arboretum connects visitors to both the living landscape and contemporary art in fresh, memorable ways.
Rebeka Birch splits her time between managing the Reading Public Museum’s 25-Acre Arboretum and writing educational programs. She holds her degree in music performance and theatrical costume design/construction, and her PA teaching certificate.