Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of South Florida

OLLI at USF wishes everyone a safe holiday this Memorial Day. We are grateful to all who have served, those currently serving, and honor those who have been lost. ✨

We are truly grateful!

A beautiful afternoon at our OLLI Donor Appreciation Luncheon!

Thank you to all of our generous donors for your continued support, and to our amazing volunteers who assisted Kevin and Pam in making the event so special. We are also grateful for the partnership of the Advance USF USF Foundation - Office of Gift Planning.

Special thanks to Rev. Francis Maxwell for leading the invocation.

Alice Parker was a groundbreaking African American inventor whose work helped lay the foundation for modern central heating systems. In 1919, she was granted a U.S. patent for a gas-powered heating system that introduced the concept of using natural gas to heat individual rooms through a centralized structure. At a time when most homes relied on fireplaces or wood- and coal-burning stoves, Parker envisioned a safer, more efficient, and more controllable way to heat entire buildings. Her design proposed a system that distributed heat through ducts, allowing different rooms to be warmed individually rather than relying on a single heat source. This idea was revolutionary because it anticipated zoning—one of the most important principles in modern HVAC systems. Parker also focused on safety, designing her system to reduce the risk of fires, which were common with open flames and traditional stoves in early 20th-century homes. Although Parker’s exact system was not widely adopted during her lifetime, her ideas directly influenced the evolution of central heating technology used today. Modern gas furnaces, ductwork, and zoned heating systems all reflect concepts she pioneered more than a century ago. Her contribution stands as an important but often overlooked example of how Black women have shaped everyday technologies that millions of people rely on—often without knowing whose vision made them possible.

Wonderful OLLI kickoff to with a course by beloved instructor, Sheryl Long on incredible African American Women!

The Lobster Lady: World's Oldest Fisherwoman Steering the Course at 104! Meet “The Lobster Lady,” the world’s oldest licensed lobster fisherman in the world. Virginia “Ginny” Oliver is now 104 years old and continues to steer the ...

Thank you BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join us for our Winter/Spring Open House!!