UMass Boston

Hingham Public Library
66 Leavitt Street, Hingham MA 02043

Directions. From Route 3 Take Exit 14 and then follow 228N for approximately 6 miles. The Library is located on the right at the intersection of East Street (Rte. 228) and Leavitt Street.  The main entrance to the library is in the back on the lower level. 

Thayer Public Library
798 Washington Street, Braintree, MA 02184

Directions. Take Route 3 to the Union Street Exit (exit 17). If exiting from the north, enter the rotary at the end of the ramp and take the first right, which is Union Street. If exiting from the south, enter the rotary at the end of the ramp and take the third right - also Union Street. Go straight through the first set of lights up to the lights at the end of Union Street, which forms a "T" intersection with Washington Street. (Thayer Academy faces the intersection). Turn left onto Washington Street and go straight through an immediate traffic light. The library, a red brick building with a tower, is on the left, two blocks from the intersection of Union and Washington, directly across from French's Common. Library parking is visible and accessible from Washington Street at the far end of the building.

By Public Transportation
Train:  The Thayer Public Library is accessible by the "T." The Braintree Station, the southern terminus of the Red Line, and a stop on the Greenbush, Kingston, and Middleborough/Lakeville Commuter Rail Lines is a 15-minute walking t0 the library.

Bus: Thayer Public Library is also on the #230 bus route, Quincy Center Station - Montello Commuter Rail Station via Holbrook and Braintree Station.  The bus stops right in front of the library.

OLLI Board of Directors (2024-Spring 2025)

OLLI at UMass Boston is governed by its own Board of Directors, which establishes the organization’s Bylaws, Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees, priorities, policies and programs consistent with the guidelines of the Bernard Osher Foundation, and subject to the policies of UMass Boston.  Elections for 2-year terms to the Board are held in mid-March. If you are interested in running for the Board, contact a Board member or the OLLI Director.

Board Officers

Steve Vorenberg (Hingham) – Board Chair
Paula Gehr (Dorchester) – Board Vice Chair. Technology (chair) and Curriculum Committees
Vivian Unterweger (Jamaica Plain) – Board Treasurer. Curriculum Committee
Cathy Clancy (Roslindale) – Board Secretary. Outreach Committee (chair)

Board Members

Deborah Baron (Brockton) – Day Trips (chair), Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committees
Denise Berkley (Taunton) – Curriculum, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Outreach Committees
John Cheney (Rockland) – Curriculum, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Outreach Committees
Beverly Cohen (Milton) – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
Eileen Condon (Watertown) – Curriculum and Travel Committees
Karen Gill (Boston) – Curriculum Committee Member
Anne Kelly (Somerville) - Outreach and Theatre Committees
Howard Muise (Braintree) - Technology Committee
Mary O'Connor (Milton) – Development Committee Member
Christine O’Toole (Jamaica Plain) – Outreach Committee
Karen Perry-Daley (Randolph) – Curriculum and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committees
Anne Semler (Marshfield) - Curriculum Committee

OLLI at UMass is a member-driven organization, and we could not function without the willingness of our members to volunteer their time and talents. Additionally, volunteering provides a way to meet new friends and become engaged in the OLLI Program. We encourage all members to share their ideas, expertise and enthusiasm , as committees are always seeking new ideas. Please consider serving on one of the committees listed below. 

To join a committee, please email the OLLI Office to get more information and be placed in touch with the current chair.

Curriculum Committee

What courses would you like us to present? Are you interested in having a say? Join the Curriculum Committee! The Curriculum Committee works in partnership with the Director and the Program Coordinator to develop diverse, engaging and fun courses and talks. The Committee helps to recruit facilitators and provides mentors for OLLI Scholars chosen from UMass Boston's Graduate Programs.

Day Trips Committee

Do you want to get out of town for a day? Is there some place you’d like to go? Become a Day Trip Committee member and help choose and investigate various New England trip options that provide educational and social experiences. 

Development Committee

The Development Committee seeks financial support for the OLLI Program by hosting fundraising events, seeking outside grant opportunities, and solicitating financial gifts from members, facilitators, friends, local businesses, and corporations.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Interested in creating an environment that values a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and understanding among OLLI members? Join the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEI) and take part in creating programs that welcome a diverse range of members and topics through courses, speakers, and our common book program, OLLI Reads.

Outreach Committee

Help us grow OLLI! Get the word out! The Outreach Committee develops strategies to promote a diverse membership. We design OLLI brochures, distribute catalogs and brochures to libraries, senior centers, and community organizations, as well as host tables at conventions and other events.

Technology Committee

Not tech savvy? No need to be to participate in a Technology Committee project. It is a project-driven committee that supports OLLI’s technology needs. Our current projects on the docket include revamping the course registration website, updating the OLLI UMass website, and re-invigorating our social media presence to make them more useful and user-friendly. 

Theatre Committee

Love the footlights?  Can’t wait for the curtain to go up? Hoping to see a show heading for Broadway before it gets there? Join the Theatre Committee. This committee brings to the OLLI community, at moderate group rates, an opportunity to experience live professional and amateur theatrical and musical productions, performed in the Greater Boston area. Members of the committee identify productions which would be of interest to the OLLI community. These productions are selected from a full range of artistic offerings within the myriad of artistic venues in Boston and surrounding areas.

Travel Committee

Have a passion for travel?  Like to visit new places?  Want to share that with others? Join the Travel Committee. Committee members work with travel providers to research and design high quality travel opportunities, both domestic and international.  Members also arrange trip information sessions regarding the history, regional cultures, and specifics of planned trips. Be a resource for your fellow travelers!

Ad Hoc Committees and Working Groups

Want to help out UMass Boston OLLI but don’t have time to commit to serving on a permanent committee?  Consider joining an ad hoc committee or working group to help on a special project. These committees have a finite duration based on a date of completion. While it will take a commitment from you during that timespan, you will know how long that will be.

For example, recently an ad hoc committee was established to develop the new UMass Boston OLLI membership structure.  At the completion of this project, knowing they had made a valuable contribution to UMass Boston OLLI, the committee was disbanded. Future projects that do not fall within the scope of an established committee will be announced in the OLLI newsletter, Connections.