Upcoming Lectures

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• Lecture – Beyond Alexa & Siri: AI, Your Digital Dignity, and an Empowered Future

  • When
    November 06, 2025
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Oakwood Village University Woods Arts & Education Center

   

  Beyond Alexa & Siri:

  AI, Your Digital Dignity, and an Empowered Future 

  
  

  Thursday, November 6 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

  
  

  In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods

  Arts & Education Center

  
  

  6205 Mineral Point Road

  
  

  Registration is Not Required

  FREE PARKING
  

  
  

  This lecture will provide a compelling and empowering introduction to AI, focusing on the crucial concept of digital dignity for older adults. It balances fundamental understanding with the practical benefits and ethical considerations. It aims to introduce AI as a tool that can enhance the lives of older adults, provided it is developed and used in a way that respects their dignity, independence, and agency, while also offering a glimpse into practical applications.

  
  

  Dr. Hank Weiss (PhD, MPH, MS) is an experienced epidemiologist and AI advocate at JBS International, passionately promoting the transformation of work through effective and ethical AI use. He earned his PhD in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh and has worked in infectious disease control, trauma and poison control systems, public health surveillance, and injury prevention. His career spans decades, characterized by scholarship, leadership, and peer recognition, especially for his contributions to injury prevention research and practice. This includes leading groundbreaking studies on maternal and child health risks, directing Wisconsin's response to the opioid crisis, and providing expert guidance to local agencies. He has a deep, practical understanding of the challenges faced by practitioners at the intersections of science, policy, implementation, and evaluation. As an innovation-driven professional, Dr. Weiss now focuses on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. Fun facts: he enjoys playing pickleball, hiking, biking, and lived in New Zealand for five years. He is married with two grown daughters and is currently looking for a new dog.               

  ________________________________________

  Transportation Options:

  
  

  Bicycle:  Bike racks are available

  
  

  Bus: The BRT Route A bus  runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.  

  
  

  Car: 
  

  • Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
  •  Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
  •  Turn right into driveway.
  •   Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
  • When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
  • _________________________

  Questions?  Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com

  Show details
• Lecture - A Fireside Chat with Tom Jacobson

  • When
    November 13, 2025
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Quarry Ridge Retirement Community, 2851 Fitchrona Rd.
  • Spaces left
    4

  Register

  
  

  Free to PLATO members and guests.

  Registration is required and will open on Tuesday, October 28

  Join us to learn about the civil rights struggles in Milwaukee in the 19960's! Dave Zweifel, editor emeritus of The Capitol Times, will interview Tom Jacobson, a renowned civil rights attorney involved in some of Wisconsin's most important historical legal cases, including the defense of the legendary Father Groppi in Milwaukee during the 1960's.

  The event will take place on Thursday, November 13 from 1:30-3pm.

  This event will be held at the Quarry Ridge Retirement Community located at 2851 Fitchrona Road, Fitchburg, WI  53719. 

  Note that guests are welcome but you must carpool as there is only room for one car per reservation (this is because we anticipate high turnout for this event).

  PARKING INFORMATION

  Self parking is available in the lot to the left of the facility and behind the facility. 

  Free valet parking will be available at the main entrance.
  
  Instructions to valet park: When arriving at Quarry Ridge Retirement Community, please proceed straight down the driveway.  As you approach the building, turn right and park beneath the awning at the main entrance. A member of the Quarry Ridge concierge team will be there to greet you and valet park your vehicle. Gratuity is not accepted because valet parking is a complimentary service.

  Questions?  Contact the event organizer Stephanie Steigerwaldt at 608-572-6869.

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• Lecture - Coping with Loss: The Empty Chair

  • When
    November 20, 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Location
    Oakwood Village University Woods Arts & Education Center

   

  Coping with Loss:  The Empty Chair

  
  

  Thursday, November 20 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

  
  

  In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods

  Arts & Education Center

  
  

  6205 Mineral Point Road

  
  

  Registration is Not Required

  FREE PARKING

  Please note that this lecture is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
  

  
  

  In her lecture, Peggy Weber will discuss the impact of loss on persons who are experiencing loss due to illness, death, significant family changes, jobs and/or any of the myriad losses affecting persons on their journey through life. In addition she will highlight coping strategies for effectively dealing with grief.

  Peggy Reese Weber started her career in nursing in 1969 as a staff nurse in psychiatry, then transferred to oncology in 1977, where her lifelong interest in cancer care and education began. She returned to school at Edgewood College to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing and, as a part of that program, developed an 8-week support curriculum for high school students with cancer. The program was named, “Kids Can Cope.” Peggy went on to develop other age-appropriate curriculum for patients affected by cancer and grief and facilitated children’s groups throughout Dane County. Peggy went on to earn her master’s degree in nursing, developing programs, retreats and critical nursing interventions for people experiencing grief and loss.

  Peggy Weber’s life commitment is, “Once a nurse, always a nurse.” After working for 45 years as a mental health advocate for patients and staff, a grief counselor, and facilitator for “I Can Cope,” Peggy retired, but her passion for nursing did not! Today she continues to organize grief support groups throughout the community. She is a certified grief counselor, and has implemented programs for survivors of suicide, death and loss, and cancer in addition to their family members and supporters. She shares her wisdom as an active member on a variety of community boards. She has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award from United Way of Dane County and, in 2024, received the Alumni Dominican Mission Award from Edgewood University. Peggy has great energy, insight and love for all who need a listening ear and a kind voice of reassurance.

  ________________________________________

  Transportation Options:

  
  

  Bicycle:  Bike racks are available

  
  

  Bus: The BRT Route A bus  runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.  

  
  

  Car: 
  

  • Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
  •  Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
  •  Turn right into driveway.
  •   Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
  • When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
  • _________________________

  Questions?  Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com

  Show details
• Lecture - Fun with Gorgeous Gladiolas!!

  • When
    December 09, 2025
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Quarry Ridge Senior Living Community 2851 Fitchrona Rd., Fitchburg, WI

   

  
  

  Fun with Gorgeous Gladiolas!!

  
  

  Tuesday, December 9 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

  
  

  In-Person at Quarry Ridge Senior Center

  
  

  2851 Fitchrona Rd., Fitchburg, WI  53719

  
  

  
  

  Registration is Not Required

  FREE PARKING
  

  
  

  In their lecture Jean and Dave Kollasch will share the challenges of raising gladiolas, hybridizing and developing new varieties and designing ways to show off their beauty in state and national competitions. You will be amazed at the number of varieties, sizes, and colors gladiolas come in! You will also see the outdoor garden boxes at Quarry Ridge in which Dave and Jean grow gladiolas during the summer!

  

  After college Jean and Dave bought a home on a 3-acre lot in Madison where Dave worked in agricultural economics and Jean worked for 30 years as a healthcare dietitian, helping to oversee local and state guidelines related to food provided in healthcare settings. Dave became interested in gladiolas and that interest became the focus of their lives. They worked together to raise and hybridize gladiolas, developing new varieties of the flower. In addition, they not only entered their glads in state and national competitions but also judged the gladiola competition at the Wisconsin State Fair for many years.

  Please Note:  This lecture will be held at the Quarry Ridge Senior Living Community, 2851 Fitchrona Rd., Fitchburg, WI  53719.  Parking is available immediately in front of the facility. Free valet parking will also be available at the main entrance.  The lecture will be held in the Performing Arts Center located to the right of the main lobby.

  Questions?  Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at   barbaradrake21@gmail.com

  Show details
• Lecture – Memories of My Childhood on Badger Creek

  • When
    January 15, 2026
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Oakwood Village University Woods Arts & Education Center

   

  
  

  Memories of My Childhood on Badger Creek

   

  
  

  Thursday, January 15 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

  
  

  In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods

  Arts & Education Center

  
  

  6205 Mineral Point Road

  
  

  Registration is Not Required

  FREE PARKING
  

  
  

  Peggy Prilaman Marxen grew up next to Badger Creek, near the town of Meteor in northwestern Wisconsin’s Sawyer County, surrounded by a close-knit family, yet geographically isolated from the rest of the state. Her family supplemented their subsistence herd of dairy cows by hunting, fishing, selling timber off their farm and making maple syrup. Her home, just like those of her neighbors, lacked indoor plumbing, electricity, and a telephone. As a child, Peggy attended a one-room schoolhouse and walked biked or sledded three miles to school and back regardless of the weather. She and her family witnessed changes to rural Wisconsin that altered their lives, including new farming techniques, school consolidation, construction of roads and technology.

  
  

  Peggy has written a book entitled, The Farm on Badger Creek, recalling her memories of a childhood in the far north of Wisconsin which has since disappeared. Her book will be for sale at the conclusion of her lecture.

             

  ________________________________________

  Transportation Options:

  
  

  Bicycle:  Bike racks are available

  
  

  Bus: The BRT Route A bus  runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.  

  
  

  Car: 
  

  • Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
  •  Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
  •  Turn right into driveway.
  •   Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
  • When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
  • _________________________

  Questions?  Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com

  Show details