Teach for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Over 1,900 members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Instituteat the U are inquisitive, enthusiastic, engaged—and engaging—adult learners, ages 50 and better! They share a passion for education and a curiosity about almost everything; many of them were graduate students themselves at one time. Opportunities for graduate student teaching at Osher include six-week courses, one-time lectures that can lead to a full course at a later time, Lunch and Learn lectures on Zoom webinars, and special events.
Osher staff are accepting course proposals for the winter term, now through October 1. The term will run from January 19 to March 8, 2027. For the spring term, proposals will be due December 1, and the term will run from March 22 to April 30, 2027.
Osher paysgraduate student instructors $100 per hour of classroom instruction time. Classes are held at the Continuing Education building in Research Park, 540 Arapeen Drive. Each instructor brings their own unique brand of community, which makes Osher such a special place to be!
Learn more about teaching for Osher
For questions, please contact Osher Director Jill E. Meyer or Assistant Director Anne Terry at: SchedulingOsher@Utah.edu
Graduate Student Spotlight on Osher Instructor
Alexander Harrelson
Originally from North Carolina, tenor Alex Harrelson is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Utah. Alex has performed in many rolesand recently directed a production of Vaughan Williams' opera Riders to the Sea. He also regularly teaches vocal classical music classes through Osher Lifelong Learning and sings with the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Alex attended the Southern Regional Conference for Learning in Retirement, July 27-29, 2026, at the University of Georgia Osher Institute in Athens, GA, representing the U of U Osher Institutethere. Having taught opera to adult learners in seven Osher classes since 2025, Alex gave a conference presentation on the knowledge gained from his Osher teaching experiences and on research he’s conducting for a chapter of his dissertation on music appreciation in continuing education programs.
Alex’s recent operatic roles at the U include Martin in The Tender Land, Rodolfo in La Boheme, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Ferrando in scenes from Così fan tutte, and leading roles in new operas A.L.I.C.E. by Amy Scurria and A Christmas Carol by Leavitt and Buck. With Lyrical Opera Theater, he has performed as Fenton in Falstaff, El Remendado in Carmen, and as Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Alex's recent non-operatic performances include Messiah with Nebo Holiday Chorus and Orchestra and several ambitious recitals featuring Wolf's ItalienischesLiederbuch and Schubert's Die schoneMüllerin.