LifeLong Learning - San Marcos
Come Learn with Us!
A Potpourri of Presentations
Registration is Appreciated
When: Thursdays: Oct. 22, 29; Nov. 5, 12
Where: San Marcos Public Library, Room 104
Time: 10:00-11:15am
Fee: FREE… donations appreciated
Oct. 22: Traveling to Extremes
Bruce Smith, LifeLong Learning’s resident travel guide, will present his photos and memories of travel to the High Arctic and Antarctica. Photos and stories will be shared about landscapes, ecology, and wildlife such as polar bears, penguins, sea birds, and walrus.
The presentation will focus on trips to Svalbard and Antarctica. Svalbard is a group of islands located in the Arctic Ocean between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The most northern parts of the archipelago are above the 80th parallel, referred to as the High Arctic. Participants will then learn about Antarctica and the rough sea, called the Drake Passage, that separates South America from the southern continent.
Oct. 29: Tom Lea: Reflections on the Artist and the Man
"Tom Lea was perhaps the ultimate regionalist.
Tom Lea records a song to this land, this place that is unique to all things Texan.
A region of two countries and three states where the Rockies and Sierra Madres come together,
a land of the senses where you smell the rain on the creosote;
a culture where you hear multiple languages describe the same vista;
a place where mountains, sky, and desert define character."
~ Becky Duval Reese, The Art of Tom Lea, Afterword to the Memorial Edition
Presenter: Becky Duval Reese
Becky served as Director of the El Paso Museum of Art from 1991-2005, providing world-class art experiences and promoting community inclusion. Her achievements resulted in a museum nationally recognized for the strength of its collections, its dynamic public programming, and its impressive new building. Becky was inducted into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame and received numerous civic awards and honors. She was a board member for UTEP’s Lifelong Learning Institute and served as LifeLong Learning - San Marcos’ Associate Director from 2017-2026. Becky served on The Wittliff Collections’ Advisory Council from 2017-2024 and produced two recent books: Another World: The Art of David Everett (2021) and Denny McCoy: Day by Day (2024).
Nov. 5: The Natural and Cultural History of Central Texas Plants and Animals
This will be a unique in-depth examination of the abundance, distribution, and interactions of a wide range of plants and animals in Central Texas, which is part of the Southern Great Plains. The data discussed will be presented in easy-to-understand terms and come from a wide range of sources including iNaturalist, the popular citizen science app.
Presenter: Mike Quinn
Mike has been in and out of central Texas since 1978. He has long studied the ornithology, botany, and entomology of Texas and has degrees in wildlife and entomology from Texas A&M. Mike is a popular presentation on a wide range of topics to a wide variety of audiences and is currently a top contributor to iNaturalist. Mike worked for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and the Natural Gardener in Austin.
Nov. 12: A Preview of the 2027 Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature convenes in January for its biennial session. This presentation will provide an inside look at the workings of this 140-day marathon, preview some of the major issues likely to be on the agenda, and offer tips on how to effectively communicate with legislators.
Much of the Legislature’s agenda will depend on the outcomes of the November 3 election. Races for governor and lieutenant governor (president of the Senate) remain tight and while both the House and Senate are likely to remain majority Republican, the margins may significantly shift. The potential impact of these election outcomes will be incorporated into the presentation.
Presenter: Stephanie Korcheck
As the policy analyst for the Texas Senate Education Committee from 1992-1996, Stephanie assisted in drafting and negotiating legislation creating the state’s public school accountability and finance systems in 1993 and rewriting all of the remaining public school provisions of Texas Education Code in 1995. She then helped launch the State Board for Educator Certification, serving as its director of policy and planning from 1996-2000.
At Texas State University, Stephanie taught in the principal preparation program, developing and teaching a course on politics, policymaking, education law, and the school finance and accountability systems. She also served as the College of Education’s Research Coordinator for Proposal Development, supporting faculty members in securing funding for their research. Stephanie is now the director of LifeLong Learning.