Since 1970, the Donovan Forum Series has offered educational and entertaining presentations on Thursdays every Fall and Spring. These forums are free and open to the public, although registration prior to each forum is required.
Spring 2025 Donovan Forums
Donovan Forums this semester will be held at the Lexington Senior Center. The limit is 80 attendees in-person. Please be sure to register in advance to reserve an in-person spot. You can also register to attend remotely via Zoom. Zoom links will be sent to the Zoom roster the Wednesday afternoon before the Forum each week. You can also contact the office if you are registered but did not receive/lost the link.
OLLI Membership not required to attend Donovan Forums, but you must have an account created on our registration website. You can refer to these guides on how to create an account and register for courses, Forums, and events: https://olli.uky.edu/uky/course/course.aspx?catId=12
Registration for Spring 2025 Forums will open on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 10 a.m. (once you find the Forum you want to register for, click directly on the title of that forum, then register for either "(In Person)" or "(Zoom Only)")
Spring 2025 Dates: February 6 - May 1
February 6
Celebrating 250 Years of Lexington!
Mary Quinn Ramer, President
VisitLEX
February 13
Strengthening Our Ties that Bind While Minimizing the Rope Burn
Nathan D. Wood, Ph.D.,
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Associate Professor of Family Sciences
University of Kentucky
February 20
Innovative Responses to Food Insecurity in Central and
Eastern Kentucky
Michael Halligan, CEO
God's Pantry Food Bank
February 27
What Does Fido Know? Inside the Mind of Your Dog
Dr. Ellen Furlong, Associate Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience
Transylvania University
March 6
Lexington Public Library: Books and More!
Paige Halpin Smith,
Director of Philanthropy
Lexington Public Library
March 13
Bicentennial of General LaFayette's Visit to Lexington in May 1825 - May 2025
Mr. Dale W. Henley, Past President, Lafayette Chapter
Sons of the American Revolution and member, Society American Friends of LaFayette
March 20
Seeing Through the Eyes of the Digital Access Project
Mr. Shea Brown, Supervising Director of Digital Access Project
Special Projects Fayette Deputy in Land Records, Fayette County Clerk's Office
March 27
James B. Beam Institute for KY Spirits
Glenna Joyce-Welsko, Head Distiller
University of Kentucky
April 3
CivicLex and Local Civic Participation
Megan Gulla, Director of Partnerships & Public Engagement
CivicLex
April 10
Keeneland Library: Collections, Services & Impacts
Roda Ferraro, Keeneland Library Director
Keeneland Library
April 17
Gatewood: Kentucky's Uncommon Man
Matthew Strandmark, Education Archivist and Appalachian Studies Librarian Special Collections Research Center
University of Kentucky Libraries
April 24
How to Read and Understand Lexington’s Most Common Historic Houses
Dr. Karen E Hudson, Architectural Historian & Landscape Artist
Karen E. Hudson Art
May 1
The Civil War and the End of Slavery in Kentucky
Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor, Professor of History
University of Kentucky
Please note: Some Forum presenters may provide print materials only available to in-person attendees (such as magazines, brochures, business cards, etc.) The OLLI office is not responsible for distribution of these materials to online attendees. If the Forum presenter has digital materials to share however, we will share these materials with registered in-person and online attendees over email following the presentation.
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