What is SILL? For over 50 years, the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) has offered a dynamic lecture series on global issues and cultural enrichment as well as conversations and performances featuring established & emerging musicians. 12 Talented Musicians 24 Expert Speakers 55 Years of Education Learn with us Visit www.sillsarasota.org or scan our QR code Sarasota • Lakewood Ranch • Venice
A Message from the President.............4 Global Issues Series I..........................6 Global Issues Series II.........................8 About Our Speakers...........................10 Friends of SILL ..................................22 SILL Volunteers..................................24 Sarasota Global Issues Calendar.......25 Venice Global Issues Calendar..........26 LWR Global Issues Calendar.............27 Music Mondays Calendar...................28 Program Location Map.......................30 Video On Demand..............................31 SILL Board Members..........................35 Music Overview..................................39 Music Mondays..................................40 About Our Artists................................42 Special Event Lecture......... Back Cover 2
NEVER EN DS on the bay. Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay is proud of our long-standing support for The Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL). Whether on our campus, within Sarasota or beyond, we value the pursuit of knowledge and passion for creativity as core components of our entire community. (941) 909-3075 plymouthharbor.org 700 John Ringling Blvd. | Sarasota, Florida 34236 3
Our 55th Season! Welcome back to another culturally and intellectually stimulating experience, featuring real experts and honest conversations. Here at SILL, we are extremely proud to bring you lectures on Global Issues, along with a wide selection of musicians on Music Mondays. Global Issues: We again offer a dynamic lineup on global Issues. Returning in 2026 are several distinguished speakers. Dr. David Lampton will explore the pressing question: Are the U.S. and China entering a new Cold War? Robert Jones will address White Christian Nationalism. Ambassador Robert Ford will provide insights into the future of Syria. Dennis Ross will offer his expert analysis on U.S. policy in the Middle East. Among the new speakers this year is Dr. Kenneth Roberts on polarization and democracy in a turbulent Latin America. Dr. Christine McDaniel will examine the implications of new U.S. tariff policies. Dr. Anatoly Temkin will shed light on the transformative power and risks of artificial intelligence. Lt. General Mike Plehn will analyze how wars begin and end. The other speakers will present similarly timely and stimulating lectures. Music Mondays: Meet Joe Holt in Sarasota and Betsy Traba in Venice as they present fascinating conversations and short performances from a wide range of talented musicians. They will include Invoke, a contemporary string quartet, Jake Kwiatkowski on bagpipes, Eden Espinosa, Broadway singer and actress, and Michael Stephen Brown, pianist and composer. As a very special guest, we are honored to host Frederica von Stade, a highly acclaimed lyric mezzo-soprano opera singer of international renown. Special Event Speaker: We are deeply thrilled to announce that General Martin Dempsey, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will speak at the Church of the Palms in Sarasota on 4
Wednesday, January 28. His topic focuses on Great Power Security Dilemmas: From Economic Competition to Military Confrontation. Tickets are sold separately for this event. We intend to make this type of special event a regular part of our seasons. Ticket System: We will return to a single ticket for season subscribers. Tickets for our special event speakers, such as General Martin Dempsey, will be sold separately on an individual basis. Video on Demand: All three of our programs will be available through video on demand; Music Mondays programs as recorded in Sarasota, as well as our Tuesday and Thursday Global Issues presentations. Friends of SILL: Your significant support of SILL every year is much appreciated and crucial to our success in offering such a superb range of speakers and performers. Please consider continuing your support by contributing as a Friend of SILL when you purchase your tickets. We are an all-volunteer organization, and every dollar goes to support and improve our programs. To learn more about how you can support our programs, visit sillsarasota.org. With warm regards, Jeff Olesen, President For more information visit our website sillsarasota.org 5
JANUARY 6–7 China’s Reordered World Order Dr. Elizabeth Economy will discuss China’s ambitions to reshape the international system to align with its political, economic, and security interests. She will assess its success to date, what challenges it confronts moving forward, and how the United States should best respond. JANUARY 13–14 Russia, America, and Ukraine in 2026: Where Do We Go From Here? Amb. Eric Rubin will analyze Ukraine’s ability to survive and keep fighting in the absence of significant U.S. support. He will also address the impacts the war has had on possible outcomes, as well as on U.S. relations with NATO, Europe (particularly the EU), and Russia, including the prospects for regime change in these regions. JANUARY 20–21 Understanding Nutrition in the Brain: B12 and Other Nutrients’ Role in Neurological Function Dr. Ari Green will explore the vital role of vitamin B12 and other key nutrients in maintaining neurological function. He will highlight how nutritional deficiencies impact brain health, contributing to neurological disorders, and emphasize the importance of early detection and dietary interventions to support cognitive performance and prevent long-term neurological damage. JANUARY 27–28 The Death of Expertise and the Danger to Democracy Why have Americans lost trust in expertise and established knowledge? Tom Nichols argues that this collapse of trust, fueled by narcissism and social isolation, has created a political climate among Americans that endangers the health, well-being, and lives of ordinary citizens - and threatens to destabilize American democracy. FEBRUARY 3–4 U.S.-Canada Relations: Friends? Partners? Allies? The relationship between the United States and Canada is experiencing turbulence and uncertainty. What are the long-term implications for the bilateral economic and security partnership? Does America First mean America alone? Dr. Laura Dawson will share her perspectives on how Americans and Canadians might realign to create a strong and prosperous North America. FEBRUARY 10–11 The Future of Health: What’s Technology got to do with it? Dr. Christopher Gibbons will address advances in digital technologies that are reshaping society, promising a future of wealth, health, and prosperity for all. At the same time, chronic disease rates are increasing, epidemics continue unabated, and healthcare is increasingly out of reach for many Americans. Is technology really the future of health? 6
Artificial Intelligence: A Cognitive Revolution Is Upon Us In this non-technical talk, Dr. Anatoly Temkin will explain AI in simple terms. He will discuss neural networks and machine learning, and explore how AI is changing fields like education, healthcare, and beyond. He will also focus on Generative AI (like ChatGPT) and how these technologies are shaping the future. FEBRUARY 24–25 This Means War! Have you ever wondered how wars start...how they’re fought...and how (and why) they end? Please join retired Lt. Gen. Mike Plehn, former President of the National Defense University, for this in-depth discussion on the history, theory, and methods of war, ranging from ancient Greece to the current conflict in Ukraine. MARCH 3–4 U.S.-Mexico Relations In Turbulent Times U.S.-Mexico relations are always complicated. However, the Trump Administration has made it even more difficult because of new policies on immigration, trade, and other issues. Amb. Bárcena Coqui will analyze the turbulent situation based on her experience with the first Trump Administration and her ongoing consultations on U.S.Mexico relations. MARCH 10–11 Understanding Artificial Intelligence John Blevins will teach us Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Neural Networking, & Artificial Intelligence in a simple, easy-to-understand, educational lecture format. Come prepared to learn. With our new understanding, he’ll then explain how AI is impacting our retirement portfolios, as well as the global business community at large. MARCH 17–18 AI in Healthcare: What Patients Need to Know Brooke McSwain will provide an overview of the current AI healthcare landscape - the technical, ethical, and legal issues that government and healthcare providers are working on to answer how AI could transform public health systems, including what individuals need to know to be responsible consumers of AI-enabled healthcare. MARCH 24–25 Will the Levant Finally See Calm? New governments in Syria and Lebanon are dealing with tensions with Israel. Elections in Iraq may create a government freer of Iranian influence. Is the Levant turning a corner or are new challenges, and old ones, likely to generate still more war, instability and terrorism? Amb. Robert Ford will discuss. 7
JANUARY 8–9 Polarization and Democracy: Latin America in a Turbulent World Order Recent global upheavals pose novel challenges to Latin America, at a time when democracy is under growing pressure in the region due to political polarization, economic inequalities, and criminal violence. Dr. Kenneth Roberts will explain how Latin American countries are tackling these domestic problems while renegotiating their international economic and political relations in a rapidly changing world. JANUARY 15–16 The Atomic Fault Line: U.S.–Iran Rivalry and the Nuclear Puzzle in the Middle East Join Dr. Mohsen Milani for a timely and thought-provoking talk on the enduring puzzle of Iran’s nuclear program. Author of Iran’s Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East, Dr. Milani draws on decades of scholarship and firsthand insight to examine the origins and evolution of the U.S.–Iran nuclear standoff, its regional and global stakes, and the uncertain paths that lie ahead. JANUARY 22–23 America and China: In a Cold War? With economic relations between the U.S. and China deteriorating, are the countries heading to a new Cold War? Trade tensions are escalating; cyber attacks are rumored, and both countries are reinforcing their military. Tariff restrictions on exports of minerals and blacklists are adding to the conflict. Dr. David Lampton will elaborate on the current state of affairs and potential remedies. JANUARY 29–30 Can Europe Cope with Challenges from East AND West? Four generations of Europeans have been able to count on Big Brother America’s security, economic, and diplomatic support, particularly in facing down challenges from the Soviet Union and now Russia. Martin Walker will explain Europe’s effort to stand on its own as an America First partner changes all aspects of the game. FEBRUARY 5–6 From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to the War in Ukraine: What Happened to the “End of History”? The Berlin Wall fell 35 years ago, and the world entered a period of remarkable openness and democratic expansion. Now the world seems very different. How did the promises of democracy then lead to the current spread of authoritarianism? Dr. Jeremi Suri will explore this history and discuss what comes next. FEBRUARY 12–13 Putin’s Russia - The Man, The People, The War Power, in Putin’s Russia, is personal. Vladimir Putin’s long-standing obsession with Ukraine, and the war he started against it, have had drastic consequences for Ukraine, for Russia, and for the world. Jill Dougherty will discuss how Putin rules Russia, his relationship with President Donald Trump, and the future of post-war Russia. 8
Upending Decades-long U.S. Policies in the Middle East U.S. priorities on the Middle East have shifted under the new Administration. Support for Israel and dealings with the Gulf States and Iran are now largely considered in separate channels. Amb. Dennis Ross will examine the Administration’s transactional approach and suggest how it impacts the prospects for future stability in the region. FEBRUARY 26–27 Our Struggle for an Honest History: The Deep Roots of White Christian Nationalism Is the U.S. a pluralistic democracy, or is it a divinely ordained promised land for European Christians? Dr. Robert Jones will discuss these competing visions of the nation that have divided Americans throughout our history: why this paradox survives in the form of white Christian nationalism, which continues to undermine the promise of a pluralistic democracy. MARCH 5–6 The Promise and Peril of Trump’s America First Trump’s America First is a response to too much globalization, immigration, and war. But Trump has overcorrected with too many tariffs, deportations, and pull-back from a world in need of U.S. leadership. Dr. Charles Kupchan asks, “Is there a middle ground? If so, how can a divided America find that middle ground?” MARCH 12–13 Understanding the Arctic: Beyond the Headlines Dr. Jennifer Spence will explore the rapidly changing Arctic through the lens of geopolitics, economics, and environmental transformation. She will unpack rising international tensions, new resource and shipping interests, and the urgent impacts of climate change—highlighting what’s at stake for the region, its peoples, and the world as the Arctic gains increasing global attention. MARCH 19–20 New Tariff Policies Upend Decades of the U.S. Approach: How’s That Working Out? The United States has pursued an open economy on trade and investment for decades. Other countries emulate us, some more than others. President Trump is using tariffs as negotiating leverage. Dr. Christine McDaniel will discuss what could be achieved, what could be lost, and what is at stake for the markets. MARCH 26–27 The Rise and Fall of the Mainstream Media: Reflections of a Recovering Journalist The free press once seemed an unshakeable pillar of U.S. democracy. Now, the public has lost confidence in newspapers and TV news, and U.S. political culture is in decline. Charles Lane draws on four decades as a print reporter and TV talking head to offer an explanation and reasons for hope. 9
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