Irene Garoppo, Chair of the Volunteer Support Committee, presents Chris Stuhlinger with the 2025 OLLI at UAH Volunteer of the Year Award.

photo by Justin Clay / OLLI at UAH

Planning Engaging Events

There are so many benefits to an OLLI membership. In addition to entertaining and thought-provoking courses, each term, OLLI features exciting special events and tours. The main force behind organizing those events is Chris Stuhlinger, Chairman of the OLLI Events Committee and the most recent recipient of the OLLI Volunteer of the Year Award.

Chris comes from impressive stock. His father, Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, was part of Wernher von Braun’s German rocket team, and he later became the chief scientist of the Marshall Space Center. Chris’s mother, Irmgard, was a master gardener and likely influenced Chris to pursue his forestry degree, where he would work for years in natural resources, gathering photos for future use.

Chris has been a significant factor in establishing a range of benefits for OLLI membership. His hard work has led to the creation of several offerings that our members have enjoyed immensely. His contributions make him quite deserving of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Chris joined OLLI in 2020 and has since become a member of the board. He has headed the Events Committee and oversaw the development and implementation of various events and tours each semester. Chris has guided OLLI members to places such as HudsonAlpha, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, the Stovehouse, Huntsville Revisited Museum, VBAS Planetarium, Dynetics, and the National Weather Service. Besides brainstorming these ideas, he also managed enrollment and handled waiting lists and other administrative tasks to maximize the number of people on these trips.

Additionally, Chris has actively participated in many of OLLI’s travel opportunities. He has collaborated with various travel companies to create travel plans and served as the primary point of contact for several trips, including trips to Iceland and Costa Rica.

And if that wasn’t enough, he took the lead in establishing the Hiking and Biking Member Interest Group (MIG).  He sets up tours and bike rides and communicates details to all the members.

The Hiking & Biking MIG on an outing to Hays Nature Preserve.

photo by Chris Stuhlinger | OLLI at UAH

To learn more about OLLI and courses offered, visit uah.edu/olli. OLLI membership is required. Learn more about membership benefits at uah.edu/olli/membership.

From B-17 bombing runs over Europe in World War II to scientific discoveries aboard NASA space shuttle missions, former astronaut Dr. Jan Davis chronicles two transformative eras in American aviation history from a personal perspective in her book “Air Born: Two Generations in Flight.�

Looking for new ways to expand your horizons in 2025? Check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø (OLLI at UAH) at its spring open house on Friday, Jan. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon.

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The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø invites the public to a daylong Art Festival on Friday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the campus of UAH.

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If you have enjoyed the delicious food at the OLLI Early Bird Breakfasts, the Friday bonuses, or the "Souper Bowl," you can thank the chair of our Social Committee, Marilynn Szecholda.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø (UAH) has received a $14,550 gift from the Mona Smith Legacy Fund, a bequest established through the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville to celebrate Mona Jeanne Boles Smith’s legacy of generosity and service.