Senior Learners, Inc.

 Become a Senior Learner with us . . .

Randy Brown has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and graduate degrees from Oregon State University.  He is a professor emeritus at the University of Florida, where he specialized in soils and land use.  



Sue Carr traveled many of the back roads in Marion County during the 25 years she worked as an award-winning investigative  reporter for the Ocala Star Banner. Although she covered or filled in on every beat from police to social services, her forte was haunting city, county and state government officials. She retired on April Fool’s Day 2015 and now enjoys taking classes, teaching occasionally and spending time with the many friends she has made at Senior Learners Inc.


Joe Coffey holds a PhD in Economics and has taught at Universidad Agraria of Peru, University of California Berkeley, Virginia Tech, NC State, and Purdue. Until retiring from Virginia to Citrus Hills in 2003, he held executive positions in academia, industry and government. For the past decade, he has made presentations on economics and world affairs at the College of Central Florida Senior Learning Institute, Ocala; Citrus Hills, Hernando; Top of the World Communities, Ocala; the Villages and on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess, and Azamara cruises. For further information please contact Joe Coffey at (352) 746-5855 or JoeCoffey@Outlook.com      


James Coleman earned a B.S. from New York University; an M.A. from Adelphi an M.S. from Stony Brook University and is a retired English teacher who taught for 30 years. Coleman previously served as a Fulbright to Cambridge, England, did cultural work in India, and taught English in Kenya for two years.

Philip Davis earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from Florida State University. After a stint as an infrared astronomer, he spent 31 years in government service in a variety of technical and executive positions for NASA (the Cape, ERC, the Space Station Program, Goddard), the US Department of Energy, and the Director of Crashworthiness Research and Vehicle Defects Investigation for the US DOT. After retiring from NASA in 1996 he served as the Information Architect for the Fairfax County VA school district. Phil has built and managed websites for schools, charities, and other local organizations and taught web design at CFCC. Since 2009 he has been conducting technology workshops for Senior Learners, Inc. and other organizations.

Robert DuMond is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.S. in Floriculture and Masters in Adult Ed from the University of South FL. He retired from the College of Central Florida as a Senior Professor in Environmental Horticulture in 2014. During his 25 years at the college, he taught landscape design, irrigation design and installation, turf grass management, greenhouse operations, plant propagation, pest and disease control, landscape and plant maintenance and nursery operations. Prior to teaching, he worked as a landscape designer in Central Florida for 20 years. Having lived in upstate New York, he also has extensive knowledge of northern plant material.

Barbara Fitos holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Douglass College / Rutgers University and a Master's degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University/ New Orleans. A 35 year resident of Ocala/Marion County Barbara is a former County Commissioner and retired banking professional and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Ocala Marion County.  Active in many community organizations, she has one son, attorney Joseph Fitos, and is the very proud grandmother to the “Fitos4”.


Dr. Martin Goldman received his B.S. and M.A. in history from Temple University in Philadelphia. his Doctorate from Clark University in Worcester. Massachusetts. He has taught a wide range of courses including the Holocaust and African American history at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Clark University, Holy Cross College, Rutgers University, Boston University and Merrimack College where he was the founding director of the Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations in 1995.

Rich Hautanen is a retired engineer who worked 25+ years in the computer network and defense industries. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Boston University, and a M.S. in Computer Science from Rivier University.  Rich teaches courses on Android phones & tablets, Windows 10 computers, and computer gaming, and is serving on the board as the SLI Vice Chair.

Robert Holloran holds a B.S. in physics and an M.S. in nuclear engineering from the University of Washington. In 1976. as a part-time lecturer at the University of Washington, he taught graduate-level nuclear engineering and radiological science courses. His professional career culminated in co-founding National Background Data and serving as its Chairman and CEO until it was acquired by a Fortune 500 company subsidiary. Since retiring in 2006 he served the community as Vice Chair of Healthy Ocala and the Public Policy Institute of Marion County. He also has taught a variety of courses at programs for seniors about physics,  astronomy, science-based history and chocolate. His interest in chocolate is an outgrowth of a family business that made raw chocolate products commercially. Bob is currently the past chair of Senior Learners, Inc.


Dr. Evelyn Kelly, a resident of Marion County for 40 years, is a writer and college professor. With a PhD from the University of Florida, she teaches both graduate and undergraduate classes for Saint Leo University both onsite in Ocala and online. As a writer, she has published over 400 articles and is now writing her 17th book- 101 Unusual Diseases and Disorders. Dr. Kelly and her husband Charles live on a farm in Marion County and have four children: Kurt, a former state representative, now a lobbyist and CEO of Florida Coalition for Children; Natalie, lobbyist for the Alzheimer’s Association and CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities (mental health); Sharlene, a counselor at Florida State College, Jacksonville; and Marsha, a social worker at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and FSU professor of Social Work. Dr. Kelly is a community activist in Marion County political affairs, musical productions of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, and volunteering for special causes. Evelyn and Natalie have traveled to 75 countries and often speak to groups of their adventures. 

 

Scott Olsen, Ph.D. is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy & Religion at the College of Central Florida. A life-long student of the Ancient Wisdom, he studied with esotericist Douglas Baker, physicists David Bohm & Mohamed El Naschie, philosopher of comparative religion, Huston Smith, sacred geometers, Keith Critchlow & John Michell, and mathematician/ computer scientist, Alexey Stakhov. A member of the Theosophical Society in America, Scott lectures widely on the perennial philosophy with special emphasis on Plato, the golden mean and transformative states of consciousness. And he is the author of the international bestseller The Golden Section: Nature's Greatest Secret and Mysteries of the Amazon: Visionary Artwork of Pablo Amaringo and His Students. He is presently working on his next book, Divine Proportion: The Mathematical Perfection of the Universe.

Gwynn Pealer has a BA in Biology from Hartwick College.  She has 15 years experience teaching Advanced Placement Biology at Forest High School and International Baccalaureate Biology at Vanguard High School, both in Ocala.  She has been published in journals of the National Science Teachers’ Association and has served on the board of the Florida Association of Science Teachers.  Gwynn retired in 2008 after 40 years of teaching.  She has taken many Senior Learner courses and now serves as chair of Senior Learners.

Edward Potter grew up in western Pennsylvania. He graduated from Sherman College in 1981, and moved to Sarasota in 1982, where he practiced chiropractic and acupuncture until 2013. That year, he traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, to further his study of tai chi and the Mandarin language. The following year, he accepted a position as an English teacher with Zhejiang Yuexiu University in Shaoxing, China. He also taught aikido and helped lead English corner activities. The college presented him with a favorite foreign teacher award. He returned to Florida in 2018.

Roberto Putzeys, M.D. was in Private Practice in Radiation Oncology at the Robert Boissoneault Oncology Institute, Ocala, Florida for twenty years prior to retiring here in 2009. After retiring from his full-time practice, he still occasionally practices outside of the area at facilities needing temporary additional help. 

He obtained his MD diploma in his home country of Guatemala. After moving to the USA,  he completed a Radiation Oncology residency at the Medical College of Virginia and , and obtained his board certification in 1978. He then worked at Brooke Army Medical Center  in San Antonio TX, and academic and Va facilities in Little Rock Arkansas. He started practicing in Florida in Tallahassee in 1984 and moved to Ocala in 1989.



Danielle Rosier, Au.D.  Dr. Rosier is a Board Certified Doctor of Audiology.  She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Sciences and Disorders from the University of Florida, and upon completion, stayed at the University of Florida to complete her Doctorate in Audiology. She is currently a fellow member of the American Academy of Audiology and on the board for the Hearing Loss Association. Her clinical expertise includes diagnostics and amplification with a focus in aural rehabilitation.  A Florida native, Dr. Rosier enjoys kayaking and hiking with her husband and black lab.  Her time recently has been spent enjoying her newborn daughter, Anna Elizabeth. 

Dr. Sarah Satterfield has taught a variety of music and humanities courses at the College of Central Florida, the University of Florida, Flagler College, and Florida Gateway College. She was recently ranked the 12th leading university professor in America based on student evaluation data. Dr. Satterfield lectures regularly throughout the Southeast, specializing in American music and music of the twentieth century, and has concertized extensively. An experienced administrator with a broad background in various sectors of the performing arts industry, Dr. Satterfield managed the San Diego State University Symphony Orchestra and Ocala Symphony Orchestra. She served as Administrative Assistant for the prestigious Arioso Wind Quintet, winning grants exceeding $50,000 for that organization. She also coordinated the Adams Project, a training program that taught collegiate-level small ensembles the art of educational, senior, and multi-cultural outreach programming.  

Dr. Satterfield received a Ph.D. in Music History and Literature with an outside specialization in art from the University of Florida, MM in Flute Performance from SDSU, and BM in Music Education from Furman University (magna cum laude). In her spare time she is a runner and competitive triathlete. She serves on the Board of Directors of the local triathlon organization Tri-Him.  

Dr. Bryant Shaw earned his Ph.D. in African history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a Fulbright-Hayes Award for his doctoral dissertation. He spent 29+ years in the USAF, retiring as a Colonel. His military assignments included tours in Korea, Belgium, numerous countries throughout Africa, and in the History Department at the USAF Academy. After retiring from the military, he became Dean of the Department of Defense's Africa Center for Strategic Studies and Chairman of Troy University’s History Department. His articles have appeared in The Journal of Conflict Studies, Armed Forces Journal International, the Air University Review, and The Christian Science Monitor.

Elaine Smith Elaine Smith has 20 years’ experience designing, developing and deploying global entrepreneurial leadership programs for world-leading technology and professional services companies. Elaine holds a BS from CUNY and has Certificates from Babson College Executive Education, CGE&Y Guru School and Disney Leadership Programs. Elaine is a member of the American Film Institute and has been teaching film courses for the past five years.

Burton Stephens was a researcher and manager for traffic and highway safety programs at the Federal Highway Administration. He headed the International Clearinghouse at the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of America. He performed research at the Civil Engineering Department and was a consultant to the National Older Driver Research and Training Center at the University of Florida. Burt received a Master's Degree in Experimental Psychology from the George Washington University and has been an instructor at the University of Florida. the University of Maryland, the National Highway Institute, the CF Senior Institute and the Senior Learning Institute.

Thom Thomas studied Commercial Illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. Thom’s early career as an illustrator started in the fashion world with Jasmine Cartier Haute Couture designs. Later he created high visibility poster art for the Pebble Beach Company’s annual events that include the Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur Golf Event (now the AT&T golf event) Concours D’ Elegance Antique Car Show, and their North/ South Polo Tournament. He has worked as a free-lance Illustrator for 30-years.


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