Course Leaders

ALL classes are led by Volunteers
If you would like to volunteer to lead a course, send your name, contact information and course description to:
assocforll@hotmail.com

We are mourning the loss of Mike Pretl who was scheduled to teach a course this semester entitled, "America's Endless War." Mike's generous contributions to our organization were numerous and impressive. His depth of knowledge and dedication to sharing that knowledge have enriched the lives of so many of us.

Meet the Course Leaders

Todd Becker is a retired US Foreign Service Officer and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Conflict Resolution, and Honors Courses at Salisbury University.

Jane Conly is an editor and novelist who has written ten books for children and young adults, including the Newbery Honor Book Crazy Lady!, and most recently, Murder Afloat, a novel about oystering on the Chesapeake Bay. She has taught writing and editing to groups of children, young adults, and college students. She also worked for a program sponsored by the US Public Health Service, interviewing a randomized sampling of adults about their lives. Many participants told her stories that had not been shared with their families or friends. She is convinced that such stories are important and should be recorded or written for the benefit of others.

Dr. Ron Dotterer holds a B.A. with honors in English from Bucknell University, M.A., M.Phil, and Ph.D. with highest honors in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. He was a professor for 21 years at Susquehanna University (where he founded the honors program, was assistant to the president, and chair of the Department of English) and for 24 years at Salisbury University, where he was professor of English and Dean of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts. He has published over 40 articles and six books on Shakespeare, Irish literature, poetry, women and the arts, film, and undergraduate research.

Dale Godfrey graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree. Since 1974 he has been employed in the communications industry, adult education, IT, and elections with the State of Maryland.

Rachel Hesselink had a 30-year federal career, about half of which was devoted to environmental and nuclear is- sues. As a GAO analyst, she led reviews concerning environmental cleanup of the nuclear weapons complex and pesticide regulation. As a financial manager for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, she oversaw development of the NRC’s budget for nuclear waste and materials programs, nuclear security, IT and support functions. Her role included responding to questions from NRC Commissioners, OMB, and Congressional staff. More recently, she was a financial analyst for the Navy facility at Wallops Island. Ms. Hesselink holds an MA in political science and a certificate in federal financial management/budgeting.

Nancy Hesser Ph.D., has taught literature in the US, DR Congo, and Mali. She lives with her husband and canine companions in the salt marshes of south Dorchester County. Her ALL short story courses have focused on American regionalism, the Roaring 20s, religious diversity, African voices, Central America, the Caribbean, and flash fiction, among other subjects.

Former drummer with the Jack Rich Trio, Phillip Hesser grooves on the pressings of the ‘40s through the ‘70s (and a bit beyond). When he is not teaching, researching, and running hither and yon, he can be found continuing Tadd Dameron’s search for musical beauty and progging the marshes of South Dorchester County with his pint- sized pups, Marshall and Bayly.

Dr. Karin Johnson has undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing from the University of Maryland and a doctorate in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her career has included many years of teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels, a number of years in academic administration, experiences in global health and travel, and a variety of research opportunities. Her passion for science and for global citizenship has evolved from all of these experiences.
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Dr. Ellen Lawler is professor emeritus of Biology at Salisbury University. She has been watching and studying birds for many years and taught Ornithology numerous times before retiring from SU in 2015. She is currently the vice-president of the Tri-County Bird Club, leads field trips for the club and is well acquainted with the birds and birding sites on Delmarva
Eleanor Mulligan began giving talks on American and European history and travel after spending over a decade in Europe, and wrote articles for the Baltimore Sun evening edition during the 1980s and 90s. For a number of years she has given visual presentations on American historical subjects and a variety of related topics. She holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and from UMBC.

Ms. Terry Murray has a lifetime of experience making, studying and exploring Art. She has traveled Europe and the United States seeking first hand exposure to internationally renowned Art, galleries and sites of historic im- portance in the development of Art. She has led studies in Art Studio, Media Studies, Art Appreciation and Art History at all educational levels, nursery through university. She is a lifetime art instructor certified by the states of New York and New Jersey. Her articles and photographs have been published in national art education publications. Her watercolors, photographs, oils and acrylics have been exhibited in numerous venues on the east coast. She holds an MA in Art Education, BA in Studio Art and 60 credits of additional graduate study. Currently, Terry creates art with the Plein Air Painters of Delmarva, painting with the “Attic Artists Group” in Salisbury and is President of the Association of Lifelong Learning.

Michael J. Roberts holds a B.A in history from Duke University and a J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy, with extensive sea duty in the Mediterranean, plus service with the Naval Security Group in Washington. For over 30 years he practiced law in Washington, specializing in aviation and international law. While in the Navy he attended graduate school at the University of Maryland, and studied under Professor Gordon Prange, the foremost authority on Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War. This led to a lifelong interest in and study of these subjects. He has taught several courses in the ALL program and also at Washington College’s WC-ALL program.

Dr. Carolyn Stegman taught the psychology of death, dying, and bereavement courses at Salisbury University for many years. Prior to that, as a nurse, she was involved in teaching health care professionals about helping patients, families, and themselves deal with death in hospitals and at home. Her novel, A Gold-Mended Life, tackles the subjects of aging and death.

Dr. G. Ray Thompson is Professor Emeritus of History at Salisbury University and founder and former Director of the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. He holds a Ph.D. in ancient Greek and Roman history, and studied at the American Academy of Classical Studies in Rome and at the American School for Classical Studies in Athens.