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Lectures & Workshops

Please note, this is not yet an exhaustive list, new lectures and workshops will be added continuously. All Spring 2026 events will be listed prior to Tuesday, January 13th.

Are you interested in hosting a lecture or workshop for the Institute for Lifelong Learning? Please email ILR@farmingdale.edu to submit an inquiry. 

Registration for the Spring semesters Lectures and Workshops will open on
Tuesday, January 13th.

                             Count Down to Spring 2026 Registration Begins! 

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Lecture Series

SPRING 2026 LECTURES

The FILL Lecture Series is a cornerstone of the Farmingdale Institute for Lifelong Learning, offering engaging, intellectually enriching talks designed for curious learners at every stage of life. The series features faculty experts, distinguished scholars, and community leaders who present on a wide range of topics, including history, science, technology, culture, health, public affairs, and the arts.

Each lecture is designed to be accessible, thought-provoking, and discussion-driven, fostering meaningful dialogue and continued learning beyond the classroom. Whether exploring timely issues or revisiting enduring questions, the FILL Lecture Series reflects the Institute’s commitment to lifelong intellectual engagement, community connection, and the joy of learning for learning’s sake.

JAMES COLL

Thursday, February 26th at 11am 

Understanding The Supreme Court
 This lecture will examine the evolving role of the U.S. Supreme Court in American history. Our objective will be to get a better sense of how the Court works, how it deals with (or fails to deal with) controversial issues and how the "least dangerous branch" has secured its unique place in the American constitutional structure.

$10 Registration Fee

ROBERT VIAGAS

Thursday, March 12th at 11am 

Haunted Theatres on Broadway

Each night after the applause dies, the curtain falls, the audience vanishes, the cleaners dust and the lights are killed, great theaters become dark and silent places. But not always quite empty.  

That’s when the theater ghosts make their entrance and strut and fret their hour upon the shadowed stage, illuminated only by the ghost light, the solitary lamp that is required to burn through the night on every Broadway stage. Many of the busiest theaters continue to be just as busily haunted by spirits, some with well-known names and histories. 

Some of the most entertaining spirits of this world—or the next—can be found in Robert Viagas’ entertaining talk, The Ghosts of Broadway, about the real-life (and real death) stories of the ghosts who haunt theatres around the world.

Meet womanizing ghost David Belasco, the laughing ghost of the St. James Theatre, the phantom audience that died in a fire at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago, the “Black Goon” of Disney’s New Amsterdam Theatre, the ghost cat who haunts the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and Olive Thomas, the flirtatious spirit of a Ziegfeld showgirl, who appears only to men and who greeted the author by shaking scenery backstage at the Broadway theatre she still haunts to this day.

$10 Registration Fee

PROF. MIKE BERREL

Thursday, April 16th at 11am 

Artificial Intelligence: How it affects pop culture and current affairs

We’ve all grown up with AI as a movie villain or comic relief sidekick. But what happens when those stories shape how we actually think about technology? This talk looks at the gap between Hollywood’s imagination and the reality of AI, why that disconnect matters for our future, and how we can start asking smarter questions about the tools we’re building.

$10 Registration Fee


Workshops

SPRING 2026 WORKSHOPS 

Engaging FILL Workshops provide hands-on, interactive learning experiences designed for active, curious learners who want to deepen their skills and explore new interests. Led by Farmingdale faculty, industry professionals, and subject-matter experts, these workshops emphasize participation, collaboration, and practical application.

Offerings span a wide range of topics, from creative arts and writing to technology, wellness, financial planning, and lifelong skill development—allowing participants to learn by doing in a supportive, community-focused environment. Whether building a new skill, refining an existing passion, or exploring something entirely new, Engaging FILL Workshops embody the Institute’s mission to make lifelong learning dynamic, relevant, and personally meaningful.

CERTIFIED CPR TRAINING

Tuesday, March 3rd from 4pm - 7pm  

Training with Officer Luis Llano

The American Heart Association’s BLS course trains participants to promptly recognize several life-threatening emergencies, give high-quality chest compressions, deliver appropriate breaths and ventilations, and provide early use of an AED. The course reflects science and education from the 2025 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).

$20 Registration Fee

 


Parking

To obtain an ILR Member parking permit for the Spring 2026 semester, please visit the University Police Headquarters on campus. Member parking is $11 per semester. Please bring a CHECK. No cash or credit card accepted.

For more information, please refer to the University Police website, email police@farmingdale.edu or call 934-420-2561 (Parking & Traffic).

Accessible Parking Information

Last Modified 12/23/25