Current Position and Past Experience
Avi Bernstein is the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Brandeis University (BOLLI). During his three and a half years as director, he has been instrumental in moving BOLLI from a fee-for-courses transaction to a membership-based business model. On the new model the organization is witnessing significant increases in extracurricular activity (e.g. special interest groups , publication groups, and program committees); and a sea change in the amount of member participation on campus. This essay is based in part on remarks made at the 2015 Osher Institutes National Conference breakout session entitled, Let’s Talk: Approaches to Conflict in Our Midst.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Bernstein holds a BA, magna cum laude, in philosophy from Brown University, and a PhD from Stanford in Religion, where he wrote a dissertation on philosophers Hermann Cohen and Charles Taylor. At Brandeis Bernstein serves as an associate of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life.

Personal Details and Community Involvement
For ten years Bernstein served on the staff of Hebrew College of Boston, first as a program officer, and later as dean of educational planning and development. Bernstein is a graduate of the Newton Teacher Residency Program, and holds Massachusetts teacher certification in English Language Arts (8-12). Throughout his career, he has taught in his areas of interest, including literary fiction, philosophy, and religious thought. His current offering is Take Thomas Mann and Virginia Woolf for Example: What the Bible and its Ancient Interpreters Show Us About Modern Literature.

Connect
You can find Bernstein on LinkedIn.