A lifelong learner shares his passions with Henderson senior living community

As Richard Berman walked through the halls of Carnegie Heights at Henderson, he exchanged pleasantries with each resident he saw.

“They are headed to Carnegie College,” he said with a smile.

The retired UNLV mental health and counseling professor isn’t really retired at all. Sure, he’s 84 and hasn’t worked a 9-to-5 job since 2011, but he said he works on all five pillars of healthy aging every day: good nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, socialization and lifelong learning.

One of the pillars — learning — spearheaded his career and retirement interests.

Lifelong learning initiatives

When Berman and his wife first moved to the independent senior living community, he enjoyed engaging in all the offered activities such as working out, playing poker and dining at the on-site restaurants, which he said kept him sharp.

However, as a scholar with four degrees — a B.A., M.A., M.S. and Ph.D. — he missed intellectual stimulation, which is the only pillar of healthy aging the community was missing, he said.

Berman created Carnegie College in 2022 after working with the staff at Carnegie Heights and using the community connections he’s made throughout his time at UNLV. The college started as a twice-monthly lecture series. Experts on a range of topics come to the community and engage residents for an hour.

As more residents began attending the lectures, the program grew. It now meets every Tuesday, except for the last two weeks of the year. Guests speak on a range of topics, including Las Vegas history, healthy aging and comedy.

“We do more than that because periodically we find a lecturer that was very popular and had material that was very popular,” Berman said. “I’ll ask that person to teach a mini course here.”

The popularity of Carnegie College inspired Berman to bring more intellectual opportunities to his community. As a member of UNLV’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which offers classes to seniors, he said he knew a satellite campus would do well at Carnegie Heights. In 2023, Berman taught the first lifelong learning course at Carnegie Heights’ satellite campus. Since then, nine other courses have been offered at the community.

“I said, ‘How wonderful for people to take the elevator down to the classroom and take a college course,’” he said.

To motivate regular attendance, Berman gives away art made by other residents. Each attendee’s name is written on a ticket, and a few are drawn each lecture.

Also, the college hosts a graduation ceremony, where residents celebrate their participation after attending 16-20 classes each year. The community donates gifts to honor graduates, and speakers come to celebrate the class, Berman said.

‘The speakers are amazing’

At the Tuesday class, Carnegie Heights residents started filling the theater an hour before the lecture started. When the theater ran out of chairs, Berman helped bring in additional seating as he greeted each attendee.

Jeannie Anderson, the engagement manager for Carnegie Heights, said the lecture is a good activity to help cognitively stimulate the residents, and it also helps foster friendships.

“It’s something for them to look forward to. It brings excitement into the community,” she said.

Shirley Sandoval, a resident of Carnegie Heights at the lecture, affirmed Anderson’s statement about the social aspects of the group.

“I come to every class,” she said. “The speakers are amazing, and I learn a lot.”

As the lights went down and the speaker prepared his presentation, Berman shared jokes and highlighted birthdays, acting as an opening act for the lecture.

Dan Hecker, a chiropractor with Spinal Care of Nevada, spoke about brain health with the residents. Afterward, he participated in a question-and-answer session, followed by lunch with Berman and other residents wishing to keep the conversation going.

“I like to be involved in helping people maintain their health,” he said. “And what this class does is it keeps people’s minds active.”

Contact Megan Howard at mhoward@reviewjournal.com. Follow her on X at @meganmhxward.