Tuesdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30 August 6, 13
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Coffee provides a lively lens on major past and present issues, including climate change, social life, health, global North–South differences, economic justice, tourism, and slavery. The course begins “from the ground up,” tracing coffee from planting and processing through global shipping to the beverage in the cup—part of nearly two billion cups consumed worldwide each day. Sessions explore coffee’s global history and its transformation from an elite drink to an everyday staple. Drawing on current research, the class examines coffee and health, farmer income, and how production may adapt to a changing climate. The instructor shares firsthand experiences from coffee farms and demonstrates several brewing methods, with time for questions and discussion.

Robert Thurston, PhD is Emeritus Professor of History at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). He earned a BA from Northwestern University and a PhD in modern Russian history from the University of Michigan.