How Residents Ron and Susan Ebert Helped Launch Edgehill University

When Susan and Ron Ebert moved to Edgehill from the Boston area in September of 2025, they were ready for a new chapter. The light, the views and the ease of the setting made it feel like home, bringing with it a sense of possibility about what this next stage might hold.

Even before they officially moved in, neighbors introduced themselves and lingered in conversation. “The people are extremely welcoming, residents and associates,” Susan says. It was an early signal that this was a community shaped as much by people as by place.

Living at Edgehill, it became clear this was also the kind of environment where ideas could surface naturally.

A Life Shaped by Learning

Teaching and learning have always been woven into Susan and Ron’s lives, even as their professional paths unfolded in different directions.

Susan earned a PhD in comparative literature. While raising their family, she built a long career in philanthropy, helping establish a women’s fund that has raised $7 million over 25 years.

“At its heart, the women’s fund was about learning—listening closely, asking better questions and understanding how philanthropy could truly support women and girls,” Susan says. “That kind of learning never stops.”

Ron’s career led him into psychology and clinical work. He earned his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University and spent more than 35 years as a forensic psychologist. He worked at McLean Hospital and was assistant medical director at Bridgewater State Hospital.

Although both Susan and Ron are now retired, their curiosity never retired.

Their shared curiosity even led Susan and Ron to the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement (HILR), a group of retired professionals committed to lifelong learning.

Creating a Resident-Led Learning Experience

As Susan and Ron settled into life at Edgehill, much of it felt familiar in the best way.  They had come with a quiet hope that they might recreate something they had loved at HILR, a shared learning experience rooted in preparation, discussion and the simple pleasure of thinking together. Not a lecture series, but something more participatory. Something resident-led.

They began to explore what that might look like within their new home at Edgehill.

They shared the idea with Sandi Kornblum, Edgehill’s lifestyle director, who oversees a thoughtful calendar of programs designed to enrich residents’ lives across education, the arts, wellness and social connection. Susan remembers Sandi’s reaction, “Her eyes lit up, and she said, ‘Let’s call it Edgehill University.’”

Inside the Edgehill University Classroom

“We wanted this to be a real college-level experience,” Ron explains. Participants purchase the book, complete the reading, attend every session and come prepared to contribute. There are no exams or grades, but expectations are clear and engagement is active.

“We’re excited for active participation,” he adds. “The goal is for everyone to engage, question and explore together.”

Literature That Invites Conversation

A return to classic literature sparked lively, thoughtful discussion, as residents gathered to explore Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice through close reading and shared perspectives. Together, they unpacked themes that still resonate today, discovering how a familiar novel can feel new again.

“Austen called it ‘my own darling child,’” Susan says, noting her description of Elizabeth Bennet as “as bright and delightful a character as ever appeared on a printed page.” That clarity and complexity, she adds, is exactly what makes the book worth studying. “It is about marriage, money, class status and personal growth. That is what we explored together.”

A Journey to Our Earliest Stories

Another class traveled much farther back in time, inviting residents to step into the world of prehistoric cave art and early human expression. Blending archaeology, science and storytelling, the sessions encouraged participants to consider what our earliest ancestors were trying to communicate and how creativity has always connected people across generations.

“I am taking you on a time-travel journey,” Ron says, “back to the very beginnings of human creativity and meaning.”

Curiosity Never Retires

When Susan and Ron introduced Edgehill University to their neighbors, the response was immediate. The first information session drew a strong turnout, with 75 residents filling the room. Of those, 45 enrolled on the spot—more than half choosing either full participation or auditing.

“We are thrilled about this new opportunity. Thank you,” one resident told them.

The pilot program officially launched in February of 2026, guided by the same spirit that shaped Susan and Ron’s years at HILR—curiosity, conversation and a genuine love of learning. In a fitting reflection of their partnership, they even served as each other’s teaching assistants.

The momentum only grew from there. Neighbors stopped them in the halls to ask when classes would begin. Seats filled quickly. Conversations began before the first session even met.

Edgehill University grew from the belief that learning is meant to be shared and from a community ready to embrace it. For Susan and Ron, it felt familiar in the best way: a place where curiosity is welcomed, where teaching and learning happen naturally and where ideas are met with enthusiasm.

Susan smiles when she talks about what comes next. “I am excited to do it.”