In 2020, James Lyons-Weiler, Ph.D., thought about people who were isolated due to COVID-19. He realized that since many people have not had the opportunities he had for a career in academia and access to published research, he could bring that experience to them through his online university, IPAK-EDU, which now has had hundreds of students taking about a dozen courses.
“We offer classes on topics that increasingly matter to the public,” explains Lyons-Weiler, “to help people understand the effects of technology-backed policies and medical decisions. Most of our students never had the chance to go to college. Now they want to learn about viruses and health-related issues, and they are finding our offerings to be the perfect fit.”

As enrollment opens for its third year, IPAK-EDU offers courses with a variety of instructors—and on diverse topics. Courses run 15 weeks with one-hour class meetings, which often run longer due to questions and discussion. Summer workshops are offered, and full-semester classes run from September to December and from January to June.

Courses cost about $180 per semester. The Michigan office of IPAK-EDU LLC is located at 20714 Shady Lane, St. Clair Shores. For more information or to register, visit their website at IPAK-EDU.org.