Stetson University will host 4 displaced Ukrainian students, 1 faculty member next year
DELAND — With millions of Ukrainian residents fleeing the war imposed upon them by Russia, many people around the world are asking what they can do to help.
Stetson University officials say they've launched a program and are raising funds to host four students and one faculty member from Ukraine for the 2022-23 academic year. Several faculty members have lived and worked in Ukraine, Eastern Europe and Russia and have been drawn to share their insights and to help.
“We have a lot of expertise in the region. We also have a lot of Hatter spirit of, like, reaching above and beyond what we may be seen as capable of doing," said Martin Blackwell, visiting professor of history. It’s a small school but it’s a historic place, an independent, private institution that’s been here a really long time, that has really good connections in Florida.”
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Stetson has begun raising funds toward a $250,000 goal.
Blackwell, who in 2016 wrote "Kyiv as Regime City: The Return of Soviet Power after Nazi Occupation," has lived and worked in the region.
"We do know there are over 4 million refugees. Of those 4 million, it’s quite possible thousands or a few thousand are already here," he said.
Blackwell and other Stetson officials were working on an application for the students and the scholar which will be posted on scienceforukraine.eu, where other opportunities for Ukrainians are posted.
“It’s open to people who are displaced by the war, and that’s an awful lot of people," he said. "And the numbers keep growing and there are a lot of internally displaced people within Ukraine, the further east (in Ukraine) you go.”
The four students will be undergraduates with the skill to communicate the context of Ukraine and the war there to the Stetson community and beyond.
“We’re going to look for people who can really tell the stories of their country and tell the stories of what’s happened there," Blackwell said. "I think people have seen what they’re doing in Ukraine is standing up for the same beliefs that we would stand up and fight for here if somebody invaded our country. It has been dramatic to see the Ukrainians come together and do what they’ve been doing."
The four Ukrainian students will receive travel expenses, as well as room and board, living together in a campus-furnished apartment so they will have a degree of comfort and respite.
The scholar will be a university faculty member or recent Ph.D. from Ukraine who will be appointed as a visiting scholar in the Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence.
Blackwell said there has been interest from other U.S. universities to participate in the process of identifying displaced Ukrainian students, although he said it was premature to identify the schools.
"We’ve had some contact with other universities. We’re spearheading the effort," he said. "What Stetson is trying to do here is very, very unusual. That’s the message that needs to get out to people.”
Why Stetson?
The Stetson Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies — or SPREES — has been a part of university since 1958.
It prepares students for careers in government, education, international business and nonprofit work.
“Our SPREES faculty have been speaking and engaging nationally and internationally on Ukraine, and they are uniquely positioned to advance this initiative thanks to their expertise and experience,” Elizabeth Skomp, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of World Languages and Cultures (Russian), said in a news release.
University President Chris Roellke is supporting the effort, as well.
“Stetson University has a long and impressive history of ‘stepping up’ in times of crisis, and SPREES places Stetson in a position to advance teaching and learning during the war in Ukraine,” Roellke said in a news release. “It is our responsibility to assist Ukrainian faculty and students who have been forced to become refugees. The deep connection and expertise of our SPREES faculty in Ukraine and Russia are making Stetson’s contributions to this global challenge a reality.”
Ukrainian-themed dinner will raise funds
Hari Pulapaka, an associate professor of math who doubles as a James Beard Award-nominated chef, offered to host a Ukraine-themed fundraising dinner.
He brainstormed menu ideas with some of the Stetson faculty familiar with Ukraine culture.
“We had a very productive meeting and are looking forward to trying a good simulation with a Ukrainian feast, with our own interpretation,” Pulapaka said. “We will be cooking with the Stetson dining staff.”
The dinner takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. May 4 in the Carlton Student Union. Tickets are $100.
Pulapaka is also hosting a fundraiser dinner at The Center at Deltona from 6 to 9 p.m. April 23, with 100% of proceeds directly benefiting the World Central Kitchen.
He has recruited five other renowned Central Florida chefs to help in preparing the feast:
John Rivers, chef and founder, 4R Group, including 4Rivers Smokehouse
Kevin Fonzo, James Beard-nominated chef/founder of Edible Education Experience
Toni Elkhouri, JBF Blended-Burger Project winner, chef/owner, Cedar's Cafe, Melbourne
Barry Honan, alumnus of 3-Star Michelin Le Bernardin in NYC and founder of Lotus Noodle Bar, St. Augustine
Tonda Corrente, owner of La Femme du Fromage in Orlando and owner/culinary director at Tonda's Kitchen
Pulapaka is a Worldchefs Certified Master Chef who founded Global Cooking School LLC and with his wife Jenneffer, a certified sommelier, cofounded Cress, a restaurant they operated in DeLand from 2008 to 2021.
"It's my natural instinct if I can help through the medium of food," he said. "There is clearly a need and a need for humanitarian resources."
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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Stetson University offers 4 Ukraine students scholarships in 2022-23
