In response to the war in Ukraine, the Office of Global Programs hosted a panel discussion about the current crisis with Michael Sampson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Education Specialties, School of Education and moderated by Mauricio Borrero, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History, St. John’s College.
If you missed the event, you can now access the recording of Global Dialogue: Ukraine from the Frontline.
Dr. Sampson was in Ukraine as a Fulbright Scholar working on a research project with children and teachers when he was abruptly relocated to Poland in January because of the imminent threat by Russian forces. Now in Poland, he continues to teach classes remotely to students still in Ukraine while working with humanitarian organizations and other Fulbright grantees to support and aid to Ukrainian refugees.
Dr. Sampson was joined on the panel by three Fulbright scholars to Ukraine who, like Dr. Sampson, were evacuated due to the war:
Fulbrighter John Vsetecka and
Michael Sampson in Kyiv
(Photo by Sergy Gavrishkevich)
John Vsetecka is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at Michigan State University. In addition to his scholarship on famine in Soviet Ukraine in the 20th Century, he is the founder of H-Ukraine, an online platform dedicated to promoting academic and intellectual content related to the study of Ukraine
Fulbrighter Evan Harary (Photo by Sergy Gavrishkevich)
Evan Harary is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School with experience in immigration and international humanitarian law. In Ukraine, Evan was conducting research on the implementation of citizenship confirmation and statelessness determination procedures.
Fulbrighter Nicole Jepeal (Photo by Sergy Gavrishkevich)
Nicole Jepeal received a Master of Science in Public Health from Emory University where she studied health systems and health policy research. Her work in Ukraine involved working with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to explore the implementation process of Ukraine's health reform plan.
Many attendees wanted to know how to help. These are links to the humanitarian organizations suggested by the panelists.
My participation in the Global Online Learning Exchange (GOLE) program served as a meaningful extension of my commitment to culturally responsive teacher preparation and equity-centered pedagogy...
In Fall 2025, I implemented the first iteration of the Global Online Learning Exchange (GOLE) in my Hinduism class, which fulfills core curriculum requirements and focuses on the study of religion in a diverse, global context. My course was for honors students, and I focused on the philosophy and practices of Hinduism in India and the United States.
