As Ukraine endures the ravages of an unprovoked attack, battling for survival amid the wreckage wrought by Russian missiles and bombs, UNL scientist Oleh Khalimonchuk is coping with the killing of his people by offering what refuge he can in the science of life.
A native of Ukraine, Khalimonchuk is offering fellowships to Ukrainian biochemists. Khalimonchuk says he will open his lab’s doors to Ukrainian refugees, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, senior scientists, who are being forced to flee their homeland.
“The idea was just to do something, and not just stand aside,” Khalimonchuk says. “People, myself included, can feel helpless, not being able to help directly. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I were just sitting quietly and not doing anything.”
Khalimonchuk estimated that his lab could accommodate up to three or four Ukrainian biochemists. COVID-related disruptions have left the lab, like many others, with a temporary surplus of funds that Khalimonchuk intends to put toward hiring those Ukrainian transplants.
He also notes that Lincoln includes a sizable Ukrainian population. “Lincoln has always been a sanctuary city for refugees,” Khalimonchuk said of the city he’s called home since 2011. “So if there’s a possibility to welcome people here, we should be welcoming them.”
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