Iryna Zenyuk’s research puts her on the front lines of a campaign to transition the world’s energy economy away from fossil fuels and toward clean, renewable resources. Now, the Ukrainian American scientist and UCI engineer has taken on a new role organizing campus efforts to provide a safe place for refugees fleeing danger in the nation of her birth.
Zenyuk has become increasingly concerned for the safety and well-being of Ukraine’s scientists and academics since Russia began its large-scale military invasion of the country in late February. Instead of helplessly watching the horrors of war unfold on her TV screen, she decided to launch a program to bring Ukrainian university faculty to UCI and, potentially, other University of California campuses.