The Colvin Center welcomes two international researchers

This fall, the Colvin Center for International Reporting will host two visiting fellows through the IREX Community Solutions program, an international fellowship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. government and supported in its implementation. by IREX. The two fellows, from Nepal and Ukraine, are both seeking to deepen their understanding of how to bring disparate communities together.

Communication can help people find common ground, mutual understanding and collaborative solutions across so many borders and boundaries, said Laura Lindenfeld, dean of the School of Communication and Journalism and executive director of the Alda Center for Science Communication. The SoCJ and The Colvin Center are delighted to welcome these two fellows to Stony Brook so that we can work together and learn from each other as we all work to create a fairer, fairer, and more rational world.

The Community Solutions Program contributes to human development by empowering youth, developing leaders, strengthening institutions, and expanding access to quality education and information. It facilitates cross-cultural and cross-border exchanges to foster more inclusive, just and prosperous societies.

Iryna Domnenko, from Ukraine, and Shraddha Verma, from Nepal, will spend most of the fall semester on Long Island and work alongside faculty and staff at the School of Communication and Journalism.

While at Stony Brook, Domnenko will explore different ways to unite communities and counter Russian disinformation in times of controversy. Upon her return to Ukraine, she will develop educational and motivational programs for communities in her role at the Ukrainian Institute of Analysis and Advocacy.

In Nepal, Verma works for a human rights organization that seeks to end child trafficking in partnership with government agencies and other advocacy groups. Like Domnenko, Verma will examine ways to build advocacy movements that fight for change and improve government protections for these exploited populations.

The Community Solutions Program is a wonderful way for us to learn from each other, said Sarah Baxter, director of the Colvin Center and visiting journalism professor. Iryna and Shraddha will share their expertise and help our students develop skills in trauma-informed foreign reporting.

This is the second time the School of Communication and Journalism has hosted Fellows from the Community Solutions Program. The first one, Ekaterina Miscisina, came to the SoCJ in the fall of 2022 from Moldova to study Russian disinformation and how that information flows in and through the American media landscape. Two recent SoCJ graduates made a return visit to Moldova in May.