Along with learning about UCU's commitment to veterans and their families, HUSI students, faculty, and staff will hear statements about the speakers' wartime experience and their new roles in civilian life as coordinators of Veterans’ programs and Bitiukov’s work in upgrading Ukraine’s medical system as it relates to the treatment and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and mental health support for veterans and their families.
Organized and hosted by Emily Channell-Justice, Director of the Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program at HURI. Attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments.
Hlib Bitiukov is the Head of the Ukraine Catholic University Kyiv Center, an Expert at the National Health Service of Ukraine, and author of the book, To My Daughter: Notes from a Father at War. He began his professional journey as a medical practitioner working in emergency medical services and later in intensive care at a Kyiv hospital. With the outbreak of war in 2014, Bitiukov joined as a volunteer medic and subsequently served as a military medic in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
His experience in war and within the healthcare system led Bitiukov to explore how to improve the quality of medical care. After pursuing further studies in Medicine and health systems in the United States and Europe, Bitiukov graduated from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. He then joined the Ministry of Health as an advisor to the Minister working with the World Health Organization and other international health projects.
During the full-scale invasion, Bitiukov sustained a severe injury. After undergoing treatment, rehabilitation and returning to service, he eventually transitioned to civilian life due to his disability.
Andriy Kaspshyshak was born and raised in the city of Lviv. Since childhood, he dreamed of writing books and creating films and cartoons. As a teenager, he joined the Ukrainian youth organization “Heritage” and headed it from 2016-2020. He received his higher education in the specialties of “telecommunications” and “management” at the Lviv Polytechnic.
Kaspshyshak worked at the international accounting company of PwC. In 2020, he entered graduate school at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, but due to the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Kaspshyshaky took an academic leave and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as part of the 103rd brigade 62nd battalion. He demobilized in May of 2023 due to the serious health problems of his parents and resumed his studies.
In 2024, together with his wife Natalia, he founded the publishing house Mrielov. One of the first published books was the author’s own stories, “The Legend of the Free”, which the writer began writing while still in the Kharkiv military hospital.
Since 2025, Andriy Kaspshyshak has been the head of the Office for Veterans and their Families of the Ukrainian Catholic University. He is also the head of the veteran public organization “Brothers of the 103rd Brigade. Kaspshyshak has been awarded with the Order “For Merit” of the 3rd, the honorary breastplate “Golden Cross” and the brigade awards “Faith and Oath.”