Born in Ukraine, just two months prior to the nuclear power plant explosion of Chernobyl, Petr discovered that he was actively losing his vision at age 9, shortly after his family immigrated to the United States. By age 10, Petr was declared legally blind and continued to lose his sight, losing access to class material and prospects of academic or social success. Petr eventually took up jobs in the construction industry after dropping out of school due to his inability to read printed text. This arrangement was undoubtedly less than ideal and became very unsafe as time went on.

Determined to go beyond the apparent limitations, Petr was able to find the resources and training that would open a path of opportunity in education and a dynamic career adventure. This career journey began with his work in hospice care, after which he went on to teach “It’s Your Health”, an innovative approach to health and wellness at Emory University, his alma mater. He later went on to complete his Wellness Coaching Certification with Wellcoaches Corporation and worked with clients to transform their approach to health and wellness.

Petr’s passion to ensure equal access for people with disabilities also became a great part of his life and lead him to the work he did at the Colorado Center for the Blind in a number of rehabilitation and training roles in their adult and senior programs. Additionally, he was inspired to co-found Socially Accessible, a consulting agency that works with businesses to incorporate diversity/inclusion and “Universal Design” practices in both their hiring process and in the way they service their customers. His commitment to accessibility brought Petr to Charter Communications, where he is currently building accessible employee and customer experiences as Senior Accessibility Manager.

Petr’s true love and passion is to inspire transformational thinking that leads to positive health and desirable behavior outcomes, which has landed him on stages across the US in schools, corporate settings and conferences, sharing a message of empowerment and transformational thinking.

Dr. Lara Zwarun is a scholar whose research expertise is in persuasion and messaging. She is also a proud Ukrainian-American, with a father who escaped from Russian soldiers in World War II and lived in Displaced Persons camps in Germany for years before coming to America.

An Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Missouri St. Louis, Dr. Zwarun traveled to Ukraine in 2015 to conduct research on the role of social media in combating Russian disinformation. Her findings from this trip, as well as the parallels between her family history and what Ukrainians are currently experiencing, give her a uniquely informed perspective on the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia occurring now.

Dr. Zwarun’s work has appeared in journals such as Media Psychology, American Journal of Public Health, and Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media. An engaging public speaker, she was selected as a 2019-2020 University of Missouri System Presidential Engagement Scholar to share her research contributions with Missouri residents around the state. She has shared her insights on Ukraine on behalf of the St. Louis Kaplan and Feldman Holocaust Museum, on St. Louis Public Radio, and in other media outlets.

Social Media

UMSL homepage: https://tinyurl.com/LaraZwarunUMSL

Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/LaraZGooglescholar