NOTES ON PEOPLE (12/08/96)

NOTES ON PEOPLE

Harbuziuks mark wedding anniversary

ELMHURST, Ill. - The Rev. Olexa and Sophia Harbuziuk of Elmhurst, Ill., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 26.

Both are longtime members of UNA Branch 17 in Chicago.

The Rev. Harbuziuk is pastor emeritus of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago in Berwyn.

An anniversary dinner was held at The Hamlet restaurant in Carol Stream on Saturday, October 26. The Rev. and Mrs. Harbuziuk were joined by family and friends. All seven of their children - Helen Bus of Batavia, Ill.; Alex of Naperville, Ill.; Irene DeWolf of Wheaton, Ill.; Lee Lohr of Ohio; Vera Gustafson of Nebraska; Wayne of Wheaton, Ill.; and Elizabeth Heath of Glen Ellyn, Ill. - attended with their families.

Among those in attendance were the Rev. Harbuziuk's brother and sister-in-law, John and Martha Harbuziuk of Jacksonville, Ill.

Mr. and Mrs. Harbuziuk were both born in Ukraine. They met in Germany and were married on October 26, 1946.

They came to the United States in August 1949 when the Rev. Harbuziuk was called to be the pastor of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago. The church moved from Chicago to a building in Berwyn in December 1985.

The Harbuziuks moved to Elmhurst in 1957. The Rev. Harbuziuk retired as pastor at the beginning of 1993 at the age of 72. He is still active in the ministry, serving as consultant to the executive board of the All-Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention and as president of Doroha Prawdy, a Ukrainian Baptist publishing house.

For many years he was general secretary of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention of Churches in the U.S.A., retiring just last August. The Rev. Harbuziuk often spoke out against Communist persecution of Christians in Ukraine and the Soviet Union, and in that role he met a couple of times with President Ronald Reagan. After Ukraine became independent, he met with that country's first two presidents to speak of the importance of religious freedom.

Emil Bej is included in new Who's Who

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Dr. Emil Bej, economics professor at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, has earned inclusion in 1997-1998 in Who's Who in the East. To be chosen for inclusion, candidates must have held a position of responsibility or have attained a significant achievement in their field.

Dr. Bej was born on April 26, 1925, in Stryi, Ukraine, and came to the U.S. in 1949. He earned LL.B. and doctoral degrees from the Ukrainian Free University (UFU) in Munich in 1949 and 1970, respectively, and an M.A. (in economics) from the University of Detroit in 1966.

His professional career began in 1969 at Shippensburg University as he progressed from assistant to full professor. For 1995-1997, he was elected associate dean of the social sciences division at the UFU. Dr. Bej served as visiting professor at the University of Manitoba (1976), the Lviv Institute of Management (1992) and the UFU (1974-1996).

Dr. Bej has authored approximately 30 articles in international economic journals based in Germany, Italy, Canada and the U.S., as well as three textbooks published by the UFU: "Theory of International Integration" (1985), "International Economics Theory" (1995) and "Political Economy of European Communities" (1992).

Currently he is working on two textbooks, "International Economics Policy" and "Macroeconomics: Theory and Strategy." Dr. Bej is the author also of over 150 articles in various Ukrainian-language journals and newspapers, including journals like Polityka i Chas and Nauka i Suspilstvo, both based in Kyiv. Since 1988 he has been a full member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S.A.

Dr. Bej is married to Vera (Szwabiuk) Bej who was awarded Pennsylvania "Teacher of the Year" title in 1988. The Bejs have two sons; Dr. Mark Bej, who served as clinical associate and research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Dr. Andrew Bej, who works as an attorney for an international business law firm in Washington.

Dr. Emil Bej is a member of UNA Branch 83.

Pianist graduates with honors, MFA degree

WOODBRIDGE, Conn. - Pianist Victor Markiw has graduated with honors this past May from the Purchase Conservatory of Music, State University of New York in Purchase, N.Y., earning a master of fine arts degree in music.

While at Purchase Mr. Markiw studied with renowned pianist Volo-dymyr Vynnytsky, who is an affiliate artist teacher on the faculty at SUNY-Purchase.

A Eugene and Emily Grant scholarship student who was on the Dean's List during consecutive semesters, Mr. Markiw participated in various chamber ensembles coached by Pavel Ostrovsky and master classes with Vladimir Feltsman.

Mr. Markiw received his bachelor of music degree from the Hartt School of Music in 1992, when he launched his performance career. Along with annual appearances in the "Young Artists Recital" at the Ukrainian Institute of America, Mr. Markiw has been active in recitals, chamber music and as soloist with symphony orchestras. In 1995, Mr. Markiw was appointed to the music division at the University of New Haven as adjunct professor of piano.

Mr. Markiw is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bohdan Markiw and currently resides in Woodbridge, Conn.