Former LSU basketball player Roman Rubchenko to speak at Centenary March 6
SHREVEPORT, LA — Roman Rubchenko, a native of Ukraine who played basketball at LSU in the 1990s, will visit Centenary College on Wednesday, March 6, to speak about his experiences as a political asylum seeker, professional athlete, and successful management consultant. Rubchenko will speak to students and community members in Centenary’s Whited Room from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Rubchenko was born in Soviet Ukraine. In 1991, while on a trip to play in a basketball tournament as part of the Ukraine junior team, he defected to the United States and asked for political asylum. From 1992 to 1996, Rubchenko played for the legendary Dale Brown at Louisiana State University, and then went on to play professional basketball teams for in Turkey, Uruguay, Israel, Spain, France, Poland, Belgium, and Portugal from 1996 to 2004.
Rubchenko earned a BS from LSU, an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. His professional management career includes stints at top management consulting firms, including BCG, Partners in Performance, and Roland Berger.
During his visit to Centenary, Rubchenko will detail his story as an asylum seeker turned professional athlete turned management consultant, raising awareness of the current situation in Ukraine and talking about the importance of resilience.