Documenting displacement: How Katie Livermore is using journalism to tell the human stories behind war

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Katie Livermore

By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - September 9, 2025

Katie Livermore has worn many hats during her time at Oregon State University—student, reporter, editor, intern, international studies scholar, and soon, a researcher and student abroad. But at the heart of it all is one guiding force: her desire to tell human stories that might otherwise go unheard.

Livermore, a senior double majoring in international studies and creative writing with a minor in applied journalism, is spending her final term this fall in Spain, where she’ll complete her international studies degree. She’ll graduate in December, but her impact is already resonating beyond campus borders, especially through her ambitious thesis project on the human toll of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“When the war started," Livermore said, "I was in a Shakespeare class. I remember seeing the news and just being overwhelmed. I started watching and reading the news every day. I felt a connection to the Ukrainians I saw on the screen. That’s when I knew I wanted to report on it.”

"I'm a fifth generation Ukrainian," continued Livermore. "My mom, aunt, and uncle have kept Ukrainian culture alive and in my family over the years, through decorations, food, and love. I am grateful for their work in keeping tradition alive and hopes to do the same."

Her reporting journey began earlier, when she joined The Daily Barometer in her sophomore year. She quickly became the campus editor and later editor in chief, diving into a wide array of stories from protest coverage to deep-dive features. “I took on anything I could,” she said. “I wanted to explore every kind of story, every voice. That curiosity never left me.”

But her reporting turned more personal after she came across a postcard left on her newsroom desk. One from Corvallis’s Sister City Association, which partners with the Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod. The sender’s name? Alice. The same as Livermore’s grandmother, who was born into a Canadian-Ukrainian community in Lamont, Alberta. She took it as a sign.

“I called the number on the card and ended up at the home of Alice and Mark Rampton, who introduced me to an entire network of Ukrainian community members, activists, and refugees,” Livermore recalled. “From there, there was a network of people, each inspiring story leading to another.”

Those early conversations became the foundation of her thesis, a long-form journalistic work guided by none other than Chris Johns, ‘74, former editor in chief of National Geographic and renowned photographer. Their partnership began with a spontaneous email from Livermore. 

“I told him I admired his work and wanted to document Ukrainian voices. He replied within an hour,” she said, still amazed. “Since then, we’ve met weekly on Zoom. He’s been an incredible mentor.”

For nearly two years, Livermore has been interviewing dozens of people impacted by the war: Ukrainians, Russians, internally displaced persons, immigrants, and aid workers. Some through translated Facebook calls and messages, others via community connections in Corvallis and Portland. One woman’s story became the centerpiece of her thesis, the kind of narrative she believes can bring distant suffering closer to home.

“I try to ask questions that really put readers in the moment,” Livermore said. “What were you wearing that day? What did the dinner you were making smell like? How many people were there? That kind of sensory detail helps people empathize–even if they’ve never experienced war.”

That empathy-driven approach defines all her reporting, from her internship at The Bulletin in Bend to her work with The Immigrant Story, a Portland-based nonprofit where she profiles displaced individuals from around the world. It also shapes how she engages with sources; carefully building trust, checking in long after interviews end, and being vulnerable herself.

“There have been times when I’ve cried with someone during an interview,” she said. “It’s just what happens when you create a space where people feel safe to share what’s often the most painful part of their lives.”

This past summer, Livermore traveled to Lamont to document her grandmother’s past life, tracing back to her Ukrainian roots. She visited the farm her great-grandparents first moved into when they arrived in Ukraine and photograph locations her grandmother wrote about in her diary entries. 

"I had the opportunity to walk in the same places my grandma once did in her Ukrainian community. It was the most incredible trip, and I feel more connected to her and my culture."

Studying abroad in Spain this fall will be more than a capstone to her degree; it’s a continuation of her commitment to cross-cultural storytelling. After reporting in Spanish last summer on a GED program for migrant farmworkers in Madras, Oregon, she’s excited to deepen her language skills and explore immigration law and policy from an alternate perspective.

“I’ve studied Spanish since middle school, and I’d love to be able to report in Spanish more fluently,” she said. “Especially in Oregon, Spanish-speaking communities are often underrepresented in journalism.”

Livermore’s academic path, an unusual mix of initially zoology, then creative writing, and international studies, has finally found its focus. “I originally wanted to be a science writer,” she said with a laugh. “But I kept being drawn back to human stories, especially global ones. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Looking ahead, she envisions a future in both local and international journalism, maybe starting with a community paper, or maybe law school down the road. New York is calling. So is Ukraine. She’s currently volunteering for a Ukrainian organization in Portland and hopes to one day publish her thesis project as a book. 

“I want people to feel something when they read these stories,” she said. “Maybe they’ll donate. Maybe they’ll volunteer. Or maybe they’ll just better understand what it means to lose your home, your country, and still fight for hope.”

Even if the world sometimes feels too big to change, Livermore remains undeterred.

“Even if it’s just one piece of journalism,” she said. “But if enough of us keep telling these stories—truthfully, empathetically, it can get pretty loud.” And Livermore has never been afraid to raise her voice.