UF students Roman Safiullin and Jon Bougher survived the earthquake and aftershocks that shook Haiti early this week, UF spokesman Steve Orlando confirmed Thursday afternoon.
"They are alive and well and that's the most important thing at the moment," Orlando said.
A family member of one of the students notified the university that the students were safe.
The documentary and film graduate students were in Haiti shooting a documentary for their theses about the construction of an orphanage.
Professor Churchill Roberts, co-director of the UF Documentary Institute, said he didn't sleep Wednesday night because he was worried about his students.
"I got the news [of the students' safety] in the middle of class this morning, and it was an incredible relief," Roberts said Thursday afternoon.
Roberts said he'll be even more at ease once he speaks to the students personally.
"I would still love to hear Jon or Roman's voice. It would really make my day," he said.
The tragedy is unlikely to prevent the completion of the film, Roberts said.
Orlando could not confirm whether the students would return home soon, or if they would stay in Haiti to continue their documentary work. But a report by ABC News on Campus said Bougher told his mother that he was waiting in the airport for a flight to the Dominican Republic or to Miami.
"This is absolutely tremendous news," Machen said in a statement to the UF News Bureau. "It's a bright spot in the midst of a horrible tragedy. While we're thankful that Jon and Roman are safe, we continue to keep the earthquake victims and their loved ones in our thoughts."
On Wednesday night, Student Affairs, Club Creole and other UF organizations created a UF club called Gators United for Haiti to coordinate volunteers and donations on campus.
Students worked with the university to figure out the best way to organize aid, Orlando said.
The club aims to collect $50,000 in aid for the distraught nation, which, Orlando pointed out, amounts to about $1 per student.
Gators United for Haiti can be contacted through Facebook.com
