Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the 58th University of Pennsylvania Model United Nations Conference! My name is Ria Jani and I am delighted to be your chair for the DISEC committee. I look forward to a weekend filled with engaging and insightful discussions.

To further introduce myself, I am a senior at Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and I’m originally from Bergen County, New Jersey. I previously served as Director of the Community Outreach and Engagement Branch of Penn’s International Affairs Association. I am also an active volunteer and President of Penn for Youth Debate (a non-profit volunteer organization that teaches debate/public speaking to underserved schools). I fell in love with Model UN during my freshman year of high school and eventually went on to become president of my school’s MUN club. When coming to Penn, I wanted to stay involved with MUN specifically through working with UPMUNC. Over the past three years, I’ve chaired a crisis committee, ECOFIN, and IPCC committee for UPMUNC. 

Throughout the weekend, I’d like to foster an environment of learning, empathy, and encouragement. Regardless of whether you are a Model UN beginner or a seasoned competitor, you have a place in this committee and your voice deserves to be heard. Throughout the weekend, I hope you all have the opportunity to learn more about this important topic, each other, and yourselves. 

If you have any questions or concerns until then (or would just like to introduce yourself), please feel free to reach out to me at riajani@sas.upenn.edu. I can’t wait to meet you all in November!

Sincerely,

Ria Jani

riajani@sas.upenn.edu