Pace University New York City Model UN students visiting UN Headquarters during Fall 2016 semester.
Pace University Model United Nations students represented their university very well this year, with a strong showing in three conferences:
- They took home 14 awards for their excellence in the November 2016 National Model United Nations conference in DC. This tied them second out of 45 universities and institutions in the number of awards received. Read more here.
- Twelve students participated in the 2017 Scotland Model UN (SCOTMUN) conference, a small but competitive simulation in Edinburgh, UK, 3-5 March 2017. The conference was unusual in that it had students representing the media as well as Member States of the UN. Danyelle Lepardo ’17 received an award for her stellar work as a reporter in the conference. Read more here.
- They were recognized with six awards at the 2017 National Model UN conference in New York City (NMUN NY), 19-23 March 2017. This tied them 17th out of 153 participating universities and institutions in the number of awards received. Read more here.
The Model UN program is very grateful for the service and leadership of its Head Delegates. Three of them — Susha Galimova, Matt Mainzer and Priya Sakaria — are graduating this May. We wish them luck for their upcoming endeavors! Nigina Khaitova will return for another year in 2017/2018, joined by three incoming Head Delegates: Joseph Colella ’19, Mary-Lynn Hearn ’19 and Megan Zubar ’20.
In 2016, Pace University, including its Model UN program, was featured in a report by then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, recognizing its “growing role in disarmament education.” The Model UN students also received a tour of UN Headquarters and briefing from the staff of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs in the Fall 2016 semester. The Head Delegates attended specialized training on facilitating Model UN programs at the UN from UN4MUN and the World Federation of UN Associations.
Model UN students were also recognized with prestigious awards and fellowships:
- Taslim Tavarez Garcia ’18 was named a 2017 Truman Scholar.
- Matt Mainzer ’17 is a finalist for a 2017 Fulbright award. He was also selected for a competitive summer internship with the US Department of State in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- Annamaria Watson ’16 is a Princeton in Asia Teaching Fellow in Malaysia.
- Alumni Kyla Korvne ’15 and Jessie Meredith ’16 received 2016 Fulbright awards, and were living in Senegal and Jordan, respectively.
Several past and present Model UN students were able to intern and volunteer with organizations working in and around UN headquarters in New York this year:
- Nelli Agbulos ’17, Yasmine Coccoli ’18, Jessica Halee ’19, Ly Nguyen ’17 and Nigina Khaitova ’18 were among a group of Pace students who, working with Dr. Emily Bent of Women’s and Gender Studies, served as facilitators for the teen delegates from the Girls Learn International participating in the 61st Commission on the Status of Women.
- Tiffany Moton ’18 and Syuyumbika “Susha” Galimova ’17 volunteered with PAX, participating in monitoring and advocacy at the the UN General Assembly First Committee session in the Fall.
- Aimee Giguere ’18 volunteered with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom’s Reaching Critical Will project, taking notes on sessions in the First Committee.
- Emily Rochefort ’19 did advocacy in the First Committee with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition.
- Jason Vargas ’17 aided Peace Boat with their advocacy on nuclear disarmament.
- Priya Sakaria ’17 interned with Control Arms, working on advocacy for universalization and robust implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty.
Students also learned about international careers from guest speakers including Tori Curbelo of UNICEF USA; Michael Spies and Chris King of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs; Tim Kennel Shenk of Doctors without Borders; Anne Mitaru of Action Aid; and Katie James ’14 of New York City Emergency Management.
Numerous Model UN students have reflected on their experiences in Model UN in blog posts on this website. Here are a few highlights:
On 2017 NMUN NY:
- “Model UN Was an Eye-Opener and a Mind Opener“, by Sarah Khanfar ’20.
- “Learning about Myself and Others“, by Anoud Alammar ’18
- “Model UN Taught Me How to Make Underrepresented Voices Heard” by Malissa Kelly ’19.
- “Building Global Friendships“, by Carina Babenko ’22.
- “Model UN Is a Difficult but Life-Changing Class“, by David Sharif ’19.
- “Don’t Let Your Fears Deter You!“, by Deanna Turzi ’17.
- “Model United Nations Class Is a Blast! Advice for Prospective Model UNers,” Emili Kalashnikova ’20.
On 2017 SCOTMUN:
- “Advocating for World Heritage at the Scotland Model UN Conference“, Mary-Lynn Hearn ’19.
- “The Class that Defined My Undergrad Experience“, by Jason Vargas ’17
On 2016 NMUN DC:
- “Don’t Waste Time Wondering If You Are Good Enough for Model UN, Just Do It!“, Ly Nguyen.
- “In a Time of Division, Model UN Offers Solidarity“, by Danyelle Lepardo.
- “Model UN Gave Me a New Outlook on the World,” by Mary-Lynn Hearn.
- “E Pluribus Unum: From the United States Capitol to Model UN“, by Joseph Colella.
- “Model UN Developed My Advocacy Skills“, by Elizaveta “Lisa” Smirnova ’18.
- “Model UN Made Me More Aware of the World“, by Gia Tango ’17.
Pace University New York City Model UN Faculty Adviser Dr. Matthew Bolton (left) and Beatrice Fihn (right), executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, briefing reporters at the UN Correspondents Association.
Pace NYC Model UN’s Faculty Adviser, Dr. Matthew Bolton was recognized for his contributions to multilateral diplomacy and global policymaking:
- He served on the NMUN DC Advisory Group.
- Along with Dr. Emily Welty (director of Peace and Justice Studies at Pace and his spouse), he was awarded a 2016-2017 Jefferson Award for Public Service Bronze Medal, in part for Model UN.
- He was featured in articles on issues related to the UN and global politics in The Hill, Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, International Business Times, Nikkei Asian Review and ABS-CBN News.
- He received an almost $194,000 grant from the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR) to establish a training program for East African officials on the Arms Trade Treaty in partnership with the Control Arms Secretariat.
The Model UN program also benefited from support from the New York City Political Science department, including the chair, Dr. Jessica Lavariega Monforti and Dr. Kiku Huckle, who accompanied the students to the NMUN DC and SCOTMUN conferences. The program would not be possible without the generous funding from Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences.