Sasha Klebnikov
Vedika Luharuwalla
Assistant Directors
Read on for more information about our ADPs and their experiences!
Vedika is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science majoring in Economics and minoring in Sustainability and Environmental Management. Originally from India, she has lived in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, and Dubai. Apart from the IAA, Vedika is a part of the Assembly of International Students, the Penn Undergraduate Economics Society, and PAWS. She loves photography, animals, traveling and meeting new people. As this is her first year in the IAA, she is super excited to join the PIRC family!
Sasha is a freshmen in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Penn. He is an active member of the Academic Affairs branch of the International Affairs Association and joined PIRC 2013 as an Assistant Director in January. While originally from New York City, Sasha has spent time in England, Italy and Russia. There is nothing he likes more than long debates at 3 in the morning over topics from how to teach evolution in conservative Muslim societies, how American culture is defined by the ideal of ideas or whether rugby, football or American football is best (it’s clearly rugby). Besides making PIRC 2013 the best conference ever, Sasha loves Ballroom Dance, Cycling and making jet engines in the machine shops.
Diana is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Psychology while working on fulfilling her pre-med requirements. This is her first year involved in the International Affairs Association, and she couldn’t be happier to be working as an Assistant Director for PIRC. When she’s not running around campus trying to get to class, you might find her volunteering at the Puentes de Salud clinic in Philadelphia, working as a research assistant in the Children’s Hospital, giving campus tours, or taking as many dance classes as she can in the gym.
Astha is a freshman at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and is pursuing a major in Bioengineering. She also is a part of the Penn World Scholars Programme. She hails from India and has been participating in Model UN Conferences ever since she joined high school. She has been mentoring MUN newbies for two years now. She loves singing (specially Indian Classical Music). She is currently starting to venture into research in Neuroscience, while trying to become proficient in German. She is extremely excited to join PIRC as an Assistant Director to meet the students at this year’s conference!
Diana Herrera
Astha Shukla
Michelle Wang
Elise Pi
Fabian Sommer
Elise is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. Originally from Cupertino, California, she has spent half her life in Shanghai, China and loves both places dearly. With such a background, Elise has developed an interest in international relations as well as a love for traveling and learning about different cultures. This led her to becoming involved in and promptly falling in love with Model UN in high school. Aside from being an Assistant Director for PIRC, Elise will also be serving as Assistant Secretary General for ILMUNC this year. In her spare time you can find her trying to memorize Spanish vocabulary, working on Sudoku puzzles, or enjoying a rare leisurely stroll through campus. She is extremely excited to be part of PIRC 2013 and looks forward to organizing a great conference!
Fabian is currently a freshman in the Huntsman Program. He was born in Vienna, Austria, but moved to Turlock, California in 2000 and spent a large part of his childhood there. When he was 14, he moved back to Vienna with his parents and attended the Akademisches Gymnasium, where he graduated in 2011. Fabian loves traveling and has been to many countries in Europe, Africa, and around the United States. He speaks German, English, French, and “un poco” Spanish. When he’s not involved with PIRC or other matters related to his studies, he enjoys photography, good films, and swimming.
Iris Zhang
Iris is a freshman from Hong Kong in the College of Arts in Sciences, interested in majoring in gender studies and political science. Iris is an avid debater who used to represent Hong Kong at the World Schools Debating Championships, and is now involved with the Penn Parliamentary Team and the F-Word, the campus feminist magazine. In her free time, Iris likes traveling, studying Japanese, reading newsfeeds on all kinds of topics and eating. She is very interested in international affairs and international relations and is looking forward to PIRC 2013 very much!
Michelle is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, potentially majoring in Anthropology. She is originally from Beijing, China but went to school for 5 years in Dallas, TX. She loves travelling and blueberries. Her passion for diversity and travel (especially her trip to South Africa two years ago) cultivated her interest in international affairs. In her spare time, you will find her smiling and eating blueberries. She is extremely excited to join IAA and cannot wait to work together with the PIRC family!
Michelle Wang
Priyanka is a freshman in the Wharton School at Penn. Although raised in Dubai, Priyanka’s familiy originates from Banglore, India. She is the Assistant Business Director of Intercol and will possibly major in Finance or Risk Management. A passionate dancer, Priyanka's major ambition is to learn salsa. She is involved with the Wharton International Business Review, is a major White Collar buff and loves to play tennis or to try her hand at the piano.
Priyanka Hongal
Sebastián is a freshman in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sebastián brings an array of interests to PIRC and the International Affairs Association by stressing the importance of how international relations and business intersect. Before coming to Penn, Sebastián was actively involved in Model United Nations, the National Honor Society, and many academic committees. Additionally, he has interned at the Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Senate. Currently, he serves as student correspondent to Puerto Rico’s main newspaper, El Nuevo Día. During his spare time, Sebastián enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and engaging in political talks and rallies.
Sebastián Negrón-Reichard