The Secretariat

Secretary-General

Pranaya Balaji (she/her) is a junior at Yale University from Atlanta, Georgia studying Economics and Global Affairs. She is currently the Executive Director of the Yale International Relations Association and has previously served as an Assistant Secretary General for YMUN LI in New Haven, Under Secretary General of Committees for YMUN Dubai III, and Director for YMUN Europe XV. On campus, she is also involved in the Yale Undergraduate Consulting Group and the Yale Debate Association. In her free time, she loves to visit national parks, embark on sunrise hikes, and film photography. Pranaya is honored to be serving as Secretary General of YMUN Australia I and is excited to meet everyone in Sydney this January. She can be reached at secgen@ymunaustralia.org.

Director-General of Operations

Micah Draper (he/him) is a junior at Yale University studying History and Intensive Education Studies from the small town of Wallburg, North Carolina. In addition to YMUN Australia, Micah currently serves as President of the Yale International Relations Association (YIRA) and competes on the Model United Nations Team at Yale. Previously, he served on the secretariats of YMUN Europe XIV, YMUN Europe XV, and YMUN Dubai III. Additionally, he is a New Haven Public School Intern and is a hiking leader for Yale’s outdoor and backpacking first-year orientation program. Outside of school, he likes playing pickleball, reading, and drinking coffee. Micah can’t wait to meet everyone at YMUN Australia I in January! Until then, feel free to reach him at dg.operations@ymunaustralia.org.

Director-General of Committees

Bryant Pranboonpluk is a current junior in Saybrook College from Los Angeles, California! He is currently studying Political Science and Psychology at Yale University. Outside of YMUN Australia, Bryant works at the Yale Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) as the Head Peer Liaison and works at the Payne Whitney Gym. In his free time you can find him watching basketball, listening to his favorite Taylor Swift and Charli XCX albums, and playing chess. Bryant previously served as the Secretary General of YMUN China 2026, the Director General of Committees of YMUN South Asia II, and as the YMUN LII USG of ECOSOCs. He’s excited to bring another transformative experience to delegates in Sydney, Australia. For any questions regarding committees, delegate training, or anything pertaining to the conference please feel free to reach out to Bryant via email at dg.committees@ymunaustralia.org.

Under-Secretary-General of Branding

Sion Joo is a sophomore in Pauli Murray College and is thrilled to be your USG of Branding this year. Originally from Houston, Texas, she is majoring in Cognitive Science and Political Science at Yale. She previously served as USG of Branding for YMUN South Asia. On campus, Sion works with Tsai CITY's Start-Up Launch Pad program, serves as project manager and design director for World Studios, Yale's student-run product & design studio, and contributes to the Yale Scientific Magazine. She also tutors Burmese refugees in English, which she finds especially meaningful. In her spare time, Sion enjoys hunting down the best bagel spots on the East Coast, ice skating with friends, and watching nonsense trivia. She's always happy to answer any questions at branding@ymunaustralia.org.

Under-Secretary-General of Branding

Jack Carney (he/him) is a junior from Upstate New York, studying Computer Science and Economics at Yale University. He previously served as USG Branding for YMUNE and USG Branding of YMUNK and is thrilled to return as the USG of Branding for YMUN Australia I. Outside of YMUNA, Jack volunteers at the HAVEN Free Clinic in the IT Department, serves as an advising fellow with Matriculate, and is part of Design for America at Yale, where he works on community-centered design projects. He’s passionate about using technology and design to make information more accessible and meaningful. In his free time, Jack enjoys photography, exploring new cities, and swimming. He can’t wait to meet all the delegates and make this conference unforgettable. Feel free to reach out with any questions at branding@ymunaustralia.org

Under-Secretary-General of Committees

Kate (she/her) is a junior in Branford College from Atlanta, Georgia, and she is majoring in Ethics, Politics, & Economics and Spanish. She has really enjoyed being a part of YMUN during her time at Yale and has had the opportunity to be involved in YMUN 50, YMUN LI, YMUN Latin America, YMUN Korea, and YMUN Singapore, which have been amazing experiences so far. At Yale, she is also involved in the Yale Undergraduate Consulting Group, and she really enjoys running, swimming, and trying new restaurants! She loves Model UN because she has gotten to meet incredible people from all over the world and has learned a lot about so many important issues. She is so excited to be chairing and looks forward to meeting all the delegates in March! If you have any questions, you can contact Kate at committees@ymuns.org.

Under-Secretary-General of Committees

Jason Jiang (he/him) is a sophomore in Pierson College, studying Biology and Sociology. Outside of YMUN Australia, Jason is a cultural chair for the Chinese American Student Association, and researches with the Yale School of Medicine. This will be his first time visiting Australia, so he is super excited to meet everyone at the conference and is always available to support at committees@ymunaustralia.org

Under-Secretary-General of Outreach

Luke Peterson (he/him) is a sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio, majoring in Political Science and Astronomy. He has worked in various capacities for YMUN LII and YMUN LIII. Beyond YMUN, Luke is involved in the Yale Democracy Project, Yale Foreign Policy Initiative, and the EDON club. A few fun facts about Luke are that he was named after Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls, is a world champion in Taekwondo, and has been to 13 different countries! Feel free to reach out to him at outreach@ymunaustralia.org

Under-Secretary-General of Outreach

Brendan Kaminski (he/him) is a junior from Long Island, New York, studying History, Education Studies, and Russian. Outside of YMUN Australia, he is the Chief of Staff for the Yale College Council (Yale's undergraduate student government), the Executive Director of Hemispheres (a program that seeks to increase New Haven public school students' access to international relations education), and a front-desk service assistant at Bass Library. In his free time, Brendan loves to hang out with friends, try new salad recipes, listen to music, and read great books. He is excited to be an Under-Secretary-General of Outreach and lead committee for the first iteration of YMUN Australia. Please feel free to contact Brendan at outreach@ymunaustralia.org with any questions.

Under-Secretary-General of Delegations

Amanda Wu (she/her) is a junior at Yale from Bellevue, WA. She is beyond excited to be serving as the USG of Delegations as well as Director of WHO! Amanda is a neuroscience major interested in the intersection between computation and cognition. She is also pursuing certificates in Programming and Global Health Studies. Outside of class, Amanda plays viola in the Yale Symphony Orchestra, runs with Yale Club Running, and does neuroscience research. She has also previously served on the secretariat of YMUN LII, YMUN Korea, and YMUN China. Amanda can't wait to meet all the fantastic delegates in Sydney. Feel free to reach out to her at delegations@ymunaustralia.org

Drew Fowler (he/him) is a freshman from Terryville, Connecticut who is majoring in Global Affairs and Applied Mathematics. Before YMUN Australia, he worked as a Vice Chair for Security, Economics, and Crisis Strategy at Yale (SECSY), Yale’s on-campus collegiate program in New Haven, CT. Drew is fascinated by international relations and the effects of climate migration and hopes to continue inquiring about these topics throughout his time at Yale. Outside of YMUN, Drew enjoys running, volunteering, exploring new places, and walking his dog, Apollo! He is currently coaching for Yale’s Urban Debate League, chairing for Yale Model Congress, and volunteering at Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, CT. Drew is excited to make YMUN Australia as informative and welcoming as possible. He cannot wait to meet you all in Sydney! Until then, please feel free to reach him anytime at drew.fowler@yale.edu