The faces behind our organization’s success

CIRA Executive Board

Brenner Cobb, President

Brenner is a senior double majoring in Peace, War, and Defense (International Intelligence and Security focus) and Contemporary European Studies. He also enjoys learning about the German language and culture through his German minor. He is considering the Transatlantic Masters program (TAM) at UNC as a next step following graduation. Brenner’s interests include transatlantic political and security relationships, populism and nationalist appeal, and open source intelligence. He has been involved with CIRA in an Exec capacity since his first semester and writes for JFAC’s international affairs blog. In his free time, Brenner enjoys hiking, catching up on IR news, reading, and spending time with friends.

Adolfo Alvarez, Vice President

Hailing from everywhere (as he has lived in 8 states across Mexico and the US,) Adolfo is a Junior studying Advertising and Public Relations. He joined Model UN 9 years ago after his 7th-grade professor offered him extra credit for doing so, and ever since, he has been part of almost 50 conferences across 4 regions. He previously served as Secretary-General for UNCMUNC XIV (and does not let any of his friends forget about it) as he believes in and defends the power of Model UN to transform lives and build communities beyond being a debate platform.

CarolinaMUN


  • Gracie is a junior from Chapel Hill, double majoring in Global Studies and Peace, War, & Defense with a minor in Creative Writing. She hopes to study international humanitarian law in the future. Gracie’s academic interests include disarmament, the long term effects of intervention and peace building in fragile states. Outside of CIRA, Gracie is a thrifting fanatic, loves to travel, and enjoys writing profiles of different people she has met. You can also find her working as a barista at the Pitch or at Legal Aid of North Carolina. In her second semester as a Co-Head Delegate, Gracie is passionate about giving everyone the tools and opportunity to succeed in committee. She is so excited to implement new strategies to train lots of new delegates and bring the Travel Team to so many new cities this year!

  • Lindsay is a sophomore from Greensboro, North Carolina. She is majoring in history with a focus on global relations and diplomatic history during the Cold War, with a minor in philosophy. In addition to the MUNCH Secretariat, she serves as vice head delegate for CarolinaMUN, UNC’s travel Model UN team, where she competes on the circuit in crisis committees; as well as serving as the Co-Crisis Director of UNCMUNC XV’s Ad Hoc committee. Outside of Model UN, she enjoys going to concerts, hanging out with friends, and learning how to play new instruments. She is looking forward to MUNCH XXV and excited to be in charge of crisis this year!

MUNCH

  • Kevin is a junior from Scituate, MA majoring in Chemistry. Starting as a freshman in highschool, he has enjoyed MUN for the past seven years. When not helping with CIRA, Kevin enjoys swimming, running, and is a member of Alpha Chi Sigma, a professional fraternity for those pursuing a career in the chemical sciences. Kevin worked as a staffer for MUNCH XXIII, chaired the JCC Reconquista committee for UNCMUNC XIV, and as Director of Communications for MUNCH XXIV. He is excited for another amazing year!

  • Christopher is a junior from Charlotte majoring in Computer Science. He serves as Chair of the Rules and Judiciary Committee in the UNC Undergraduate Senate. He is part of CIRA’s collegiate Model UN travel team, and also is involved in the Campus Affairs branch. 

UNCMUNC

  • Paloma is an international student from Mexico in her sophomore year. She is studying Political Science with minors in French and Data Science. Paloma’s interest in International Relations and Political Science was sparked by living in different places throughout her childhood, such as Mexico City, Belgium, and a small town in New Jersey. She is so excited to continue her role in the collegiate circuit as a member of UNCMUNC’s upper secretariat. Apart from MUN, Paloma enjoys crocheting, reading thrillers, and oat milk lattes (which in her opinion, can be best enjoyed at Epilogue on Franklin Street).

  • Megan is a junior studying Public Policy & Global Studies with a minor in Studio Arts. She has been involved in Model UN since her first semester here at UNC and has loved it ever since. In her free time, she enjoys painting cute things, going to concerts, having picnics with her friends, and playing volleyball. Outside of MUN, Megan is a Program Assistant for the Carolina Asia Center where she works to spread cultural awareness and diversity through workshops and various events. Megan is excited to be a part of planning UNCMUNC for the third year in a row and can’t wait to see what the incoming delegates do at UNCMUNC XVI!

  • Eileen is a junior from Clayton, NC, studying Public Policy and Exercise and Sport Science (EXSS). She has been involved in Model UN since her sophomore year and has been a senior staff and USG in UNCMUNC and a senior staffer in MUNCH. When Eileen is not writing a policy brief at the last minute or doing something Model UN related, you are more than likely to find her hanging out with friends, watching basketball, baseball, and/or football. She is also developing a love for volleyball, pickleball, and constantly trying to beat her NYT level-easy Sudoku (2 minutes and 5 seconds). Eileen is very excited to work on UNCMUNC XVI and make it a memorable experience for everyone who attends!

MoMUNtum

  • Sunhee Frecker is a sophomore from Wake Forest, NC, double majoring in Peace, War, and Defense (International Security and Intelligence focus) and Economics. She aspires to have a career in public service or international law. Academically, Sunhee specializes in counterterrorism and intelligence in Asia and the Middle East. When she isn’t at a CIRA GBM, you can find her as the PWAD department’s student assistant or leading Carolina Economics Club meetings. 

    As the Co-President of MoMUNtum, Sunhee is excited to continue moMUNtum’s mission of equitability and accessibility on the MUN circuit and expanding access to international relations on campus. She has been involved in CIRA since her freshman year, serving as the Director of Public Relations for UNCMUNC XV and traveling to Florida with CarolinaMUN! In her free time, Sunhee loves UNC gamedays (go heels!) and a great beach day. 

  • Thomas Ketterer is a junior math major from Cary, North Carolina. As one of the Co-Presidents of MoMUNtum, Thomas is excited to help out the Model UN circuit by helping students understand how MUN works and making conferences more accessible. Thomas has been a crisis director two times, once for MUNCH and once for UNCMUNC, along with attending MUNCH all four years of high school. Besides Model UN, Thomas enjoys backpacking in the Appalachian Mountains and playing sports around campus. 

Journal of Foreign Affairs

  • Bevin is a third-year from Holly Springs, NC. She is majoring in Global Studies and Sociology with a minor in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Literacy. Within her Global Studies major, she is concentrating in Transnational Cultures, Arts, and Identities in Asia. This is her third year in CIRA; she has staffed various UNCMUNC and MUNCH conferences, and has worked as a staff editor and a managing editor for JFAC. Outside of CIRA, Bevin is the Artistic Director for Moonlight Dance Crew, the Outreach and Social Media Coordinator for the Global Studies Student Association, and a Phillips Ambassador. Her hobbies include trying new dance styles, going to concerts, and reading contemporary fiction. 

Campus Affairs

  • Marvin is a sophomore from Nashville, TN, majoring in Public Policy, concentrating in Transportation Policy, with a double major in Peace, War, and Defense. He first became involved with Model United Nations during his first year at Case Western Reserve University and continued his involvement after transferring to UNC. Within CIRA, he has served as a JFAC Staff Editor, chaired at UNCMUNC and MUNCH, and competes internationally on the CarolinaMUN travel team as Vice Head Delegate. As Campus Affairs Director, Marvin is excited to establish CIRA as the premier pre-professional International Relations organization on campus through engaging events and valuable opportunities. Outside of CIRA, Marvin is involved in multiple transfer student organizations, the International Development Research Club, and serves as a sportswriter for The Daily Tar Heel.

External Affairs

  • Lily is a second-year student from Pittsboro, North Carolina. She majors in Psychology and Global Studies with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies and explicitly focuses on Global Health in Latin America. This is Lily’s second year in CIRA, previously staffing MUNCH and UNCMUNC. Lily also participated in the Carolina MUN Travel team. She attended MUNCH as a high schooler and wanted to continue her MUN journey in college. Apart from CIRA, she holds a leadership position in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. She enjoys listening to music, attending concerts, watching movies, and being with her friends in her free time. She is very excited for another year in CIRA! 

Financial Officers


  • Luke is a junior from Charlotte, North Carolina studying Business Administration and Biology. Luke integrates his knowledge gained from business classes and various financial internships to serve as the CFO for UNCMUNC and the CFO for CIRA. In his free time, Luke is the president of UNC’s club squash team, sits on the UNC sports club executive board, and is a Resident Advisor.

  • Nicholas is a junior from Charlotte, North Carolina studying political science and statistics. He’s interested in policy analysis and hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of public policy and statistics. Within CIRA, Nick has served as both a Head Chair and Chief of Staff for MUNCH. He looks forward to keeping the day-to-day gears of CIRA turning and ensuring the club is operational and prosperous well into the future. In his free time, you can find him at the gym, jiu-jitsu practice, or reading a book somewhere outside on campus.