LEADERSHIP

President

Frank (Frankie) Costa is a sophomore in Jonathan Edwards College hoping to major in Global Affairs or Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he loves Yale and has also served as Treasurer of the Yale 2014 Class Council and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.  His involvement in YIRA began his first two weeks at Yale as a member of MUNTY, and he has continued as ASG ECOSOC for YMUN, USG Delegations for SCSY, a teacher for Hemispheres, and participant and leader of multiple YIRA international trips.  He is incredibly excited to lead such an amazing organization, business and society of friends and looks forward to another successful and rewarding year of firsts for the Association.

Contact President Frank Costa

Vice President

Sibjeet (Sib) Mahapatra is a current junior in Silliman College, originally hailing from Montvale, New Jersey, and majoring in Ethics, Politics and Economics. He's been involved with YIRA since before his time at Yale (having attended YMUN, our high school conference, for several years) and is looking forward to doing amazing things on this year's board. In addition to serving as Vice President, Sib is the Director-General of YMUN, is an Editor Emeritus for the Yale Globalist, reads and writes a lot, hikes and does outdoors-y stuff with FOOT, and goes on trips with MUNTY (the Yale MUN competitive travel team).

Contact Vice President Sibjeet Mahapatra

Executive Director

Niko Efstathiou is a sophomore in Timothy Dwight College, interested in Ethics, Politics, Economics and English. He was born and raised in Athens, Greece but has traveled all around Europe to finally find himself in the lovely city of New Haven. His passions include debate, literature, drama, depressing movies, colorful T-shirts and alternative rock tunes. He is really excited to serve as YIRA’s Executive Director, and to work with an amazing board!

Contact Executive Director Niko Efstathiou

Treasurer

Yes, he adores Chanel Blue Satin. But when he is not playing with cosmetics, James ponders the big questions of life and nitpicks over the little details of YIRA's budget. The board member furthest from his home -- in Melbourne, Australia -- he nevertheless calls Silliman a temporary home, traveling about America and the world whenever he can. As a sophomore, he has little idea what he will major in -- perhaps Ethics, Politics and Economics or Global Affairs, or just Philosophy or English. Still, he knows something about what he enjoys doing at Yale: competing for MUNTY, helping run crazy committees and sane security councils at YIRA's conferences, and reporting for the Yale Daily News, the nation's oldest and arguably finest college daily.

Contact Treasurer James Lu

Secretary

Larissa is a sophomore in Saybrook College originally hailing from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but currently residing in Miami, Florida. When she's not sleeping on heaters to get over the entirely unfamiliar northeastern weather, Larissa can usually be found working in the Saybrook College Master's Office as a Master's Aide, playing soccer, or asking James if he wants his nails painted (in case you're wondering, he adores the color Chanel Blue Satin - anything else is disgraceful). This year, in addition to her role as Secretary, Larissa will serve as the Director of the Haitian Revolution of 1804 committee for SCSY XXXIV, and as the Undersecretary-General of Conference for YMUN XXXVIII.

Contact Secretary Larissa Liburd

SCSY Secretary-General

Mimi is a senior double majoring in English and Political Science. Hailing from New Jersey, YIRA has become her life at Yale. She loves the people in YIRA to death, and can't envision what life after SCSY will be like next year (relaxing? so much free time? the horror!) She also enjoys cats, musicals, YIRA Happy Hours, and Thai food.

Contact SCSY Secretary-General Mimi Wu

YMUN Secretary-General

Marj Berman, a rising junior in Calhoun College at Yale, originally hails from the suburbs of Philadelphia.  She participated in Model UN throughout high school, and is incredibly excited for her third year with Yale Model United Nations. As Secretary-General she works with all levels of staff to ensure the delegates, advisors, and staff have the best MUN experience possible.  Besides YMUN, Marj also helps teach YIRA’s international relations class, Hemispheres, to New Haven high school students; performs with Yale Children’s Theatre, and dances in a modern dance troupe.  At Yale, Marj studies History of Science, History of Medicine and hopes to devote her life to organizing public health programming to increase the wellness of others.  

Contact YMUN Secretary-General Marj Berman

MUNTY Head Delegate

Hemispheres Director

 Contact Hemispheres Director Eileen Shim

YRIS Editor-in-Chief

Ramon Gonzalez is a senior Ethics, Politics, and Economics major who has the good fortune to hail from New York City and live in Branford College. Last year he served as the managing editor of the Yale Review of International Studies, and he is excited to take the reins of YIRA’s newest constituent program this fall. At Yale he also written for The Yale Globalist and the Yale Journal of Human Rights, and he has worked for two years as an editorial assistant at YaleGlobal, the online magazine of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. He is also a member of the Yale Club Tennis Team.

Contact YRIS Editor-in-Chief Ramon Gonzalez