Your Executive Board:
Please feel free to get in touch with us with any questions, comments or concerns! Just contact us via email and we will be happy to assist you in anyway we can.
President - Shariq Ahmad
Shariq is a senior in the School of Arts & Sciences Honors Program, majoring in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies with minors in Economics and Religion. He started doing Model UN in high school and has continued to travel and debate in college. He has also chaired various committees as a member of IDIA, an organization which hosts Rutgers’ high school conferences. His primary goal is to lead AIR to its most successful year in the organization’s history in every aspect, from Model UN to increased membership and closer friendships to more visibility and greater presence on campus. Shariq plans on working tirelessly to achieve his vision for AIR and is confident that starting this year, AIR will begin to fulfill its vast potential. He also hopes to organize Rutgers’ very first collegiate MUN conference.
Born and raised in Edison, NJ, and having lived in the same house his whole life, one can only imagine Shariq’s yearning to get away from the boredom as well as the brown people. And after he graduated high school, he thought he did just that—by enrolling at Rutgers University one town over in New Brunswick. Thankfully, Shariq has had the opportunity to travel (escape) widely, both on his own and with his Model UN team, to the point where he has now visited more countries than U.S. states. However, NJ will always be special to him, and he is quick to defend Jersey against any detractors as well as anyone who watches “Jersey Shore”. His travels and his Pakistani background have fostered in him a fondness of different cultures, languages, and most importantly, foods (Shariq boasts the fastest metabolism in all of AIR).
In addition to AIR and Model UN, Shariq has previously been involved with the Rutgers World Affairs Review, of which he was the Managing Editor. He also worked with the Aresty Research Center, studying Iraqi youth attitudes under Dr. Eric Davis and assisted in his research on “Globalization, Sectarian Identity, Ethnic Diversity and their Effect on Democracy”. He is currently a Judiciary Intern at the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Shariq is a devoted Yankees fan who always saw himself as being the successor to Mariano Rivera in the Yankees bullpen. He has since had to reconsider his future, as the velocity on his fastball is non-existent. After seeing that dream crushed, Shariq has had some difficulty choosing an alternative career path and is currently exploring various options. However, he is not too worried. More than anything this year, he is looking forward to enjoying your friendship, whether you are a Rutgers student interested in joining AIR, or a student from another school attending one of the same conferences he is.
Born and raised in Edison, NJ, and having lived in the same house his whole life, one can only imagine Shariq’s yearning to get away from the boredom as well as the brown people. And after he graduated high school, he thought he did just that—by enrolling at Rutgers University one town over in New Brunswick. Thankfully, Shariq has had the opportunity to travel (escape) widely, both on his own and with his Model UN team, to the point where he has now visited more countries than U.S. states. However, NJ will always be special to him, and he is quick to defend Jersey against any detractors as well as anyone who watches “Jersey Shore”. His travels and his Pakistani background have fostered in him a fondness of different cultures, languages, and most importantly, foods (Shariq boasts the fastest metabolism in all of AIR).
In addition to AIR and Model UN, Shariq has previously been involved with the Rutgers World Affairs Review, of which he was the Managing Editor. He also worked with the Aresty Research Center, studying Iraqi youth attitudes under Dr. Eric Davis and assisted in his research on “Globalization, Sectarian Identity, Ethnic Diversity and their Effect on Democracy”. He is currently a Judiciary Intern at the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Shariq is a devoted Yankees fan who always saw himself as being the successor to Mariano Rivera in the Yankees bullpen. He has since had to reconsider his future, as the velocity on his fastball is non-existent. After seeing that dream crushed, Shariq has had some difficulty choosing an alternative career path and is currently exploring various options. However, he is not too worried. More than anything this year, he is looking forward to enjoying your friendship, whether you are a Rutgers student interested in joining AIR, or a student from another school attending one of the same conferences he is.
Vice President - Advait Shukla
Hey my name is Advait Shukla and I am from Edison New Jersey. I am a sophomore in the SAS honors program and though I haven’t made up my mind on what majors to pursue I like to learn about everything from Keynesian economics to plastics engineering.
I initially joined Model United Nations in middle school to educate myself on world affairs and eventually put down on my college applications. However, I quickly learned that MUN is a different environment where one can meet people travelling down several different life paths and so I have been hooked on debating and connecting to people ever since.
To say that I have one particular “past-time” that I enjoy may not be possible but I do have several hobbies that I love to do. For instance, basketball has been a significant part of my childhood from being a die-hard Nets fan to captaining three intramural basketball teams at Rutgers. On that note I enjoy sports overall whether it be the English Premier League (Arsenal FC) or the National Football League (San Diego Chargers) do not hesitate to spark a conversation with me about any sporting league because chances are I have a favorite team in it. Besides sports I also relish technology, two years ago I built my desktop out of blackfriday deals and this past summer I have been tweaking the interface of my windows 7 laptop.
Though I do not have any grand dreams for my future I do have a project I want to pursue and that is starting a nonprofit for a small village outside of Mumbai called Yennidnaghar. I visited Yennidnaghar during my trip to India last summer and though the place is not significant enough to be put on a map the locals are very efficient and intelligent.
That is pretty much Advait Shukla in a nutshell so please feel free to talk to me during meetings or around Rutgers.
I initially joined Model United Nations in middle school to educate myself on world affairs and eventually put down on my college applications. However, I quickly learned that MUN is a different environment where one can meet people travelling down several different life paths and so I have been hooked on debating and connecting to people ever since.
To say that I have one particular “past-time” that I enjoy may not be possible but I do have several hobbies that I love to do. For instance, basketball has been a significant part of my childhood from being a die-hard Nets fan to captaining three intramural basketball teams at Rutgers. On that note I enjoy sports overall whether it be the English Premier League (Arsenal FC) or the National Football League (San Diego Chargers) do not hesitate to spark a conversation with me about any sporting league because chances are I have a favorite team in it. Besides sports I also relish technology, two years ago I built my desktop out of blackfriday deals and this past summer I have been tweaking the interface of my windows 7 laptop.
Though I do not have any grand dreams for my future I do have a project I want to pursue and that is starting a nonprofit for a small village outside of Mumbai called Yennidnaghar. I visited Yennidnaghar during my trip to India last summer and though the place is not significant enough to be put on a map the locals are very efficient and intelligent.
That is pretty much Advait Shukla in a nutshell so please feel free to talk to me during meetings or around Rutgers.
Pavitra Badami - Treasurer
It is my honor to serve on the RUAIR Executive Board as Treasurer for the 2010-2011 academic year. I hope to contribute to the organization by fostering a knowledgeable, enjoyable, and challenging atmosphere throughout this year.
On a fundamental level, I am passionate about international affairs because happenings in the international landscape has the capacity to shape every aspect of our lives be it healthcare legislation, the tumultuous economic condition of our nation, our stance on civil rights or our very own sovereignty. As an immigrant to the United States, I find the political foundations of our nation to be of utmost significance because I have borne witness first-hand the alternatives to democratic ideals and principles. While I am not disillusioned by the flaws that exist in the democratic system—I am not blind to its benefits and strengths.
Within the realm of politics, constitutional and case law holds a great sense of appeal as does immigration law and intellectual property law. I hope to further my academic career by studying within one of these fields in law school upon graduation.
By nature, I’m a competitive person who values originality, ambition, passion, sarcasm and humor in others. In my free time, I’m most likely reading a book or supporting my favorite basketball team, the NJ Nets to not be the worst team in the NBA.
On a fundamental level, I am passionate about international affairs because happenings in the international landscape has the capacity to shape every aspect of our lives be it healthcare legislation, the tumultuous economic condition of our nation, our stance on civil rights or our very own sovereignty. As an immigrant to the United States, I find the political foundations of our nation to be of utmost significance because I have borne witness first-hand the alternatives to democratic ideals and principles. While I am not disillusioned by the flaws that exist in the democratic system—I am not blind to its benefits and strengths.
Within the realm of politics, constitutional and case law holds a great sense of appeal as does immigration law and intellectual property law. I hope to further my academic career by studying within one of these fields in law school upon graduation.
By nature, I’m a competitive person who values originality, ambition, passion, sarcasm and humor in others. In my free time, I’m most likely reading a book or supporting my favorite basketball team, the NJ Nets to not be the worst team in the NBA.
Director Of Communications - Aafiya Mohammed
My name is Aafiya Mohammed and I am a senior here at Rutgers University. Pretty much everything you need to know about me is in these 10 facts.
1. I'm a Political Science major, Economics minor.
2. My favorite quote is: "Tell me whom you love, and I will tell you who you are" by Bernardo Houssay.
3. I'm the Director of Communications for RUAIR. So communicate with me.
4. I hate pickles.
5. I love Model UN because it gives us a chance to get different perspectives on current events. I think understanding different point of views is the key to helping us to understand how the world works; and if we can do that, we can help make changes.
6. My dream job would be a doctor for Doctors Without Borders, i.e Clive Owen in Beyond Borders.
7. Once when I was ten, I made my little brother poke a bees nest with a stick and proceeded to lock him out of our house while he got stung, and I thought it was hilarious.
8. I am not beyond doing the same thing to you.
9. I never get angry, rarely get sad, and it's not that hard to figure out that I am pretty chill about everything.
10. If you ever need anything, I've got your back. I have not been doing Model UN conferences very long, but it is my job to make sure you are comfortable and feel welcome in our club and will do whatever it takes to make you feel that way.
I am open to any and all questions, discussions, or suggestions!
1. I'm a Political Science major, Economics minor.
2. My favorite quote is: "Tell me whom you love, and I will tell you who you are" by Bernardo Houssay.
3. I'm the Director of Communications for RUAIR. So communicate with me.
4. I hate pickles.
5. I love Model UN because it gives us a chance to get different perspectives on current events. I think understanding different point of views is the key to helping us to understand how the world works; and if we can do that, we can help make changes.
6. My dream job would be a doctor for Doctors Without Borders, i.e Clive Owen in Beyond Borders.
7. Once when I was ten, I made my little brother poke a bees nest with a stick and proceeded to lock him out of our house while he got stung, and I thought it was hilarious.
8. I am not beyond doing the same thing to you.
9. I never get angry, rarely get sad, and it's not that hard to figure out that I am pretty chill about everything.
10. If you ever need anything, I've got your back. I have not been doing Model UN conferences very long, but it is my job to make sure you are comfortable and feel welcome in our club and will do whatever it takes to make you feel that way.
I am open to any and all questions, discussions, or suggestions!
Rajan Gadhia - Director Of Operations
It is my great honor to serve on the RUAIR Executive Board as the Director of Operations for the 2010-2011 academic year. As the first, Director of Operations who is part of the executive board, I hope to set a positive and a memorable precedent for the future.
On a more personal note, I am currently a sophomore double majoring in Philosophy and Political Science. However, my interest international relations stems, not from my current fields of study, but rather from my past involvement with organizations similar to RUAIR. Which similar to RUAIR, to a certain extent, demand intellectual competiveness and further expand our understanding of international affairs. In fact, these were the sort of things which first attracted me to RUAIR. However, after being part of RUAIR for a year now, I have learned that RUAIR can provide more than just that, it can provide its members the opportunity to make lifelong friends, by keeping a family type attitude for all of its members. This is something I truly hope to foster as an Executive Board member of RUAIR.
So on this note, any RUAIR member may reach me anytime via: Phone- 732-476-4238 or E-mail:rdhgadhia@gmail.com
On a more personal note, I am currently a sophomore double majoring in Philosophy and Political Science. However, my interest international relations stems, not from my current fields of study, but rather from my past involvement with organizations similar to RUAIR. Which similar to RUAIR, to a certain extent, demand intellectual competiveness and further expand our understanding of international affairs. In fact, these were the sort of things which first attracted me to RUAIR. However, after being part of RUAIR for a year now, I have learned that RUAIR can provide more than just that, it can provide its members the opportunity to make lifelong friends, by keeping a family type attitude for all of its members. This is something I truly hope to foster as an Executive Board member of RUAIR.
So on this note, any RUAIR member may reach me anytime via: Phone- 732-476-4238 or E-mail:rdhgadhia@gmail.com
