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MSU Texas earns recognition at Model UN for 8th straight year

MSU Texas Public Information
01 May 2025
3 min read

The MSU Texas Model United Nations (MUN) team competed April 6-11 at the national collegiate Model United Nations Conference.

The students performed the role of UAE in the Middle Eastern region for policy positions, again admirably representing Midwestern State University. The MSU Texas Model UN team earned recognition at MUN for an eighth straight year, earning Honorable Mention Delegation, the third-highest honor possible, and receiving an individual award for outstanding delegate.

Model UN is a learning simulation in which students role-play the delegation of a country in the United Nations. Model UN faculty advisor Steve Garrison said playing the role of UAE was the biggest challenge an MSU Texas team has faced. This year’s team consisted of 12 members from all six colleges on campus, making it the smallest team MSU Texas has fielded since 2016.

“Student commitment to this program is impressive,” Garrison said. “During the preparation process, which began last fall, our team met weekly; they studied the culture, social structure, economic positions, and role of the UAE in the Middle Eastern region to craft our policy positions, requiring numerous hours of independent, extensive research and writing. Students had to create position papers (1-2 page documents representing UAE’s position on key policy questions).”

Garrison said faculty played a significant role in preparations, with Mohsen Jalali from political science and Jim Sernoe from Mass Communication lending their expertise. “Earning national recognition with a team this size is a significant accomplishment, and we are very proud of the students’ commitment and hard work,” Garrison said.

Garrison said the following about the MUN team members:

Angelica Goins (English) served as head Delegate and worked with Emily Shepard (Psychology) to secure a right to privacy in

Angelica Goins and Emily Shepard earned Oustanding Delegate Award

for their work in building a consensus between member states with diverse policies on individual rights.

the digital age on the Human Rights Council, which was a significant challenge given UAE policy towards individual privacy rights currently. These efforts earned Angelica and Emily an Outstanding Delegate award for their work in building a consensus between member states with diverse policies on individual rights.
Austin Groth (Chemistry) and Rykir Evans (Computer Science) represented the UAE position on the spread of chemical weapons in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Madisyn Butler (Mass Comm) and Jai Warner (Biology) addressed environmental issues in the wake of conflicts in the UN Environmental Assembly.
Myles Thomas (Music) and Shane Chitwood (Chemistry) worked to create confidence-building measures to address conflict in the Middle East in the General Assembly First Committee.
Quintan Ringwald (Respiratory Therapy) and Giulia Toffoli (Marketing) focused on closing the financing gap to achieve sustainable development in the General Assembly Second committee.
Mackenize Andrade (Education) and Keynon Causey (English) worked to secure access to safe drinking water in the General Assembly Third committee. This preparation, both in skills and time commitment, gave the team the tools to be successful at the conference.

“To be successful, our team had to be present and actively involved at every moment in the proceedings, and we were,” Garrison said.

2025 MSU Model United Nations

Team Members
Last	First	Major
Andrade	Mackenize	Education
Butler	Madisyn	Mass Communication
Causey	Keynon	English
Chitwood	Shane	Chemistry
Evans	Rykir	Computer Science
Goins	Angelica	English
Goth	Austin	Chemistry
Ringwald	Quintan	Respiratory Therapy
Shepard	Emily	Psychology
Thomas	Myles	Music
Toffoli	Giulia	Marketing
Warner	Jahkeel	Biology

How to support MSU Texas MUN

Model United Nations (MUN) is an immersive learning experience that empowers students to develop real-world skills through hands-on simulations. Rooted in the liberal arts, MUN helps shape informed and active global citizens, preparing them for future careers by enhancing their understanding of international diplomacy and collaboration.

Please consider supporting the MSU Texas Model United Nations program at https://giving.msutexas.edu/campaigns/2025-msu-texas-model-un-annual-competition.