
Angela Shen
Co-President
Angela is a communications specialist with particular interest in change projects. With experience in retail, transport and education spanning across government and corporate sectors, she has worked on major change projects that effect the lives of everyday Melburnians, notably the Queen Victoria Market Renewal Project and enabling online learning and teaching at RMIT University. She has previously worked with international youth-organisation AIESEC and the UN Global Compact - Cities Programme for sustainable development. Angela is passionate about bringing together young people and giving them space and opportunity to engage in current affairs and become active and informed citizens. She believes in the power of communications to give people a voice and applies this in her role as the Operations Lead at UNAAV Young Professionals to connect young people to their values and passions.

Chandra Parihar
Co-President

Maeve Wood
Communications and Marketing Lead
Maeve is a marketing specialist with 8+ years of experience in the education and sports sectors. Having completed the Master of Marketing in 2020, she is currently the Content Specialist at the University of Melbourne, previously working for organisations including Asialink, Tennis Australia and Netball Victoria. With a passion for equality and innovation, Maeve is excited to join the United Nations Association of Australia Young Professionals (Vic) committee to support the mission of creating a safer, fairer and more sustainable world with talented, like-minded peers.

Emma Armstrong
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Emma has been working as clinical dietitian for nearly 10 years – both in acute Melbourne Hospitals and in London. She was redeployed to work in intensive care twice during the first two COVID waves in the UK which was extremely eye opening. She was responsible for looking after the British Prime Minister when he had COVID which was a pretty crazy career experience! Emma is currently working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a specialist diabetes dietitian and also currently studying a Masters of Public Health through the University of New South Wales. She is a massive foodie and loves trying new cuisines and also a very keen runner! She has done a couple of marathons both in Australia and internationally.

Grace Wilson
Communications and Marketing Coordinator

Elly Hanrahan
Events Lead
Elly currently works for DELWP in the forest fire and regions sector as a firefighter and project officer. She is passionate about the environment and lives in an off grid tiny house near Healesville. She has also founded a not for profit called AusRegen which helps landholders regenerate their property by implementing works to restore the water cycle.

Divina Tomamak
Events Coordinator
Divina's career as a civil engineer has given her the privilege to be able to work on city shaping and community building infrastructure and property development projects over the last 10+ years. Her experiences have allowed her to gain an appreciation of how projects influence the way communities are developed, how we go about our daily lives, and the long term economic opportunities generated for communities. This has naturally led her to become very interested in sustainable development and how we can unlock a better standard of living, and in some cases basic human rights, for people across the globe.

Paige
Events Coordinator

Abby Thevarajah
Recruitment Coordinator
Abby is a PhD candidate with the Australian Catholic University investigating and evaluating adapted bike riding for children with disabilities. She is currently the company secretary of Ondru and has previously held board director roles at the Collingwood Children’s Farm, Extended Families Australia and membership committee of the YWCA. Abby holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne, Graduate Certificate in International Health from Curtin University, Diploma of Management within the framework of women’s leadership through the YWCA and a Masters in Humanitarian Action and Sustainable Development at Deakin University. With a passion for languages and culture, she speaks Tamil, French and is currently learning Spanish.

Sam Dipnall
Engagement Coordinator
Sam is an established membership and program leader with over 10 years progressive and diverse experience in professional services and human rights, including not-for-profit organisations, peak member bodies, access to justice, and law reform bodies. He holds a Masters of Human Rights Law from Monash University, as well as Bachelors of Laws (Hons) and Arts (Media and Communication). He is a former Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Global Intern, working with the International Service for Human Rights in Geneva. He is passionate about building and expanding the capacity of the UNAA Young Professionals to create positive social change.
The Young Professionals Committee meets every month to discuss and plan upcoming events and activities. The committee includes around 20 young professionals from various sectors and industries, all volunteers, some of whom are profiled below. Co-Leads Tony Luo and Chandra Parihar also sit on the board of the UNAA Victorian Division to represent the Young Professionals.
For all enquiries, please email yp@unaavictoria.org.au.
Learn more about the UNAAV Young Professionals Network here.