Who We Are

AJ Edwards - Head Coach

AJ is a debate coach and communications instructor with more than 20 years of experience as a competitor and coach in collegiate debate. He has won six national championships in the International Public Debate Association. Has coached teams to several top-five national rankings, including a scholastic national championship at the 2025 IPDA National Championship Tournament. In 2023, he was named the Bennett Strange Coach of the Year for the International Public Debate Association and was inducted into the IPDA Hall of Fame as a competitor in 2024. Additionally, AJ has coached more than a dozen students to individual and team debate national championships, and his teams are active participants in international debate competitions. AJ received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Master of Liberal Arts with a concentration in History from Louisiana State University, Shreveport, and is currently completing his MFA in Debate Coaching and Communications at the University of Arkansas, Monticello. Research interests include the effects of debate on traditionally underserved populations, the effects of debate on educational and personal outcomes for students, and the effects of argumentation styles within different national debate organizations.

Lillian Theis - President, IPDA Coach

Hi! I'm Lillian, and I will be serving as your president and one of your IPDA coaches for the 2025-26 season. I've been a member of this team since my freshman year, and this is my second year coaching IPDA. My favorite events to compete in are IPDA, NPDA, and extemp. Outside of this team, I also serve as the advertising director for the UCSD Guardian, and as head coach for a high school speech and debate team in the San Diego area. When I'm not doing debate, I spend a lot of my time practicing gymnastics, keeping up with my Italian, or studying for the LSAT. I'm super excited to lead the team this year, and I can't wait to grow, compete, and win together!

Robert Campbell - Founding Head Coach

In the Spring Quarter of 2018, two members of the collapsing UCSD “Debate Club” reached out to Professor Robert Campbell. From his experience of being a member of the national championship debate team at the University of Kansas and his reputation of continuously advocating for speech and argumentation skills in the Business Ethics courses he taught at UCSD’s Rady School of Management, the two students asked if he would help save the Club. He respectfully declined their request to merely become a “Faculty Advisor”, enabling the Club access to student club funding. Instead, he committed that he would become the Founding Head Coach of a missioned UCSD Speech & Debate Team, which would eventually both rival his alma mater’s dominance at Kansas, but would also become the official Team of the University. In his tenure (2018-2025) Coach Campbell achieved those goals, along with creating the first two debate courses in UCSD history and ensuring Speech & Debate Team Members could earn course credit for all 12 Quarters at UCSD for their participation on the Team. Under Coach Campbell’s leadership, UCSD’s Speech & Debate Team has become the largest debate team in the nation, dominant in southern California as Regional Champions during his last five years, and brought home tournament championships at 23 of 25 tournaments attended through Spring Quarter 2025, when he bid farewell to the Team and handed the leadership baton to Coach Edwards.

Jared Hoffart - Assistant Coach

As a recent alum of the team, I am working at a law firm downtown and studying for the LSAT. I am excited to help out the team wherever possible and please don't hesitate to reach out with any law-related questions!

Carter Castillo - Assistant Coach

I am an alumnus of UCSD and the UCSD Speech and Debate team. When I was on the team, I competed in and coached IPDA and NPDA. I finished my final year in IPDA debate ranked third in the nation. I also frequently competed in Speech events, and have three national championships under my belt. I am taking a gap year before hopefully attending law school.

Julian Mackenzie - Assistant Coach

Hi my name is Julian. I’m currently a graduate student in Communication at SDSU. I competed in Speech & Debate for 9 years across three different teams. I joined the Championship UCSD team in the Fall of 2022 and competed primarily in NPDA (Team Debate) and IPDA (Individual Debate). I was also formerly the IPDA and Interp Coach, Tournament Manager, and President. This year as one of the team's Assistant Coaches, I plan to help prepare the team for practice and competition. Outside of Speech & Debate, I enjoy comic books, traveling, movies, and kayaking! Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Remy Dupart - VP Administration

Hi, my name is Remy, and I’m a fourth-year Molecular and Cell Biology student in ERC. After graduation, I plan to attend law school with the goal of pursuing a career in corporate law. This is my second year on the Speech and Debate team, where I primarily compete in NPDA and IPDA. Over the past year, the team has truly become my home, and I’m excited to help it grow alongside the rest of the board and our new coach, AJ. Outside of debate, I enjoy reading, mountain biking, and cooking. If you see me at practice, please feel free to say hi—I’d love to chat!!

Gursimar Kaur - AVP Administration

What's good y'all, welcome to the team. I'm a second-year Econ major, potentially double majoring in Political Science. This is my 6th year doing debate, and I've primarily always competed in different styles of Parliamentary debate. I've been doing speech for 2 years, primarily in Extemporaneous but I like to explore many different events and would recommend everyone to do the same. All that speech & debate experience means that I'm a yapper -- so feel free to hit me up for anything. Evidently, I love to talk ; )

Stephanie Yeh - VP Finance, LD Coach

Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie and I'm a fourth year at ERC. I'm majoring in Business Economics with minors in political science and accounting. I started debating back in fifth grade and have loved competing in all types of formats since. I currently compete in NPDA, IPDA but love carded debate formats the most like NFA-LD. As a coach, I hope to teach more about NFA-LD which is a very unique debate format and can't wait to show how fun it can be! As your VP Finance, I'm also excited to use my experience to help the team run smoothly and bring in my knowledge as someone who has interned in public and industry accounting. Aside from debate and accounting, I love art, history, gaming, and exploring music. I especially love musicals and am lucky to have seen Hamilton on Broadway!

Preeya Govil - AVP Finance

Hey! I’m Preeya and I LOVE debate. After judging fall quarter of my first year I officially joined the UCSD Speech and Debate team as a competitor, and it has steadily become one of my favorite organizations I am a part of on campus. Debate, while being immensely fun, has given me a community I am proud to be a part of. As such, I am excited to utilize my background in accounting and economics to serve as AVP Finance for the UCSD speech and debate team, hopefully helping the machine of the UCSD Speech and Debate team operate smoothly and giving back to the team and the sport I love so very much.
Outside of debate I am a singer and a writer. I am currently pursuing a B.S. in Business-Economics and am on the pre-law track. I am a lover of art history, fashion, neuroscience, classic/feminist literature, and indie-sleaze culture. My favorite books are Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion, Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados, and Black Swans by Eve Babitz; my favorite songs are Call It Fate, Call It Karma by The Strokes and Forget Her by Jeff Buckley, and my favorite person is my dog, Laila.

Srujam Dave - VP Coaching, IPDA Coach

Hi! My name is Srujam Dave. I'm a third-year Computer Engineering major in Eighth College, and I'm going to be your IPDA Coach and VP Coaching for the 2025-2026 school year. I've been competing in debate since high school, where I competed in Public Forum. Now, I mostly focus on IPDA, NPDA, and Extemp. In my free time, I like to hit the gym, watch TV, go hiking, and listen to new music, as well as participate in various engineering organizations on campus. I'm excited to work with everyone this year!

Joy Yomogida - AVP Coaching, Photographer

Hi! My name is Joy and I am so excited for this next season with everyone! I am a second year History major with an emphasis in East Asia and a minor in Political Science in 8th college. I started Speech and Debate in college and I fell in love with NPDA and Impromptu. This year, I'm looking forward to adding Original and LD in pursuit of my goal to compete in every event possible. As AVP of Coaching I am always trying to make our judges feel comfortable and confident. Outside of debate, I am a huge Swiftie, love a day out in San Diego, work for SD county, and I'm always on the look-out for my next concert. I would love to chat about judging concerns and ideas, T.S. 12, local politics, and everything else on the top of your head! Can't wait to see you all!

Avanthika Ramasamy - VP Technology, IPDA Coach

Hi everyone! My name is Avanthika, and I’m a third-year Political Science - Public Law major here at UCSD. I’ve been part of the Speech & Debate team since spring quarter of my freshman year, and I’m so excited to serve as your IPDA Coach and VP of Technology this season! My favorite events to compete in are IPDA, NPDA, and TPDA, and I also love working on the team’s digital content and outreach. Outside of debate, I serve as a Senator in UCSD’s Associated Students, Treasurer of Project RISHI, and Marketing Chair of UCSD’s Women’s Basketball Club. I’m also a research assistant with the US Immigration Policy Center and an intern with the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office. When I’m not doing any of that, you can usually find me working on law school applications, at the beach with friends, or grabbing a sweet treat. Looking forward to a great year with you all!

Jasmine Lu - AVP Technology

Hi everyone! My name is Jasmine, and I'm a fourth-year International Business major in Muir College. I joined the team last winter quarter, and have loved competing and getting to know everybody since then. I'm excited to serve as AVP Technology this year, and I look forward to making new memories with the team. Outside of practices, I am probably listening to Taylor Swift, working on law school applications, or spending time with friends!

Zachary Reisner - VP Marketing

Hi everyone, My name is Zachary, but you can call me Zach. I am super excited to be your VP Marketing again! I'm a fourth-year Revelle student majoring in Political Science with a passion for employment law. I enjoy all things debate, especially NPDA and IPDA formats. I'm thrilled to be serving as your VP of Marketing this year and can't wait to meet all of you. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to come talk to me, or reach out!

Elana Gelfer-Mundl - AVP Marketing

Hi everyone! My name is Elana and I am a second year, Behavior Neuroscience major with a minor in Pre-Law. I joined the team because of my passion for working with people, learning more about politics and wanting to refine my public speaking skills. Going into this season, I am thrilled to be your VP of Marketing and cannot wait for what this season will bring us. Go Team!

Sibi Sivaram - VP Tournaments, NPDA Coach

Brian Masse - AVP Tournaments

Marina Hu - Team Statistician, Original Speech Coach

Hey everyone! My name is Marina, and I'm a fourth-year student at Revelle majoring in Biology with a Specialization in Bioinformatics and minoring in Computer Science. I grew up in Chandler, Arizona and have been participating in speech since high school. I absolutely fell in love with the community this activity brings and have been a part of the UCSD team since my freshman year. Outside of speech and debate, I love going to Scripps to watch the sunset, playing the piano, going coffee shop hunting with my friends, or binging another anime or kdrama series. Feel free to reach out to me about anything, and I'm excited to meet everyone!

Sam Wang - Assistant Statistician

Hey Future debaters, I’m Sam, the Co-Statistician for the Team. I am a sophomore at Warren College majoring in Applied Mathematics. I mostly go to the gym, do Speech and Debate, and code for fun. I mainly competed in IPDA and NPDA, while dabbling in various speech events. I began doing S&D during my first year as I found this team. Found it to be really fun, so I decided to contribute more. See y'all at practice:D

Gianna Ferrero - Social Chair

Hi everyone, my name is Giana, and I’m a second-year student in Seventh College. I am studying History with a focus on law and am considering a minor in Music. I’m originally from Orange County, and I only got into speech and debate last year when I started at UCSD. I enjoy competing in IPDA and NPDA and hope to participate in more speech events soon. Outside of debate, I love watching movies, going to the beach, and going to concerts. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone!

Richey Li - NPDA Coach

Hi guys, I will be your NPDA coach for this upcoming speech and debate season; I'm excited to meet you all! I am in my fourth year at Seventh College, majoring in material physics and minoring in chemistry. I grew up in San Jose, California, and this will be my fourth year competing in collegiate debate. I've lived between countries for many years and learned that one of the best practical skills one can have is expressing your thoughts and ideas in a manner that makes you stand out from the crowd. That's why I joined the team, and I hope you will take away the practical skills of public speaking and persuasion from your time on the team. Outside of debate, I conduct research in the mechanical engineering and physics departments on campus and play lots and lots of video games.

Caroline Jethmal - Extemp Coach

After spending my high school years working on Mock Trial cases and dreaming about law school, Speech and Debate has allowed me to continue working on public speaking and share my love for performance with this truly wonderful team. I started out as a Novice in Fall 2024, and by Spring quarter I began putting together lessons as an Extemporaneous Coach. Aside from Speech and Debate, I love to cook, travel, listen to audiobooks, play tennis, meet new people and generally try new things. A red flag of mine is that I enjoy seltzer.

Andrew Vierling - Extemp Coach

Hi I'm Andrew. I am excited to be your Extemp coach for the 2025 season!

Aracely Tobias - Interp Coach

Hello everyone. My name is Aracely Tobias and I’m a third year in Seventh College majoring in Anthropology with a Concentration in Climate Change and Human Solution. I joined Speech and Debate my freshman year and have since been competing in Interp and Original. I was looking forward to furthering my public speaking skills and becoming a part of such a warm environment. Outside of Speech and Debate you might find me running, playing the tenor saxophone, and just trying new things in general. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone, feel free to reach out if anything comes up.

Aryanna Morales - Interp Coach, Original Speech Coach

Hi all! My name is Aryanna and I'm a second year student at Marshall college studying Microbiology and I'm one of your Interp and Original coaches. This is my 5th year of Speech and Debate and my 2nd year on the UCSD Speech and Debate team. Currently, I compete in POI, Duo and Informative. I've was born and raised in San Diego so feel free to come to me with any questions, whether it’s about events, classes, or the best food spots near campus. I’m so excited to support you this year, and I can’t wait to see what you all create and perform!

Odessa Castillo - Impromptu Coach

Hi everyone! I’m Odessa, and I'm a third year at Marshall studying Business Economics with double minors in Data Science and Finance. This is my fourth year doing speech and debate, and I currently compete in NPDA, IPDA, and Impromptu. Creating community and emphasizing the fun aspect of speech and debate is a big thing for me as a coach, and I hope to continue to promote the sense of togetherness and competitiveness that makes you stay on the team the same way I have! Outside of practice, you can find me highly involved in the arts, whether it be through dance, filmmaking, or serving as a coordinator for UCSD KP’s Pilipino Cultural Celebration! Other interests include pickleball, gymming, cooking, and trying new foods in SD. Super stoked to meet all of you, and if you have anything you’d like to talk about (debate or not debate-related), let’s chat!

Marielle Lazaro - Impromptu Coach

Hi hi! I'm Mar, and I'm a third year double majoring in Literature/Writing and Psychology. I came into UCSD with absolutely no experience with Speech & Debate, initially joining the team doing NPDA and IPDA. I eventually started competing in impromptu later in my first year, and loved the community and prevalence of personality in each speech and competitor. I'm super excited to be one of this year's co-coaches and to see what niche examples and creative minds add to the group!
Outside of Speech & Debate, I'm pretty involved in Kaibigang Pilipino (our Filipino org on campus) and work with OASIS as a Peer Mxntor. Generally, you could probably catch me around campus or awake at unreasonably late hours. I also love getting to know people both in and outside of the space, and absolutely understand the initial fears when first becoming immersed in it, so feel free to reach out to me whenever! Looking forward to getting to know everyone!

Kevin Colorado - Original Speech Coach

Hey! My name is Kevin Colorado, and I am a fourth year Political Science: Public Law major at Muir. I'm currently in my third year of Speech & Debate. This will be my second year coaching Original Speech and am very excited to take on mentorship role again with the greatest co coaches one could ask for! Music is a huge part of my life whether it’s listening to new albums or even producing my own!I am also running our campus’ radio station, KSDT, as the station’s general manager for a second year. You will also probably find me doom scrolling on tiktok or playing video games. Don't hesitate to get in contact with me, especially if you want to talk about underground music or Honkai Star Rail!!