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Meet the Staff
Our staff, of course, are what make DDI so special.
The debate experience and accomplishments of the DDI staff are without peer,
and unique among camps, every student at DDI has access to all of them.
John Turner - Camp Director
Director of Debate at Dartmouth College
John Turner is the Director of Debate at Dartmouth, winner of the 2021 James Unger Award for coaching, winner of the Rex Copeland award, and the winner of the 2022 NDT Ross Smith Coach of the Year Award. His debaters won the National Debate Tournament championship in 2021 and 2022.
John Turner is the Director of Debate at Dartmouth, winner of the 2021 James Unger Award for coaching, winner of the Rex Copeland award, and the winner of the 2022 NDT Ross Smith Coach of the Year Award. His debaters won the National Debate Tournament championship in 2021 and 2022.
Dr. Mikaela Malsin - Lab Leader
Director of Debate at Emory University
Mikaela Malsin is the Director of Debate for the Barkley Forum at Emory University in Atlanta and the 2024 recipient of the James Unger Award for coaching the winners of the Rex Copeland Award. She previously served as the Director of Debate at Georgetown University, where she coached a team to the finals of the 2017 National Debate Tournament. She has coached the Top Speaker at the NDT four times, and has been teaching at the DDI continuously since 2011.
Mikaela Malsin is the Director of Debate for the Barkley Forum at Emory University in Atlanta and the 2024 recipient of the James Unger Award for coaching the winners of the Rex Copeland Award. She previously served as the Director of Debate at Georgetown University, where she coached a team to the finals of the 2017 National Debate Tournament. She has coached the Top Speaker at the NDT four times, and has been teaching at the DDI continuously since 2011.
Johnnie Stupek - Lab Leader
Head Debate Coach at the University of Georgia
Johnnie Stupek is the Head Debate Coach of the Georgia Debate Union. Johnnie previously coached at Dartmouth College and Emory University, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree. In his time coaching, he has coached several First-Round-At-Large teams to the National Debate Tournament. As a student debating at UGA, he was a finalist at the 2019 National Debate Tournament and received two First-Round-At-Large Bids to the National Debate Tournament.
Johnnie Stupek is the Head Debate Coach of the Georgia Debate Union. Johnnie previously coached at Dartmouth College and Emory University, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree. In his time coaching, he has coached several First-Round-At-Large teams to the National Debate Tournament. As a student debating at UGA, he was a finalist at the 2019 National Debate Tournament and received two First-Round-At-Large Bids to the National Debate Tournament.
Azja Butler - Lab Leader
Debate Coach at Kansas University and Shawnee Mission South
Azja Butler debated for the University of Kansas from 2018-2021, winning several collegiate debate tournaments and becoming the first Black woman to be awarded Top Speaker at the National Debate Tournament. She now coaches for KU and Shawnee Mission South high school. Her high school teams have had multiple TOC appearances, and won the NCFL National Championship in 2022.
Azja Butler debated for the University of Kansas from 2018-2021, winning several collegiate debate tournaments and becoming the first Black woman to be awarded Top Speaker at the National Debate Tournament. She now coaches for KU and Shawnee Mission South high school. Her high school teams have had multiple TOC appearances, and won the NCFL National Championship in 2022.
Nick Loew - Lab Leader
Assistant Director of Debate at George Mason University
Nick Loew is the Assistant Director of Debate at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He also coaches at The Harker School in San Jose, California, assisting students in winning a variety of national tournaments and elimination round appearances at the Tournament of Champions. As a competitor, Nick qualified to the National Debate Tournament all four years of college, and was an elimination round participant. Nick is a former DDI student, and has taught at the camp for the past 3 years.
Nick is an alum of George Mason University, and previously debated for three years at Perry High School in Ohio. In high school he won the OSDA State Championship twice, twice qualified to NSDA nationals, and won multiple speaker awards. In college, he has broken to elimination rounds of various regional and national tournaments, most notably including the Quarterfinals of the ADA championship and Doubles of the National Debate Tournament. He attended the 4 week DDI camp in 2018, and attended for 6 weeks in 2019.
Nick Loew is the Assistant Director of Debate at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He also coaches at The Harker School in San Jose, California, assisting students in winning a variety of national tournaments and elimination round appearances at the Tournament of Champions. As a competitor, Nick qualified to the National Debate Tournament all four years of college, and was an elimination round participant. Nick is a former DDI student, and has taught at the camp for the past 3 years.
Nick is an alum of George Mason University, and previously debated for three years at Perry High School in Ohio. In high school he won the OSDA State Championship twice, twice qualified to NSDA nationals, and won multiple speaker awards. In college, he has broken to elimination rounds of various regional and national tournaments, most notably including the Quarterfinals of the ADA championship and Doubles of the National Debate Tournament. He attended the 4 week DDI camp in 2018, and attended for 6 weeks in 2019.
Ethan Greer - Lab Leader
Assistant Coach at Northwestern University
Ethan Greer has been a debate coach at Northwestern University for the past two years. He previously worked as a coach at Georgetown University, where he debated for four years and competed in elimination rounds of the National Debate Tournament twice. He has coached multiple teams to First Round at Large Bids to the National Debate Tournament and has worked with several high school students who made it to elimination rounds of the Tournament of Champions. This summer is Ethan’s second year teaching at DDI.
Ethan Greer has been a debate coach at Northwestern University for the past two years. He previously worked as a coach at Georgetown University, where he debated for four years and competed in elimination rounds of the National Debate Tournament twice. He has coached multiple teams to First Round at Large Bids to the National Debate Tournament and has worked with several high school students who made it to elimination rounds of the Tournament of Champions. This summer is Ethan’s second year teaching at DDI.
Spencer Anderson McElligott - Lab Leader
Spencer Anderson McElligott coaches policy debate coach at the University of Iowa and Edina High School. He debated for 10 years and has been coaching for 4. He is the 2026 CEDA runner-up, recipient of a First-Round At Large Bid to the NDT, and the 2025 CEDA National Champion.
Zidao Wang - Lab Leader
Zidao debated for Georgetown from 2020-2024. He is a four-time NDT qualifier, a two-time FRALB recipient, and a 2023-2024 Rex Copeland panelist. Zidao has coached in college and high school, including for Georgetown University and Glenbrook South. He is attending law school this fall at the University of Pennsylvania.
Anthony Trufanov - Adjunct Lab Leader
Assistant Coach at Dartmouth College
Anthony Trufanov is a debate coach at Dartmouth. He won the 2019 National Debate Tournament and Copeland Award and has coached top teams at Kentucky and Northwestern Universities. He has been in debate for 11 years.
Anthony Trufanov is a debate coach at Dartmouth. He won the 2019 National Debate Tournament and Copeland Award and has coached top teams at Kentucky and Northwestern Universities. He has been in debate for 11 years.
Jacon Mayer - Program Coordinator
Jacon Mayer was a policy debater in high school and at the University of Vermont, before transferring to Wesleyan, where he earned a degree in government. He is a professional coach, having spent nearly fifteen years coaching high-school sailing and debate teams. He is an alum of the DDI, and this is his six season returning as a staff member.
Joe Kieklak - Residence Hall Director
Joe Kieklak is a communication teacher at Cabot Freshman Academy. Joe is entering his eleventh year coaching policy debate, congress, and speech. He is the recipient of the Thomas S. Foley Ambassador’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Forensics Education. This is Joe’s third year at DDI.
Owen Owings - Lab Assistant
Owen Owings is a senior policy debater at the University of Kansas, where he is a two-time NDT qualifier and one-time NDT First-Round At Large bid recipient. He also coaches at the Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri, assisting students to qualification for the 2026 Tournament of Champions and the 2025 and 2026 NSDA National Tournament.
Before college, Owen debated for 4 years at Truman High School, where he qualified to the Tournament of Champions 2 times, broke to elimination rounds at the 2022 Tournament of Champions, and qualified 4 times to NSDA nationals, finishing in fourth place in 2022 and ninth place in 2023.
Before college, Owen debated for 4 years at Truman High School, where he qualified to the Tournament of Champions 2 times, broke to elimination rounds at the 2022 Tournament of Champions, and qualified 4 times to NSDA nationals, finishing in fourth place in 2022 and ninth place in 2023.
Max Ulven - Lab Assistant
Max Ulven is a rising sophomore debater at the University of Kansas. Last year he coached at Montgomery Bell Academy, helping the team win the TOC in policy debate, and this upcoming school year he'll be coaching at the Greenhill School. He attended the DDI twice in high school, while competing at St. Paul Central, and is excited to return to help out this summer!
Mofoluwa Olagadeyo - Lab Assistant
Mofoluwa is a graduate and 2-year co-captain of the Newark Science/Science Park High School debate team, where she competed in policy for 4 years. She qualified to the TOC twice, finishing her senior year as the 3rd best team in the country and a 2026 TOC quarterfinalist. She won or reached finals of Bronx, Lexington, Harvard (and RR), Michigan RR, NDCA, and had consistently late elimination showings throughout her career.
Sheima Ben-Abdallah - Lab Assistant
Sheima is a senior at Dartmouth, and has been debating for 7 years.
Previously an instructor at the Matthew Harris Ornstein Washington Summer Debate Institute, Sheima has qualified to the NDT 3 times, and coached high school part-time at Georgetown Day School, the School Without Walls, and her alma mater, Leon Goldstein high school.
Sheima is also a National Association of Urban Debate Leagues’ (NAUDL) Debater of the Year Award Finalist, and a recipient of the Chicago Debate League (CDL) Outstanding Adjudicator award for volunteer judging.
Previously an instructor at the Matthew Harris Ornstein Washington Summer Debate Institute, Sheima has qualified to the NDT 3 times, and coached high school part-time at Georgetown Day School, the School Without Walls, and her alma mater, Leon Goldstein high school.
Sheima is also a National Association of Urban Debate Leagues’ (NAUDL) Debater of the Year Award Finalist, and a recipient of the Chicago Debate League (CDL) Outstanding Adjudicator award for volunteer judging.
Cooper Brody - Lab Assistant
Cooper Brody is a rising sophomore at Dartmouth College where he competes in policy debate. He attended Renaissance High School in Boise, Idaho where he competed primarily in Lincoln-Douglas. He reached the elimination rounds of tournaments like Blake, Loyola, and Valley. In addition to his national circuit experience, he won the Idaho State Tournament in LD his senior year and reached the semifinals of the NSDA tournament twice in Congressional debate.
Lauren Parker - Residence Hall Director
Lauren Parker is a graduate of Northeastern University. She currently works as the District Registrar and in the counseling office at Hartford High School. She lives in the Upper Valley with her 2 teenage daughters, husband, 2 dogs, and 3 cats! This is her first year with DDI.
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