Georgia Debate Union

Edward Panetta has been the director of the Georgia Debate Union for the last twenty-one years. During that period the University of Georgia has qualified thirty-eight teams for the National Debate Tournament (NDT). In the 1996-1997 season UGA became one of five debate programs in the sixty-two year history of the NDT to place two teams into the semi-finals (finalist and semi-finalist). Our 2003 team became the seventeenth team in the history of the NDT to compile a record of 8-0 in the preliminary rounds of the tournament. Our 2007 team was the 1st seed at the NDT and the winner of the Rex Copeland award. The program travels interested debaters to policy debate tournaments in the Southeast and across the country. UGA debate has also been active in international debating during Panetta's tenure as director. Members of the Georgia Debate Union have been selected to represent the United States in Japan, Great Britain and Eastern Europe. Additionally, Dr. Panetta was selected to coach the U.S. team that visited Russia in 1997. In 2007, he was named the National Debate Coach of the Year.[View Curriculum Vita]

Casey completed his B.A. in International Relations from Michigan State University in 2006. While at Michigan State, Casey earned two first round bids to the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and won the 2006 NDT. Casey also completed his M.A. in Communications Studies at Wake Forest University, where he coached the 2008 NDT champions. In addition to his coaching duties, Casey will be a member of the faculty in the Department of Speech Communication.