Matt Moore, Director of Debate

Matt Moore Is in his second year as the director of UCO's Debate program. He was named the 2012 Dick Stine Coach of the Year, a nationally prestigious award given to junior varsity- or novice-level debate coaches.

The Dick Stine award, presented by Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., is named for the creator of the National Junior Division Debate Tournament (NJDDT).

Moore received his doctorate in political science from the University of Missouri and also received a master's in speech communication from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He previously served as a graduate assistant and the University of Missouri and was an instructor and the assistant director of debate at Augustana College.

Kurt Fifelski, Assistant Debate Coach

Kurt Fifelski serves as a debate coach and brings valuable experience to the program. Not only was Kurt a debate coach at Emporia State University and Emporia High School, he garnered some of the highest awards available to a debater.

He was named an All-American by the Cross-Examination Debate Association in 2009 -- an honor given to no more than 30 debaters nationwide. The association also recognized him with National Scholar designation, combining both academic performance and debate skill. He was also a Harry S. Truman scholar nominee, which honors students committed to public service.

Shae Bunas, Debate Judge/Assistant Debate Coach

Shae received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma in the summer of 2012 after 4 years of debate. The following autumn he joined the UCO debate team in the College of Liberal Arts as an assistant coach where his work focuses primarily on producing research in the areas of political philosophy and global politics and helping the debaters develop their speaking and argumentation skills. Shae is excited to help the debate team grow into a nationally competitive program.