About Us | NYU Debate

Our Coaches

Director

Will Baker

Mr. Will Baker directs the Global Debate Fund based at NYU's Washington Square campus, creating co-curricular initiatives for NYU's global campus networks. His NYU team draws 50-70 debaters annually, teachers the value of service and is consistently ranked among the top programs in the country. Under his leadership, the NYU team was recognized with the 2017, 2022 & 2023 CEDA National Public Debate Award for their commitment to community service and promotion of debate's transformative potential worldwide. With over three decades of experience, Baker has taught argumentation & debate at NYU, Cornell University and debate institutes from LA to London. He was the first African American Debate Director to secure the Intercollege Debate National Championship since Melvin Tolson in 1935.

Through the years, Baker has raised millions for debate and social justice programs for K-12, intercollegiate, interfaith communities, prisons, foundations, and afterschool settings. A well-regarded, corporate debate consultant, CBC-TV, the Economist, Mother Jones, NPR and News10 have featured his debate commentary. He's been quoted in the NY Times, Newsweek, PBS Newshour, MSNow's Morning Joe and appeared in the new debate documentary, Immutable. He's provided services to for-profit and non-profit clients alike including executive coaching, speaking engagements, strategic planning and program evaluation.

IPPF, Brewer Attorneys, Public Forum, Debate Club

While attending Cornell University, he earned over 100 speech and debate awards and was named a Venephe Wilson Scholar, the team's highest honor. Following Cornell, he worked at the International Association for Religious Freedom and Religion for Peace before venturing into social entrepreneurship. Baker attended Jamaica HS, a public school in NYC where he first competed in Policy Debate, Mock Trial and Chess. The experience inspired his later work. As CEO of the IMPACT Coalition, Baker collaborated with George Soros' Open Society Institute, establishing initiatives like the Malcolm X Prison Debate Initiative and the NY Urban Debate League which introduced debate to low-income, marginalized communities and facilitated thousands of competitive awards and millions in college scholarships for disenfranchised students.

In addition to his role at NYU, Will serves as Chief Strategy Officer for BCS International, a Dallas-based, minority-owned management consultancy. BCA specializes in strategic planning, staff development, program design, debate training and public speaking. Past clientele includes Bank of America, the GG Jung Foundation, the Open Society Institute, Deutsche Bank, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations. Currently, Baker serves on the National Parent's Council for the Rochester Institute of Technology, the International Advisory Board for the International Public Policy Forum and The Reconciliation Project Global Planning Committee.

Associate Director

Fay Cammayo

Fay, a Senior project manager at Cyndx, graduated from NYU's College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Psychology. She has a strong professional background in corporate communications, project management and business development with a track record of building relationships with both internal and external stakeholders to drive strategies and achieve results. During the pandemic, Ms. Cammayo served on the CEDA National Committee for Accountability and Enforcement in Online Debate helping usher in key protocols for online intercollegiate debate. She’s also helped multiple NYU alums secure new jobs. While on the team, she founded NYU CEDA's Amazing Advocates program and served as Treasurer on the E-Board. Her accolades include the NYU Debate Most Valuable Player, East Regional Champion, National Debate Scholar. and Michael K. Davis Debater of the Year Award.

Assistant Director

John Dellamore

John is an Associate at Kirkland Ellis. He graduated from NYU with a degree in Economics. His professional expertise includes working in finance for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He garnered many accolades as a distinguished debater including being named a CEDA All-American, National Debate Scholar and winning countless team and speaker awards. A former Team President, he's played a pivotal role in the team's growth, leveraging his expertise as a lecturer and motivator to enrich NYU's debate prowess. POWERED BY ALUMNI - Without NYU's incredible alumni volunteers, NYU CEDA would not exist. Thanks to Jacqueline Samuel, Ethan Rosen, Thomas Ku, Alejandro Scott, Tara Dalton, Zhane Lloyd, Bobby Zhan, Erin Szczechowski, Ivan Ziabkin, Kathy Wang, Sai Karavadi, Josh Johnwell, Kris Raveneau, Pacy Yan, Xinyi Cheng, Eugene Toth, Bryte Bu, Adejoke Mason, Nate Gorelick Marrissa Williams and others for their support.

Assistant Coach

Nicholas Tilmes

Nick Tilmes is an attorney at Paul Weiss. He holds a JD from NYU School of Law, holds an MA in Bioethics from NYU and a BA with honors in Philosophy and Psychology from Cornell University. Since 2020, he's coached for NYU. At Cornell, Nick was a CEDA octo-finalist and two-time NDT attendee recognized as a 2019 CEDA National Debate Scholar. He's also coached at Cornell and Georgetown Day School after debating there.

Assistant Coach

Kristine Itliong

Kristine is a Senior Litigation Associate at Arnold & Porter. She received her JD with honors from Fordham Law School earning accolades like the National Association of Women Lawyers' Outstanding Law Student Award.. She received a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU. She rose from a novice to qualify for the NDT (an NYU first) and achieved remarkable success as Team President.

Assistant Coach

Joy Kim

Joy Kim works in hospital administration as a Clinical Coordinator at Columbia University Medical Center focused on bringing interventional cardiology care to underserved communities and oncology research. She started her NYU debate career as a novice and grew to appreciate the activity. When Joy returned to New York as an alum of the NYUCEDA program, she reengaged with the team leading novice post-meeting trainings, judging practice rounds and at tournaments and held strategy meetings with novices and JVers regularly.

Assistant Coach

Jackson Booth

Jackson is the Head Lincoln Douglas and Policy Debate coach at the Bronx HS of Science. He holds a BA in Computer Science and History from NYU. He served as the first Data Governance Officer on the E-Board. Jack brings an extensive background of competitive success in high school and collegiate policy debate with prior stints at Blue Valley West and the New School. His research skills, evidence recuts and passion make him an invaluable addition to the staff. Alongside Will, he's coached NYU teams to regional and national successes.

Assistant Coach

Gloria Zheng

Gloria is an attorney at Davis, Polk & Wardell. She earned her JD at the NYU School of Law. Previously, she was a Corporate Bank analyst for Deutsche Bank. Gloria graduated magna cum laude from NYU's Leonard N. Stern School of Business, where she double majored in Philosophy and Business, with concentrations in Finance and Computing & Data Science. Gloria served as Co-President of the Stern Business and Law Association and President of the NYU Policy Debate team. Her rapid ascent from novice to national contender proved invaluable once she became part of the coaching staff.

Assistant Coach

Alex Sherman

Alex is a Metrics and Reporting Specialist at Frontier Communications. His 11+ years of experience in academic policy debate researching domestic policy, international relations, philosophers and social justice theories deepened his knowledge of data analysis and coaching prowess. He holds a Bachelor's in Political Science & Government from NYU. Alex was a CEDA All-American and National Debate Scholar. He was the 1st NYU debater to win the West Pt Sabre with different partners and is one of the most successful debaters in the NYU team's history.

2026-27 Student Executive Board

President

Justin Tseng

Justin is a Junior at the NYU College of Arts and Sciences, where he is double-majoring in Philosophy and Economics. As Treasurer of the 2025-26 NYUCEDA E-Board, he was named an NYU Emerging Student Leader for his service. Accolades include 5th in the nation (2025 CEDA Nationals breakout), 2026 National Debate Scholar, 2026 Regional Champion (Novice East Regionals) and securing top ten awards at over 90% of the tournaments he's attended. He was a Student Ambassador for the 25th Anniversary International Public Policy Forum (IPPF). As President of NYU CEDA, he is committed to fostering success for the team through collaborative, result-driven leadership that centers the development of its membership.

Vice President

Jaylin Galvan

Jaylin Galvan is a junior at CAS studying Politics with a minor in Public Policy. An NYUCEDA member since her first year, she served on the E-Board as Public Relations Officer for Social Media and as a novice mentor. This year, she was the top speaker and a semifinalist at the Big Tent Online before going abroad. She is a research fellow with SGAC, where she works on space mitigation and international regulatory frameworks, contributing to research on emerging legal challenges. Jaylin has interned with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the NY State Attorney General’s Office, and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. She continues to strengthen her research, advocacy, and mentorship skills in preparation for law school.

Treasurer

Terry Lesane

Terry is a second-year student at the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Politics with a minor in Data Science. He was the president of his dorm hall, Brittany Hall, where he hosted and planned numerous events for his residents. He also represented over 500 residents at inter-residence hall meetings, where he advocated for solutions to quality-of-life issues. He debuted his policy debate journey at the Monmouth tournament and has gained a vast amount of experience since then, winning second speaker at the annual intramural celebration. As treasurer, he plans to ensure efficient reimbursement while also coordinating the team's budget to ensure all members can participate without having to worry about financial stress

Data Governance Officer

Caitlin Travers

Caitlin is a second-year student at NYU studying English Literature with minors in Law & Society and Philosophy, She is a Dean's List honoree. Originally from North Carolina, she competed in Public Forum before transitioning to Policy in college. She won the 2026 Northeast Regional Championships, earned top speaker awards across multiple tournaments, and broke to elimination rounds at every tournament she attended. Outside of debate, Caitlin interns for a Manhattan Assemblymember, where she works on local policy and constituent affairs, and enjoys reading critical literary theory and reviewing movies. She is excited to contribute to the CEDA community this upcoming year as Data Governance Officer!

Secretary

Joseph Baez

Joseph is a second year at CAS double majoring in Politics and Philosophy. He debuted at the Gotham Debates where he was a quarter-finalist and finished as the 7th overall speaker. Currently, he's interning at the office of assemblywoman Grace Lee assisting with her State Senate campaign. As a first year at NYU, he served on the Senior Sunset Committee and helped organized events for NYU's HEOP class of '26. As a member of the Elections Commission Committee, he streamlined voting processes for NYU's student government systems and stimulated voter engagement. As Secretary of the CEDA E-Board, he plans to continue expanding the team's campus presence by bolstering connections. He plans to pursue a career in law.

Public Relations Officer (Social Media)

Clara Vaquero

Clara Vaquero is an incoming sophomore at NYU double majoring in Politics and Public Policy, with a strong interest in law and advocacy. In high school, she developed a passion for civic engagement by organizing a voter registration drive aimed at increasing political awareness among her community. Over the summer, Clara worked as an advisor with College and Career Lab, where she mentored high school students in exploring potential career paths and navigating their academic interests. As a member of NYU-CEDA, Clara is excited to strengthen her research, argumentation, and critical thinking skills while engaging in competitive policy debate.

Webmaster

Melanie Castro

Melanie is a second-year student at NYU Liberal Studies who plans to declare her major in Public Policy with a minor in Inequality Studies. She began her debate journey last year, where she debuted at Suffolks. Outside of CEDA, she has interned at Assembly member Grace Lee’s state senate campaign. As an intern, she petitioned and communicated with residents, going door to door, conducting meaningful conversations about important issues and policies affecting the community. Melanie is excited to work on the E-board!

Public Relations Officer (Mass Media )

Elinor Adams

Elinor is a second-year student concentrating in environmental justice and philosophy at Gallatin. She was a semifinalist at the East Regionals Championships and placed 2nd at the Big Tent Online in her debut, securing top ten speaker awards in both. She also represented NYU CEDA at the 3rd annual Collaborative for Earth Climate Forum at Stonybrook University. She plans to pursue a J.D./Ph.D and a career in environmental justice law.

Our Coaches

Student Executive Board

Our Coaches

Director

Will Baker

2026-27 Student Executive Board

Preparing leaders through the transformative power of NYU debate!

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