VBI Faculty Update
VBI 2015 is filling up fast
Students from 16 states have already registered for VBI. Space is limited, so sign up today!
New hires
We are proud to announce that the following instructors will be teaching with us at VBI 2015. These hires only represent a small fraction of our likely staff. While many others have tentatively indicated they will attend, we will not advertise staff until they have actually agreed.
Please stay tuned for more staff announcements in the next few weeks!
Ariel Shin — UC Davis '18, returning VBI instructor, former Berkeley Scholar at the Women's Debate Institute, debated for Immaculate Heart (CA).
Ben Ulene — Princeton '18, returning VBI instructor, broke at the 2014 TOC, coach at Byram Hills (NY), debated for Scarsdale (NY)
Chloe Naguib — Wash U '18, returning VBI instructor coach at Immaculate Heart (CA), won Grapevine and 7 bids, debated for Hockaday (TX)
Chris Castillo — Returning VBI instructor, coach at Strake Jesuit, students have won win Grapevine, UT, Churchill, VBT, Berkeley, TFA State, Bronx Round Robin, Greenhill Round Robin, and University Round Robin
Dan Alessandro — VBI alumnus from Lexington (MA), received bids at Bronx and the Glenbrooks
Daniel Tartakovksy — Harvard '17, returning VBI instructor, 2013 TOC semifinalist, winner of VBI camp demo round
Eric Melin — UT Austin '02, returning VBI instructor, coach at Marcus (TX), formerly at Hockaday (TX) and Southlake Carroll (TX)
Gina Scorpiniti — Wellesley '19, Valley '15, received bids at Apple Valley and Bronx
Haziq Siddiqi — Johns Hopkins '17, returning VBI instructor, debated for La Jolla and Lynbrook (CA), 2013 TOC qualifier,
Jacob Nails — Policy debater at Georgia State '16, returning VBI instructor, coach at Sacred Heart (MA)
Preetham Chippada — Runner-up at Greenhill from Lexington (MA), received additional bids at Bronx and Glenbrooks
Rahul Gosain — Runner-up at Valley from Scarsdale (NY), also bid at Bronx
Shayne Walton — UCLA '17, returning VBI instructor, debated for La Costa Canyon
The instructors above will be joining the faculty that we have already announced:
Adam Tomasi — 2013 & 2014 TOC elimination round participant
Akhil Gandra — Champion of St. Mark’s, Grapevine and UT
Anne-Marie Hwang — Greenhill, Valley, and Minneapple Round Robin Participant
Arjun Tambe – 2014 TOC elimination round participant, champion of the Greenhill Round Robin and Damus
Ben Holguin — Two-time Minneapple Champion, PhD candidate at NYU
Carlos Taylor — Champion of the Mid-America Cup
Chetan Hertzig (curriculum director) — Coach at Harrison (NY), coached 2014 TOC Champion
Chris Theis (executive director) — 2008 & 2009 TOC Champion, Coach of Apple Valley (MN) and Peninsula (CA)
Christian Tarsney (curriculum director) — Coach of the 2010 TOC champion and 2013 TOC and NSDA (NFL) Nationals runner-up, coach at Valley (IA)
Danny DeBois — 2014 TOC Champion, coach at Harvard-Westlake (CA)
Davis Labarre — Received bids at Grapevine, Greenhill, Bronx, Apple Valley, Isidore Newman, Strake Jesuit, and Harvard Westlake
Eric Weine — Received bids at the Mid-America Cup, Glenbrooks, and Blake
Isis Davis-Marks — Co-Champion of Bump
Jackson Lallas — Runner-up at 2014 Glenbrooks
Jake Nebel (executive director) — Coach of the 2013 TOC champion, two-time champion of Greenhill and Glenbrooks
Joey Schnide — Received bids at the Mid-America Cup and Blake
Lawrence Zhou — 2014 NSDA (NFL) National Champion
Leah Shapiro — Top seed of the 2013 TOC, Champion of the Mid-America Cup and the Hockaday Round Robin
Marshall Thompson — Champion of Greenhill, Bronx, and the MBA Round Robin, coach at Torrey Pines (CA)
Michael Bogaty — Champion of the 2014 Minneapple
Michael O’Krent — Received 7 career bids, coach at Marlborough (CA)
Nick Smith — Coach at Hopkins (MN)
Rebecca Gelfer — 2014 TOC elimination round participant, Champion of the Minneapple Round Robin
Rebecca Kuang — 2013 TOC and NDCA Champion, coach at Clements (TX) and Greenhill (TX)
Ryan Fink — 2012 NDCA Champion, coach at the Harker School (CA)
Samantha Hom — Received bids at Ridge and Lexington, philosophy major at UChicago
Scott Wheeler – Coach at Peninsula HS (CA)
Shania Hunt — 2013 Greenhill Champion, coach at Northland (TX) and Harvard-Westlake (CA)
SunHee Simon — 2014 Greenhill Champion, member of Team USA
Tinuola Dada — Received a bid at St. Mark’s, participant at the Apple Valley Round Robin
Varun Bhave — 2014 Bronx Champion, currently ranked #1 in the nation