Stanford National Forensic Institute

Matt Vassar, Parliamentary Curriculum Director & Instructor

With two degrees from Stanford University, including a M.A. in Communication, Matt Vassar has spent all of his adult life teaching debate and public speaking. As a coach, he trained winners to some of the largest parliamentary debate invitationals, including the Marty Cronin Invitational, the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational, and the Santa Clara University Invitational. He has also trained parliamentary teams to the semi-final round of the elite International Tournament of Champions (sponsored by the International Debate Education Association [IDEA]), the semi-final round of the North American Debating Championships, and the semi-final round of the California State Championship. Matt previously served as president of the now-defunct National Parliamentary Debate League, and currently serves as a lecturer under the Technical Communication Program at Stanford's School of Engineering. This is Matt's sixth year at the Stanford National Forensic Institute, and his fourth year serving as the director of the parliamentary debate program.