Jason Edgar has been named director of speech and debate at Missouri Western State University beginning this fall. Edgar will also be an instructor in the Department of Communication and Journalism.
“Jason brings a wealth of experience in speech and debate both as a competitor and as a coach, and is also an experienced teacher of speech at the college level,” said Dr. Marilyn Hunt, chair of communications and journalism. “His experience includes starting forensics programs at two colleges. I’m confident he’s the right person to lead our speech and debate program into the future, and that he will be a tremendous asset in the classroom as well.”
Edgar has been speech instructor and director of forensics at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri since 2009, establishing the first debate program in the college’s history and serving as president of the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities in 2014-2015. Previously, he was speech instructor and director of forensics at Barton Community College in Kansas, establishing that school’s first speech and debate program. He was also a speech instructor and assistant director of forensics at John Brown University in Arkansas.
Edgar has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Missouri Southern State University and a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Arkansas. He competed in debate at Missouri Southern and Arkansas as well as Aurora (Mo.) High School.
“I have been involved in speech and debate, whether as a competitor or a coach, since 1996,” Edgar said. “It’s an academic activity that builds useful skills like public speaking, critical thinking, research and note-taking in a competitive environment. I’m excited by the tremendous support Missouri Western’s administration provides speech and debate.”
Edgar plans to pursue an active debate competition schedule, beginning with an event at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, in September. Other stops on the tentative schedule include tournaments in Missouri, Kansas, California, Utah and Chicago. Edgar also plans to host a high school speech and debate tournament on campus in November.
Missouri Western’s speech and debate program was revived in 2013 after an absence of more than 10 years. Bringing competitive forensics back was the vision of Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. Dr. Vartabedian competed in speech and debate as a student, coached at several previous institutions and while at Wichita State University hosted the first national tournament of the Cross Examination Debate Association in 1986.
“I’m pleased that our program will now be led by a full-time faculty member, and very excited to see what the future holds under Jason’s capable leadership,” Dr. Vartabedian said.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.