Melissa Maxcy Wade Named Urban Debate Champion

Melissa Maxcy Wade, M.A., M.T.S., Th.M., has been the Director of Forensics at Emory University since 1972, and is a faculty member in the Division of Educational Studies.  She received Emory’s highest faculty honor, the Thomas Jefferson Award, in 2007.

Professor Wade earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Emory where she was one of the nation’s top college debaters.  She is one of the leading debate coaches in the United States, having coached Emory’s Barkley Forum to more than 30 national debate titles.  Professor Wade’s coaching accomplishments have been recognized widely as she has received every National Coach of the Year honor in her field.  She has authored, co-authored, or edited over 150 publications related to debate issues, strategies and pedagogy. 

Professor Wade began her work with urban debate in 1985 when she co-founded the Urban Debate League in Atlanta.  The Atlanta UDL is a partnership between the Barkley Forum and the Atlanta Public Schools.  She has served as a National Advisor for the Urban Debate Program of the Open Society Institute. It was Professor Wade’s vision and experience that guided the initial formation of the Network during the 1990’s. 

Professor Wade is committed to teacher education and faculty development, and is actively participating in developing curriculum, materials, workshops, and educational assessment methodologies for Debate Across the Curriculum, an instructional method for use in virtually any academic discipline.
        
Professor Wade’s most recent projects include working with the development of college and secondary school competitive, educational, and community outreach debate programs in South Korea and Colombia.