OUR SDLA TEAM

FOUNDER

SDLA was founded by Kelli Cienkus. Kelli’s introduction, admiration and subsequent love of Speech and Debate began at an early age. While growing up in Texas and Oklahoma, she spent her weekends attending both local and national tournaments alongside her mother and National Debate Hall of Fame inductee, Glenda Ferguson. Kelli’s goal for SDLA is to create a vibrant community where students can explore diverse perspectives, practice critical thinking, and develop their leadership skills through engaging in debate and civic discourse.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

Dr. Jason Sykes holds a Ph.D. in Information Science from UNT and is a JD Candidate at Syracuse University. He has coached debate since 1997, and his students are highly decorated across several events in both high school and collegiate debate. Their accomplishments include championships and participation in late elimination rounds in both debate and speaking events at major tournaments in Texas and across the country. His former students have attended college at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Berkeley, Dartmouth, Emory, Michigan, UPenn, and many more.

Dr. Sykes was inducted into the Texas Forensic Association Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2006, he was honored with the 19th annual Acolyte Award as the most outstanding assistant debate coach in the nation. He was a member of the North Texas Longhorns NSDA District Committee (2019-2024), he has also served on the TFA Executive Council (2005-2009) and the Lone Star NSDA District Committee (2007-2009).

Dr. Sykes competed in policy debate at the University of North Texas. He won several tournaments and speaker awards while advancing to the elimination rounds of more than two-dozen college policy debate tournaments, including the National Debate Tournament in 2002 and four CEDA National Championship tournaments, where he was honored as an All-American in 2002.

Dr. Sykes has served as an administrator with UTD and UNT’s debate workshops since 2003.