Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Aj Edwards. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.
AJ Edwards is a debate coach and communication instructor with over 20 years of experience as a competitor and coach in collegiate debate. He has won six national championships with the International Public Debate Association and has coached teams that consistently achieve top five national rankings, including at the scholastic national championship and the 2025 IPDA National Championship Tournament. In 2023, he was named the Bennett Strange Coach of the Year by the International Public Debate Association and was inducted into the IPDA Hall of Fame for his competitive achievements in 2024. AJ has coached over a dozen students to individual and team debate national championships and continues to support students as active participants in international debate competitions. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a Master of Liberal Arts with a concentration in history from Louisiana State University Shreveport and is currently completing his MFA in debate coaching and communications at the University of Arkansas Monticello. His research interests focus on the effects of debate on traditionally underserved populations, its impact on educational and personal outcomes for students, and the effects of argumentation styles in national debate organizations.
Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).