Dr. Benjamin Gaddis is the Director of Individual Events at UTNIF and a nationally recognized coach and educator with over a decade of experience in competitive speech. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and has led students to dozens of national titles at both the high school and collegiate levels. A former Assistant Director of Texas Speech and Director of Forensics at Trinity Preparatory School, Dr. Gaddis has coached at UTNIF since 2013 and brings a proven, student-centered approach to helping young speakers grow in confidence, skill, and success on the national stage.

Eric is incredibly excited to return to UTNIF and has worked speech camps in 4 separate decades. A member of the National Forensics Association Hall of Fame, he became the NFA Pentathlon Champion by finaling all three genres (interp, public address, and limited prep) at the same national tournament. Eric is also a multiple-time AFA national finalist and After Dinner Speaking National Champion. A graduate of Bradley University, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois, Eric is a Professor and Department Coordinator of Communication Studies at Elgin Community College. Eric also serves as the Associate Director of Forensics at the University of Illinois-Chicago helping the young program quickly ascend to being a top-5 program at NFA, AFA, and NSC. UIC extempers have reached a national final every year Eric has been on staff and won the program's first national titles. Eric believes speech, and UTNIF, changes lives. Communicate. Educate. Advocate.

Dr. Xavier Clark is a nationally recognized coach, competitor, and strategist whose career spans competitive speech, transformational leadership, and ethical culture design. Their forensics journey began in 2009 as a CX (Policy) debater, where they qualified for state as a freshman.
Throughout high school, Dr. Clark became a four-time UIL State Qualifier in Poetry Reading, placing 4th in 2010 and earning the title of 3A State Runner-Up in 2012. In their senior year, they were also a state semifinalist in Original Oratory, Duo Interpretation, Duet Acting, and Dramatic Interpretation at TFA State.

In 2012, Dr. Clark concluded their high school career as an NSDA National Finalist in Poetry Reading and Semifinalist in Prose Reading, before continuing on to the University of Texas at Austin, where they became a national finalist in Dramatic Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, and Duo Interpretation, and a semifinalist in DI, Duo, POI, and Poetry Interpretation across the AFA and NFA circuits. In 2016, as a senior, Dr. Clark contributed to UT Austin’s first national team championship in thirteen years. The following year, in 2017, they joined the coaching staff and helped lead the team to a back-to-back national championship.

As a coach, Dr. Clark has guided students to national finals—and national championships—in Program Oral Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, Poetry Interpretation, and Prose Interpretation. Since 2018, they have coached at George Mason University, where they served as a Top Five Program Coach in 2018, 2019, 2024, and 2025. In April 2025, Dr. Clark was inducted into the National Forensics Association Hall of Fame, honoring their sustained excellence and impact on the speech and debate community.

Dr. Clark holds a Doctorate in Strategic & Health Communication from George Mason University, a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. They also hold executive education credentials in Leading Thriving Organizations (George Mason University), AI for Business (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania), Generative AI Leadership & Strategy, and Generative AI: Cybersecurity & Privacy for Leaders (Vanderbilt University).

Whether in competition or in life, Dr. Clark’s mission is clear: empower students to lead with integrity, speak with clarity, and transform the spaces they enter.

Nick began his speech career in South Florida and immediately fell in love with the activity. As a competitor on George Mason University Forensics, he reached national outrounds in Impromptu Speaking, Rhetorical Criticism, After Dinner Speaking, Persuasive Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking, including a 7th place finish in Extemporaneous Speaking at the 2021 NFA national tournament. As a graduate assistant and later assistant coach at Illinois State University, he helped coach ISU to its 3rd place finish at the 2023 AFA national tournament. He has worked to revive ISU’s LP program and has coached several state and national finalists. As one of the nation’s premier college question writers, He has written questions for MAFL, AFA District 5, NSC and NFA. Nick has worked to push back against systemic bias that is often infused into extemp question language. He believes that speech can serve as an educational and liberatory tool for young people. He is super excited to work with some brilliant minds at UTNIF 2025!!!

Ruta is a graduate at the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Neuroscience. Originally from Seattle, WA, she competed in the Puget Sound circuit throughout high school in various events, primarily focused on Congressional Debate and Informative Speaking. She qualified for TOC and NIETOC, reaching out-rounds at state and NSDA nationals. Ruta is incredibly excited to see the talent UTNIF has to offer!

Hiba Faruqi is a recent graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned degrees in Government and Germanic Studies. As a member of the Texas Speech Team, Hiba was a multi-national finalist at both AFA and NFA in a wide range of events, including Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Informative, After Dinner Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, and Communication Analysis. With over a decade of experience in limited preparation events, she has coached high school students in extemporaneous speaking and congressional debate to Texas Forensic Association (TFA) finals and championships. Hiba currently ranks among the top five individual events competitors in the nation and is an incoming Fulbright scholar to Germany. She’s thrilled to return to UTNIF and coach her favorite event!

Recently graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology at George Mason University, Jose Quinones is excited to be working with the Congress and Extemp students at UTNIF. With 8 years of speech experience Jose got his start in Congress and Extemp at Cypress Bay High School, going on to champion the 2019 Harvard National Tournament in Extemp and become the back to back 2018-19 State Champion of International Extemp in Florida as well as amass multiple final rounds at national level tournaments. In college Jose represented George Mason as one of its captains and appeared in 8 national final rounds across both limited preparation and platform events and was recognized as a top 10 speaker at the AFA National Speech Tournament. As a college coach Jose has helped his students reach multiple finals across the 2024 AFA and NFA national tournaments including the runner-up in Extemperaneous Speaking. As a high school coach, Jose has coached students to multiple final rounds at competitive tournaments including the Barkley Forum and New York City Invitational as well as championships at the Tournament of Champions and Florida Blue Key. Outside of his own speech career Jose has 4 years of camp coaching experience across several different camps and he is excited to bring that knowledge to UTNIF this summer.

Lavontae is a Graduate Assistant at the University of Illinois Chicago, where he competed on their nationally ranked team and was a part of the program’s first national championship. With final round appearances at AFA, NFA, and IOA—and national outrounds in all 11 collegiate events—Lavontae brings a comprehensive knowledge of competitive speech to his coaching. His students have earned championships and final rounds at TFA, NSDA, AFA, etc. Lavontae’s coaching philosophy is rooted in equity, voice, and representation, helping students craft performances to tell stories that they not only want to be heard but need to be heard. He is so excited for his first year at UTNIF!

Brian McAninch is the head of Speech at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida, where he also teaches AP US Government and World History. Brian is a one-diamond NSDA coach and earned his distinguished service pin from the NSDA. Brian was named the NSDA Florida Panther District Coach of the Year in 2020 and the Florida Forensic League Region 2 Coach of the Year in 2023. He is the director of the North Florida Catholic Forensic League and the Vice President of communications for the Florida Forensic League. He holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Notre Dame and is finishing a second in history at Florida International University. Brian's competitors have made it to the late elimination rounds in all speech events and Congress, earning numerous TOC bids, including Yale, Bronx, Florida Blue Key, Glenbrooks, Princeton, Sunvite, Durham, Emory, and Harvard. At TOC, NCFL Grand Nationals, and NSDA Nationals Brian's students have broken the late and final rounds of Congress, DUO, POI, and WSD.