Leadership
The Board of Directors
The Yale Debate Association is a student-run organization. Every December, the team’s members elect five members to the Board of Directors. The Board comprises the President, the Tournament Coordinator, the Membership Director, the Development Director, and the Treasurer.
Naz Soysal
President
Naz (she/her) is a sophomore in Silliman College studying Economics and Global Affairs. She is from Dallas, TX. Outside of debate, she can be found playing sudoku, watching ballet, and exploring New Haven’s food scene. She can be reached at yda.president@gmail.com
Teddy Tawil
Membership Director
Teddy (he/him) is a junior in Saybrook College from New York City studying Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Outside of debate, he leads the Yale AI Policy Initiative and is a First-Year Outdoor Orientation Leader. In his free time, he can be found running, eating hummus, and reading nonfiction.He can be reached at membership.yda@gmail.com.
Hiroko Kawase
Development Director
Hiroko (she/her) is a sophomore in Trumbull College studying Cognitive Science and Global Affairs with a certificate in Education Studies. She is originally from Japan, although she also grew up in New York, Hong Kong, and London. Outside of debate, she can be found writing food reviews, conducting education research, and working on projects with Yale Undergraduate Consulting Group! She can be reached at development.yda@gmail.com.
Felix Leonhardt
Treasurer
Felix (he/him) is a sophomore History major in Jonathan Edwards College. He grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, where he enjoys playing bocce with his brother and watching his sister play basketball. He also likes board games, politics, and the New England Patriots. At Yale, he coaches debate through the New Haven Urban Debate League and plays catcher for Yale Club Baseball. Feel free to reach out to him at treasurer.yda@gmail.com!
Alexis Nieves
Tournament Director
Alexis (she/her) is a Morse College sophomore majoring in History with a concentration in Race, Gender, and Sexuality. She is from Brooklyn, New York where she can most often be found exploring NY museums, local shops, or parks when she’s not at home passing time with her sisters. Outside of the YDA, you can most likely find Alexis studying in the depths of Bass Library, working on an advocacy project for the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association, or seated at one of the many Yale dance, acapella, or comedy shows.Please don't hesitate to contact her via ydatournaments@gmail.com