Snapshots: David Rooney

David Rooney, Greg Dykeman and Wayne Callaway Director of Debate

 

By Monica Deru
 
This past fall, David Rooney was appointed the Greg Dyekman and Wayne Callaway Director of Debate at the University of Wyoming, a role made possible through the Gregory C. Dyekman Fund for Debate, which provides direct support to the UW speech and debate team.

The fund was established by Greg Dyekman, a Cheyenne-based attorney with Long Reimer Winegar LLP in honor of longtime debate coach Wayne Callaway, whose leadership and mentorship left a lasting impact on generations of UW debaters. 

“Intercollegiate debate was the best overall educational experience I have ever had,” Dyekman says. “The lessons I learned and the skills I developed as a UW debater come into play in everything I do. I am honored to help continue the legacy of UW debate and the many extraordinary people the program has helped prepare for lifelong success.”

In addition to serving as director of debate, Rooney is an associate professor of practice in persuasive argumentation, political communication and related courses. Born and raised in Ireland, Rooney did not speak fluent English when he moved to the U.S. at age 11. His parents saw how debate could help him gain command of the language. 

“My parents really pushed me to do debate, as you have to process and read a lot of information very quickly,” Rooney says. “They thought it would brush up on my skills and confidence.”

Rooney’s relationship with UW’s debate team began in 2021 as an online assistant coach while he was working on his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin. Now, as the coach, he has new goals.

“I love debate,” Rooney says. “I think it’s one of the most educationally challenging activities in terms of growing as a person and thinking and reading under much harder pressure than in a classroom.”

The UW speech and debate team is a co-curricular program open to undergraduate students and sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Communication and Journalism. The team competes in 15–20 intercollegiate tournaments each year and focuses on the research-intensive form of policy debate. 

“One of the reasons I was attracted to this program is the funding opportunities for the debate team,” Rooney says. “I knew there would be security and stability for the debate team. It’s pretty unique and amazing.”

He aims to build on the team’s legacy of competitive excellence by growing UW’s program and Wyoming’s high school debate circuit, guiding the next generation of students to success on the national stage. 

“The fund pays homage to the former great debate coach at Wyoming, and I am privileged to help continue that legacy,” Rooney says. “I would like UW to be a debate powerhouse, rivaling other top programs and competing at the highest level nationally.”

With sustained support from the Gregory C. Dyekman Fund and strong ties to those who helped shape the program’s history, UW’s 113-year-old speech and debate team is well-positioned to continue its growth and maintain a prominent presence in intercollegiate debate.