Samford University director of debate Ryan W. Galloway has been ranked the third best judge of the past decade (2000-2009) in a national poll of his professional peers.

At the end of each decade, the National Debate Tournament judges’ poll surveys collegiate debate coaches across the nation to rank teams, coaches and judges. The judges’ category considers the competency and integrity of each coach’s work as a judge at debate tournaments.

In collegiate debate, judging is done by coaches and staff of the schools that are entered in each tournament. During the course of a year, more than 1,000 coaches serve as judges at tournaments.

Galloway, assistant professor of communication studies, is in his fifth year at Samford.

He and the Samford debate team returned this week from the National Debate Tournament at University of California-Berkley, at which he was chosen to serve as a final round judge for the sixth time in his 15-year career as a debate coach.

Joining Galloway in the list of the nation’s top five judges were coaches from Emory University, Dartmouth College, Michigan State University and North Texas State University.