Biography

Jacob Thompson is an affiliate professor in the department of communication studies and an expert on presidential and political campaign debates, persuasion, argumentation theory and practice, and the rhetoric of American foreign policy. He played an essential role in the third presidential debate at UNLV in 2016, serving on multiple university committees that organized debate-related activities and participating in more than 100 interviews as a university media expert.

Previously, Thompson was the head coach and director of UNLV’s nationally recognized and award-winning debate team, ranked among the best in
the nation for several years. He received the George Ziegelmueller Coach of the Year award in 2018 and was recognized as the Ross K. Smith National Coach of the Year by the National Debate Tournament in 2020.

He currently serves as UNLV's Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate and High-Impact Education.