Amorette Hinderaker accepted her new position as president pf Pi Kappa Delta. Photo by Timothy Betts, Ph.D.
Congratulations to Amorette Hinderaker, Ph. D., on being named president of Pi Kappa Delta, the oldest forensics honor society for undergraduate university students and a professional organization for speech and debate coaches.
Hinderaker takes over as the 9th female president in Pi Kappa Delta history. In addition to her role as Convener of Debates at TCU, she is an associate professor in Communication Studies focused on researching argumentation and debate.
A Legacy to Talk About
In 2013, Hinderaker revived TCU’s speech and debate program after a nearly two-decade hiatus.
Timothy Betts ’17, ’19 Ph.D., former team member and assistant professor of communication studies fondly remembers his time as one of the founding members of Hinderaker’s first team.
“My story would not have been the same if I had not met her ten years ago after stumbling across the first recruitment booth the speech and debate team hosted,” Betts said. “That first year, we signed the team constitution as a mark of ownership; a recognition that a forensics team exists at TCU because of the students and coaches who practice and learn and speak.”
Year after year, TCU’s speech and debate team has gone on to win numerous state and national tournaments. This includes placing 6th place overall at the Pi Kappa Delta tournament last year and winning first place overall earlier this year at the Southern Forensic Championship. Hinderaker helps students become the best that they can be.
“Dr. Hinderaker’s integration of her work with the Speech and Debate team and her work with graduate students offers her mentees an unparalleled opportunity to make real change in the world and outside of the classroom,” says Logan Gibbs ’22, ’24 MS, previous team member and current graduate assistant. “Her connection to the world of forensics is deeper than most could ever understand and the fact that she chooses to bring graduate students into this field of work is indicative of her track record of mentoring and service to the department.”
No Debate
Hinderaker with the TCU Speech and Debate Team at the 2024 Pi Kappa Delta National Championship.
When asked about Hinderaker, or as the TCU Speech and Debate team affectionately call her, “Amo,” students only had wonderful things to say about her.
Team President Jackson Kaiser ’25 said, “Since joining the Speech and Debate team my freshman year, without fail, Dr. Hinderaker is there whenever you need her and genuinely cares about every person on our team. She is extremely dedicated to our success, taking countless weekends to travel with us each year. Outside of TCU, she is a pillar of the speech and debate community, helping run tournaments and supporting other programs. She has made me a better speaker, debater, and more well-rounded person, and I cannot thank her enough for all the work she has done for the team.”
Vice President Anna Renner ’25 echoed Kaiser’s remarks, “Dr. Hinderaker is observant and excels at perceiving the dynamics of her team, using this skill to assess where students are, how she can continue to push them and how they will learn best, individualizing her coaching approach to each teammate. She is an incredible resource; I have learned and grown the most in college through speech and debate because of her.”
Setting the Status Quo
Since starting at TCU in 2012 and reviving the team the following year, Hinderaker has steadfastly focused on developing students into effective communicators both in her service as the convener of debates and in her research.
“Within the forensics community and here at TCU, Dr. Hinderaker is singular,” said Betts. “Her leadership and scholarship are testaments to her bold commitment to the power and importance of communication as an academic discipline and as the art of persuasion, beautiful and just.”
We cannot wait to see how many students she continues to help in her new role as Pi Kappa Delta president.