The confirmed staff members of the 2026 International Geography Championships are listed below. This page is being updated between June 10 and June 20 – all staff members should be listed by then. Note that only staff who will be physically present in Khao Lak at IGC are shown; many other staff will be helping with question production, content creation, communication and logistics from their home bases too!

David Madden
Tournament Director, IGC 2026; Founder and Co-Executive Director, International Academic Competitions

David Madden is the Founder and co-Executive Director of International Academic Competitions and the International Geography Championships. He began his involvement in academic competitions in the 1990's playing quiz bowl for Ridgewood High School and Princeton University. In 2004, he appeared as a contestant on the American quiz show Jeopardy! winning 19 games in a row. He also participated in the Jeopardy! All Star Games tournament in 2019 which he and his teammates won, and was a contestant on Season 3 of The Floor in 2024 (where he finished in 3rd place out of 100 contestants, and won $10,000 for demolishing the category of "Bodies of Water"). While taking coursework to become a social studies teacher, he established the first competitions in the International Academic Competitions family in June 2010. For the past 16 years, David has overseen IAC as Executive Director, and as of 2026, approximately 100,000 students in over 50 countries compete in IAC events each school year. He has been to Thailand over 20 times since IAC began running events there in 2014, including for the 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Asian Championships, all of which were successfully held at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort and Spa.
David is also a published art historian, an Ambassador with the Rainforest Alliance, and once hiked the entire length of the US east coast for the Fisher House Foundation, a veterans charity. He enjoys running, skiing, baking chocolate chip cookies, and playing with his three cheeky parakeets. His wife, and IAC co-Executive Director, Nolwenn, regrets not being able to travel to Thailand for IGC 2026, even if it is for the best possible reason, as she is pregnant and due in August!

Kevin Commo

Co-Director of Statistics and Scheduling

Kevin Commo has worked full time for International Academic Competitions since 2022, focusing primarily on staffing for regular-season events and statistics for national and international events. He previously staffed the International Geography Championships when they were held in his hometown of Burlington, Vermont, in 2022. Kevin has long been involved with the quiz bowl circuit in Vermont, where he serves as Tournament Director of the Vermont-NEA Scholars’ Bowl and coaches the team at Burlington High School. In his free time, Kevin enjoys fishing, kayaking, board games and trivia.

Joseph Cox
Director of Staff

Joseph Cox serves as the Director of US Middle & Elementary School Operations for International Academic Competitions (IAC), where he helps bring academic competition to students and schools across the country. His story with IAC started in 2019, when he attended his first National Championships in Chicago, Illinois, and jumped in to help with events. That early spark turned into something bigger, and he joined the organization full-time in 2022. Joseph comes to the role with real classroom experience: before IAC, he taught high school science at Largo High School in Pinellas County Schools, Florida, which gives him a firsthand understanding of the students, teachers, and families IAC works with every day. He’s a proud Purdue University graduate, with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in History. When he’s not working, Joseph keeps things wonderfully well-rounded — you’ll find him reading, playing the piano, gaming, or testing his knowledge at pub trivia. He also loves a good night in watching TV with his partner, their dog, and their three cats.

Jason Flowers
Director of Exams

Jason Flowers is the Director of Exams for IAC and the 2024 International Geography Championships. Jason joined IAC in 2015 as a Team Leader for the US Geography Team and as the head writer for the US Geography Championships (USGC). Since then, he has helped to write the US History Bee and National Political Science Bee qualifying exams, all levels of USGC exams, National Championship Exams in history, and various exams and events for the International History Olympiad and IGC. In addition to writing for IAC, Jason is the Quiz Bowl and History Bowl coach at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, TX, where his teams have won two National History Bowl titles and four quiz bowl national championships.

Scott Fowler
Director of Field Trips

Shortly after being awarded IAC Middle School Coach of the Year in 2015, Scott began his career with IAC at the first International History Olympiad in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. He has staffed every National Championships since then, as well as five International Championships. Scott also works as a Regional Coordinator for IAC, scheduling, organizing, and directing EMS Regional Finals, and assists with outreach in the USA.
Scott’s middle school teams have placed in the top 10 at the National Championships five times, and were crowned NAQT National Champions in 2024. Scott and his wife Traci enjoy wine, traveling, and soccer.

Jess Peña

Jess Peña directs the bees and bowls, and is a proud member of the stats, training, and question production teams. She started with IAC in 2021 as an exam writer and has been working USA Nationals, IHO, and IGC events since. During the school year, Jess supports regional tournaments in the USA with the Elementary and Middle School team. Outside of IAC, Jess teaches AP US History at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, TX.

Deborah Pettingill
Director of Registrations & Additional Competitions

Deborah Pettingill is the Senior Director of Operations for International Academic Competitions where she supervises all of the staff in the United States and Canada and is the Event Coordinator for both the Varsity and Junior Varsity National Championships and the Middle and Elementary School National Championships. She joined IAC full time in June of 2021 after working for IAC part time as a Coordinator for the Middle and Elementary School Division and directing tournaments around the country. Deborah was a history teacher for 22 years at Largo High School in Florida where she taught both US and World History. Deborah coached the History Bowl Team. was advisor for Rho Kappa (the History Honor Society) and coordinated both the school and county National History Day competitions. She enjoys traveling with Eleanor, her adventure cat, fostering kittens for rescue organizations, and participating in historical reenactment (especially the Roman time period).

Ragavan Ramsubramani

Co-Director of Statistics and Scheduling

Ragavan Ramsubramani is the Co-Director of Statistics and Scheduling for the 2026 International Geography Championships. Ragavan’s 2017 Jeopardy! appearance ultimately led to his start with IAC in 2020 as an online tournament reader. He now supports US regional tournaments as Waitlist Coordinator and as an Online Tournament Coordinator. In addition, Ragavan has helped to implement the widespread adoption within IAC of digital scorekeeping and question distribution. Outside of IAC, Ragavan has degrees in Finance and International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and works as an equity research analyst. In his spare time, Ragavan enjoys playing trivia online, reading, escape rooms and watching British murder mysteries.

Jason Russell

Jason has worked with IGC since 2016 in various capacities, including Director of Middle School, Director of Outreach, Staff Director at Nationals and Internationals, and Director of Question Production. Jason currently works as an editor and set builder, and his quizzing history dates back to 1988, including being a 2-time Jeopardy! champion. In past lives, Jason has been a History and Math teacher, a professional actor, a U.S. Air Force air traffic controller, and Show Run Manager at theaters in Branson, Missouri and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jason has a BA in History and an MBA in Organizational Leadership, and when he is not working, he can often be seen on stage in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Sara DelVillano

Sara DelVillano is a Tournament Coordinator for IAC’s US Varsity & Junior Varsity Divisions. An experienced moderator and Tournament Director, Sara coordinated the Geocache Treasure Hunt at the 2022 IGC and the Classical Music History Bees at the 2022 and 2023 International History Olympiads. Sara studied music education at Ithaca College and was a 20-year music teaching veteran before joining IAC, and she continues teaching private woodwind lessons and plays clarinet in the Category 5 Wind Ensemble. Sara was a finalist on the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament in 2019 and loves playing pub trivia. Sara is looking forward to working in Vienna, one of the most important cities in classical music history, which she can’t wait to share with this year’s IGC participants!

Joan Dietrich
Assistant Director of Staff

Joan is IAC’s Regional Coordinator for Canada and is delighted to be making her first trip to Asia to work at IGC 2026. A native of Vancouver, Canada, Joan participated in Reach for the Top, a national quiz competition, when she was in high school. Joan has a degree in English Literature from the University of British Columbia and is certified as a Montessori Early Childhood educator. Her appearance on Jeopardy! in 2019 led her to working with IAC, and she has read for many online tournaments, directed in-person regional events, and works at US Nationals events as well. Joan enjoys weekly pub quiz, playing trivia with her online team, quilting, and spending time with her family and her energetic corgi.

Abigail Ecal

Abigail Ecal has been working as a Question Editor for IAC since 2022. Abigail is an alumna of Milpitas High School, where she founded her school’s quiz bowl club during her junior year. She then went on to earn her BA in History with a Minor in Biology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2019. In her free time, Abigail enjoys watching movies, completing her daily New York Times puzzles, and putting her knowledge to use in local pub trivia nights. Since having previously staffed for regional tournaments in the Bay Area, national tournaments, and the International History Olympiad in 2022, Abigail is looking forward to staffing her first IGC this summer!

Dawn Taylor

Dawn serves as a Customer Service Specialist with IAC. Since joining the organization in March 2026, she has quickly become an essential member of the team, arriving just in time to lend her support to the Varsity and Junior Varsity National Competition as well as the Elementary and Middle School National Championships. With her signature positive attitude, adaptability, and people-first mindset, Dawn takes pride in creating meaningful experiences for students, families, and staff alike. Beyond the workplace, she cherishes time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and beloved grand-pup. When she’s not championing academic excellence, you’ll likely find her “playing in the dirt” among her ever-growing plant collection or getting creative with her latest crafting project. Blending kindness, wit, and a genuine dedication to service, Dawn is a lifelong learner who’s always ready to offer a helping hand and step up wherever she’s needed most.

Jay Wickliff
Great Trading Game Coordinator

As Director of Strategic Planning, Jay helps chart the future of IAC. He is the co-founder of the National Political Science Bee and coordinates the related discussion groups. He designs academic games like the Great Trading Game and MCs award ceremonies at major competitions including every International History Olympiad. As a teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, he coached the History Bowl team to a National Championship. Jay has also served as Executive Director at Presidential Classroom, a Washington-based civic education program for outstanding high school students, where he founded the Future World Leaders Summit for teenage leaders from around the world. During his career in human resources management, he worked as Vice President for Global Human Resources at Gerber Scientific, Inc., a mid-sized New York Stock Exchange listed company. This year Jay, who studied International Law at Oxford University and the University of Ghana, helped launch IAC’s Model UN competitions.

Eli Bertuccioli
Eli first became involved with IAC as a competitor on the European circuit, ultimately winning the 2022 European History Bee Championships. He has been a staffer since 2023, and is excited to return for his fourth international event this year. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, where he read Philosophy, Eli has spent the past year completing teacher training at the International School of Geneva, and is about to begin a Master’s degree in Aesthetics at the University of Uppsala. He is always keen to talk about the history of art or ideas, culinary geography, or Swiss politics, and is excited for this summer’s IGC!

Sean Briody
Originally from Long Island, Sean Briody graduated from Brown University with a dual degree in American Studies and Egyptology & Assyriology (but sadly, he does not walk like an Egyptian). The 2024 Parents/Teachers Academic Bee Champion, he is currently an AP U.S. History teacher and National History Bowl coach at Cardinal Newman School in Columbia, South Carolina. Sean was a player for Commack High School in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and has been a familiar face at tournaments since he started staffing back in 2017. This will be his fourth world championship event. He is the author of The Brown University Band: An Ever True History (Arcadia/The History Press).

Dianne Chung

Dianne is excited to be joining the staff of her first IGC in 2026. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Integrative Biology and double minors in Peace and Conflict Studies and Journalism, reflecting her interest in bringing together different perspectives and ideas.During her time at UC Berkeley, she was heavily involved in Model United Nations, competing at conferences hosted by institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, UCLA, and many other academic institutions. From debating international policy to navigating committee crises, MUN became one of the most rewarding parts of her college experience and sparked a lasting passion for leadership, diplomacy, and collaborative problem-solving.That enthusiasm eventually brought her to IAC, where she joined the organization in 2021. After serving as Tournament Director for Bees competitions, she recently expanded her role to lead West Coast Bees, Bowls, and Model UN tournaments, helping create engaging and memorable academic experiences for students across a variety of disciplines.Outside of work, she is kept busy by her two cats, Marble and Bella, who have mastered the art of demanding attention at the exact moment she opens her laptop. She looks forward to meeting all competitors and helping make IGC 2026 a rewarding, memorable, and fun experience for everyone involved.

Audra Dankwardt
Audra is currently a Ph.D. candidate in School Psychology at UMass Boston. She has spent most of her life in Massachusetts, and joined the IAC staffing team in Fall 2021. She has served as an Outreach Coordinator, US Operation Specialist, and tournament director for regional tournaments across New England. This year she is also the Model UN Coordinator! She loves traveling and is excited to be joining the team of IAC staff at the 2026 International Geography Championship in Khao Lak!

Jeff Gepner
Jeff Gepner has taught history at international schools in Guam and the United Kingdom, and he currently teaches history and geography at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand. In addition to teaching, Jeff coaches his school’s International History Bee and Bowl team and occasionally directs tournaments for International Academic Competitions in southeast Asia. Jeff has staffed the 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 summer events in Berlin, Princeton, Rome, Vienna, and Paris and he is looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Land of Smiles this summer for the International Geography Championships in Khao Lak, Thailand. Sawatdee krup.

Anita Gesling

Anita Gesling grew up in the capital city of Australia and has lived more than half her life a short walk from the scramble crossing, in the capital of Japan. She teaches Japanese to primarily non-Japanese students and has been involved in quiz competitions in the Kanto Plains since the late 1990s. Anita has moderated multiple online tournaments in Asia and Europe, and directed in-person tournaments in Tokyo, Seoul and Auckland. She is looking forward to her first in-person international competition and is happy to help you learn how to pronounce Japanese place names

Grayson McCready
Grayson’s teaching career started in the mountains of British Columbia but over 20 years ago, he left to teach internationally with stops in the Bahamas, Cuba and now Basel, Switzerland. He teaches Middle School History and Geography these days but has taught both subjects at the IB and IGCSE level. Prior to teaching, he served as a Airborne Gunner in the Canadian Army. Since 2018, Grayson has been at nearly every IAC World Championship level event, including the 2018 International Geography Championships and International History Olympiad in Berlin, the 2022, 2023 and 2025 IHOs in Princeton/New York, Rome and Paris and the 2024 IGC in Vienna.

Brina Ratangee

Brina Ratangee first became involved with International Academic Competitions as a competitor at the 2018 International History Olympiad (IHO) in Berlin before transitioning to IAC’s staff in 2020, as an intern and then Tennessee Outreach Coordinator. She now helps direct regional tournaments — including IAC’s new Model UN Program — and staffs the IAC Varsity & Junior Varsity and Middle & Elementary School US National Championships annually, as well as staffed the 2022 and 2025 IHOs in Princeton and Paris, respectively. She earned a BA and MA from Vanderbilt University and is currently pursuing an MD at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. An avid quizzer, she competed on It’s Academic as a high schooler and on Jeopardy! last year. Her other interests include journalism, the violin, and tennis.

Vella Ross

Vella (they/he) is from Boston, Massachusetts, and is a biologist by trade. They currently work for IAC as a tournament director, communications specialist with the US Operations team, and assistant to the stats team. They have been working at IAC since 2022 and are excited to staff another International event! In his free time, Vella enjoys birding, reading, swimming, and hanging out with his cat, Malina.

Dan Stone

Dan Stone began a partnership with IAC in 2018 to promote academic competitions in Vietnam. As the IHBB tournament director and head of an education center in Hanoi, he and his team launched the country’s first tournaments, each drawing over 60 students from more than 15 international, private, and bilingual schools. His team developed custom training courses, animated promotions, and workshops featuring David Madden.Dan’s support for students extends to his work as a college admissions coach, helping students worldwide apply to international colleges and universities. In his free time, you can find him playing the drums, ice hockey, and weightlifting.

Kraipob (Pob) Waengsothorn

Kraipob Waengsothorn is a recent economics graduate from Thammasat University, Tha Prachan. Pob has been involved in the history and quiz bowls since his high school days at Ruamrudee International School. In his downtime, he likes to edit videos and design graphics as both a hobby and a profession. Pob is looking forward to serving on the staff of his first International Geography Championships in Khao Lak this summer.

Anthony Walker-Pearson

Anthony is Head of History and Geography (Grades 6 to 10) at École Jeannine Manuel in Paris, France – the host school for last year’s International History Olympiad! He founded the school’s History Club in 2016 with 8 students; it has since grown to include nearly 100 passionate students. With such a dedicated and enthusiastic cohort, EJM students have consistently performed at the highest levels in the European Division of the IHBB. Anthony had an absolute blast welcoming staff, students, and parents from around the world to Paris last summer and is eagerly anticipating another memorable experience at the International Geography Championships this summer in Khao Lak!

Robert Wang

Robert is a freshman at Columbia University studying (predictably) history. He has played 74 quizbowl tournaments and counting, and has completely given up on the idea of retirement. When he’s not playing quizbowl, running and staffing quizbowl tournaments, selling quizbowl to his peers, or coaching quizbowl players, he enjoys wushu, cooking, singing, and humiliating himself in bar trivia nights.

Sarah Winter

Sarah is currently working as a Research Associate and is an incoming PhD student in Biomedical Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School. She is originally from California and moved to Massachusetts for college. She started working at IAC two years ago and is excited to work her first internationals. In her free time she enjoys baking and knitting.