Lauren Bacon Brengarth (PhD, Communication) is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Management and the former Assistant Dean of Student Programs at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri. Her research and teaching focus on leadership, strategic communication, social media, and ethics. She is a strong believer in a “learning by doing” approach, also known as the Missouri Method. In partnership with MU Extension, she developed “Edge Projects” in the Advanced Professional Development course which connects 350+ students each semester with over 70 Missouri employers to deliver business solutions.

Brengarth previously taught at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where she was a Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative fellow and managed the organizational and strategic communication track in the Communication Department. She also taught at the Colorado State-Pueblo Department of Media and Entertainment, where she taught courses in Strategic Communication.  

In addition to research and teaching, Brengarth brings more than 20 years of industry experience to the classroom, including nonprofit and healthcare consulting, nonprofit management, agency work and university advancement. Brengarth also spent four years working in the KOMU newsroom as a reporter/anchor/producer. Brengarth graduated with her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Missouri in 2011.