Trent Ryan Deckard
- Lecturer
Biography
Trent Deckard is a business communication faculty member at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and is a recipient of
Show MoreTrent Deckard is a business communication faculty member at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and is a recipient of the Trustees' Teaching and Mumford Excellence in Extraordinary Teaching Awards. He teaches business communication classes to undergraduate students and participants of the Kelley Executive Education programs. Each spring he teaches classes on leadership lessons from the comic book industry at the Jellison Living Learning Center. Additionally, he also provides communication coaching for those struggling with connecting confidently to audiences.
Beyond his work at the Kelley School, Trent is also a third-year doctoral student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and was selected to be a member of the 183-year-old institution's inaugural cohort of PhD in Global Leadership with a focus on Organizational Change and Behavior. In his student role, Trent has published on global leadership storytelling, studied imposter phenomenon in the organization, and engaged in intercultural studies including a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Greece. He is also working on a textbook related to Data Visualization and Storytelling alongside Dr. Jennie Mitchell, due out in 2025. Trent received his bachelor’s degree in political science and criminology from Ball State University and his master’s degree in applied communication from IU.
A former communication lecturer on the IUPUI campus, Trent also worked as a district director for a member of Congress, led an agency at the State of Indiana, served as chief of staff for a legislative caucus in the Indiana House of Representatives, and currently serves as an at-large member and president of the Monroe County Council. Trent’s roots in business began in the family’s small business as a Pepperidge Farms franchisee and took him early to leadership in the Kroger Corporation. His teaching through Kelley has partnered him with several successful offerings for Allegion, Chemours, Meetings Professional Incorporated, RSM, Thompson Thrift, and Thor Industries.
In his spare time, Trent enjoys time with family and the 23,000+ comic books he has collected since childhood. He has been active in Toastmasters, Rotary International, the Kiwanis Club of South-Central Indiana, and various other local not-for-profits addressing major community issues.
Edited on March 12, 2024