Trent Ryan Deckard
Department: CPCS-COMM
Campus: Bloomington
Biography
Trent Deckard is a Senior Lecturer of Business Communication at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. He teaches
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Trent Deckard is a Senior Lecturer of Business Communication at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. He teaches undergraduate and MBA courses and delivers tailored corporate programs through the Kelley Executive Education Programs (KEEP) for corporate clients such as Allegion and Thompson Thrift. Known for innovative course design, Trent teaches a course examining leadership lessons through the lens of the American comic book industry. He has also taught internationally with partner institutions such as Steinbeis University (Germany) and Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea). Beginning in Spring 2027, Trent will also lead students on a study abroad course to Greece. In 2025, he co-authored an open-source text, Leveraging Data Visualization to Communicate Effectively alongside Dr. Jennie Mitchell.
In addition to his faculty role, Trent is completing his doctoral dissertation at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, focusing on team conflict dynamics in global organizations. A former communication lecturer on the IU Indianapolis campus, his professional trajectory blends higher education with extensive public and private sector leadership. His public service background includes roles as a district director for a U.S. Member of Congress, head of a State of Indiana agency, and chief of staff for a state legislative caucus. Dedicated to civic engagement, Trent is an elected at-large member and former president of the Monroe County Council and was elected as a Monroe County Commissioner in 2026. His business roots originate in his family's small business as a Pepperidge Farm franchisee and in corporate management at Kroger.
In his personal time, Trent enjoys spending time with his family and building upon his collection of around 30,000 comic books.
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Areas of Expertise
Business Communication & Data Storytelling, Executive Coaching & Leadership Development, Building Confidence & Credibility, Team Dynamics & Conflict Resolution, Pop Culture Business Strategy & Comic Book Industry, Public Sector Leadership & Community Governance
Awards, Honors & Certificates
- Teaching Excellence Distinction for MBA Faculty (2026)
- Walt Blacconiere Award (2026)
- Elvin S. Eyster Teaching Scholar (2025)
- Indiana University Trustees' Teaching Award (2023)
- Mumford Excellence in Extraordinary Teaching Award (2021)
- Indiana University Trustees' Teaching Award (2019)
Edited on July 21, 2026
