Lauren Reichart Smith (Ph.D. 2010) began serving as an Assistant Professor of Public Relations at Auburn University in August of 2011. As a former television producer, she has worked in both the Atlanta and Birmingham television markets, and received an Emmy nomination in 2005 for her work. She earned her B.A. from Fairfield University, her M.A. from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama.

Lauren' main research area lies in mediasport - the intersection between sports and mass media. This focus has enabled her to complete research that focuses on gender issues, race issues, and issues of national identity. She specifically looks at these issues in the realm of athletics, from analyzing how athletes are portrayed in the media to how new technologies enhance a fan's enjoyment of a game or event. Lauren's work has been presented at conferences such as Southern States Communication Association (SSCA), Broadcast Education Association (BEA), the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the International Communication Association (ICA). She has won top paper awards at SSCA and BEA.

Her research has been published in the Journal of Sports Media, the International Journal of Sport Communication and the Journal of Intercultural Communication.

Lauren was once an All-American gymnast and a Division I springboard diver. She is still an avid sports fan today, and counts down the days until football season. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband Kenny Smith, photography, cycling, is certified as an advanced SCUBA diver, and grabs every opportunity possible to still turn flips and dives.