Sharon Laux is Associate Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She received her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in Consumer Economics with a minor emphasis in housing. Her research interests include financial education and the impact housing decisions in families and communities. She teaches courses in personal finance economics titled "Family Economics and Household Development" (designed for high school teachers).
In addition, she conducts workshops and develops curriculum to assist teachers in incorporating personal finance into their classrooms. Prior to joining the Center in 2007, she worked for over 20 years as part of the University of Missouri Extension faculty in their mission to assist community organizations and individuals. In this role, she developed a number of curricula focused on enhancing the asset development on low- and moderate- income households. Her research has appeared in the Journal of Community Practice, Housing and Society, the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Journal of Housing and the Elderly. Recently Laux was invited by the U.S. Treasury to participate in the National Research Symposium on Financial Literacy and Education.
A white paper with the participants' recommendations for future research will be distributed by the U.S. Treasury in December 2008. Laux is currently a board member of the National Jump$tart Coalition and Chairman of the Missouri Jump$tart Coalition. She also served as Secretary of the Housing Education and Research Association.
Lecturer Associate Director for Center of Entrepreneurship & Economic Education
