Lauren Cross manages public programs, academic partnerships, and student engagement initiatives at the Moody, including serving as liaison to the Moody Student Collaborative. She previously served as Manager of Outreach & Public Programs at Public Art of the University of Houston System (Public Art UHS), where she developed the institution's inaugural Education & Outreach strategic plan and launched programming such as Family & Community Day, Studio Workshops, and projects that encouraged student creative and critical response to art in public spaces. She has also held positions at multiple institutions in the Northeast, including managing programs for youth, family, and community audiences at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut. She holds a master's degree in art history from the University of Glasgow, a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University, and a bachelor's degree in English and linguistics from Northeastern University.