Biography

Austin has served as chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Abilene Christian University (ACU), in Abilene, Texas for over seven years. A licensed bilingual speech language pathologist, Austin created and led innovative health science programming at ACU, including its largest graduate program, launched a bilingual emphasis track within the graduate program, and developed clinical partnerships locally and internationally.

Austin is a highly respected scholar, who has been published with prestigious houses such as Cambridge University Press among others. In addition to her work in higher education, Austin was a clinical provider for more than 20 years, including operating two private practices.