Dr. Sarat brings more than 40 years of experience as a faculty member and member of the administration at Amherst College. He served as Senior Advisor to the Dean of the Faculty, Associate Dean of Faculty, and Associate Provost as well as a member of the President’s Academic Cabinet. He’s held numerous faculty leadership roles, including serving several terms as an academic department chair.

Austin possesses expertise in all aspects of academic affairs and college governance, and has extensive experience in advising senior leaders and in strategic planning. Through his career he led efforts to bridge academics and student affairs, to enhance academic advising, and to support new students. He has launched and managed various successful faculty development initiatives, focusing in particular on supporting new faculty and on promoting and evaluating faculty research. He has played a leading role in the development and implementation of curricular initiatives and the creation of new academic departments and programs.

Austin holds a BA in political science from Providence College, a Master’s degree and PhD from the University of Wisconsin, and a law degree from Yale Law School. He has served as president of several national scholarly associations, including the Law & Society Association, the Association for the Study of Law, Culture and the Humanities, and the Consortium on Undergraduate Law and Justice Programs. He lives in Amherst, Ma. and has a long history of volunteer work and service in town government.

• Academic Affairs
• Faculty Leadership & Development
• Strategic & Sustainability Planning