Timothy R. Austin, Ph. D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Tim Austin was born just south of London, to parents both of whom were teachers. He "read English" at Lincoln College, Oxford (to use the British idiom) and earned his bachelor's degree with First Class Honors in 1973. With the financial assistance of an English Speaking Union Travel Fellowship, Austin attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, completing a Ph.D. in linguistics in 1977. He accepted a position as an assistant professor at Loyola University Chicago, where he remained for twenty-four years, the last five as chair of the English department. In 2001, Austin was invited to become dean of the college of arts and sciences at Creighton University in Omaha, remaining there for five years before coming to Holy Cross in August 2006. Although most of his time these days is devoted to administrative matters, Austin continues his scholarly interest in grammar, particularly as it intersects with literature. He has written two books and a number of scholarly articles about the language of poetry as well as a number of informal essays on topics in the area of higher education more broadly defined.