Austin was born in Michigan, but has lived in Florida the past 10 years. He received his B.S in Psychology and B.A. in Criminology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. For the two years after he received his degrees, he worked as the research coordinator for a research team that focused on health psychology and behavioral medicine. Currently, he is a graduate student in UO’s Counseling Psychology Ph.D. Program. His research interests involve improving the health and well-being of underserved and marginalized communities. Particularly, he is interested in working with the LGBTQ+ community by identifying and promoting protective factors, such as mindfulness and a positive sexual and/or gender identity, that mitigate the impact of risk factors that negatively impact the physical and mental health of this community. He enjoys reading, practicing and teaching yoga, running, and cooking during his free time.