John Austin, Ph.D.

Dr. John Austin is a leadership educator known for helping individuals and organizations build capability and confidence in uncertain environments. He serves as the Dean of the Honors College and the P.D. Merrill Endowed Chair of Business at the University of New England (UNE) where his work sits at the intersection of management, psychology and foresight. For more than two decades, he has supported leaders in industries where change is constant, and the future is often unexpected.

A former Professor of Management at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Dr. Austin left academia to launch a company—an experience that shaped his lifelong interest in how people adapt, learn and make decisions when the path ahead is unclear. After selling the company, he served as a Principal at Decision Strategies International, a global firm recognized for its pioneering work in scenario planning. In 2020, he returned to higher education to build and lead new academic initiatives at UNE, including launching both the College of Business and the Honors College. Today, Dr. Austin combines academic leadership with active teaching in executive education programs at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State, Duke Corporate Education and Georgetown University.

Dr. Austin holds a Ph.D. in Organization Studies from Boston College and a B.A. in Economics from Johns Hopkins University. His research has earned five Best Paper Awards and has been cited more than 2,700 times. His latest book is Certain About Uncertainty: Build Resilience, Gain Confidence, and Thrive in a Chaotic World. He is also the author of Unquestioned Brilliance: Navigating a Fundamental Leadership Trap. His writing has appeared in Fast Company, Chief Executive, Inc. and HR Magazine.