Ithaca College

After serving as the Assistant Director of Community Service for almost 10 years, Don Austin is leaving Ithaca College to take on a new position.

During his tenure, Don has expanded the Alternative Breaks program to offer hundreds of students the opportunity to travel throughout the United States and volunteer with community agencies during Fall, Spring, and Summer breaks. These immersive experiences provided students a chance to serve with a team and learn about meaningful issues such as park preservation, food security, immigration and refugee services, environmental stewardship, and youth programs. The other signature volunteer programs that Don has led include Service Saturdays, where scores of students provide direct service at multiple agencies in Tompkins County every month, and the annual Community Plunge and MLK Day of Service events. He created several new awards for campus volunteers and served on the OSE Scholarships Committee to select student recipients of service and involvement scholarships every year. Don has also been the adviser to multiple student organizations during his time on campus, including HEARD, Books Thru Bars, Bureau of Concerts, Circle K, and Ithaca Anglers.

The Office of Student Engagement appreciates the energy and commitment that Don has given to Ithaca College students since he first arrived in 2010. We wish him the best as he begins his next adventure as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the new Department of Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Don’s last day at Ithaca College will be Wednesday, February 19.

Please contact the Office of Student Engagement at 607-274-3222 or ose@ithaca.edu with any questions about service programs, and we will direct your inquiry to the appropriate person in our office.