Duke Austin

Dr. Duke Austin is a Professor of Sociology at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB), where he also serves as Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and previously as Department Chair. He holds a Senior Fellowship at Yale University’s Urban Ethnography Project and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pacific Sociological Association. His research focuses on race, gender, immigration, ethnographic methods, environmental justice, and community engagement. Dr. Austin advocates for social justice pedagogy, emphasizing learner-centered education and experiential learning to empower students as civic leaders.

• Affiliations: CSUEB, Yale University, USC (NIH grant consultant), Pacific Sociological Association
• Awards: 2023 Outstanding Contributor to Community Engagement, 2016 Outstanding Scholar on Diversity and Social Justice

His research explores systemic racism’s impact on white Americans in the Trump era, school-to-deportation pipelines, hyper-masculinity in disasters, and inclusive campus policies. He co-authored Impacts of Racism on White Americans in the Age of Trump (2021) and Bringing Fieldwork Back In (2012). Prior to academia, he worked as a wilderness instructor, ski supervisor, camp director, and Peace Corps Teacher Trainer in Paraguay.

His articles address topics such as immigration policy, gender equality, disaster preparedness, and social justice education. He emphasizes equity in curricula and grassroots community initiatives to combat systemic inequities.