Title: Associate Professor and Dept. Chair
Institution: University of Rhode Island
Address: 1 Greenhouse Rd, Kingston, Rhode Island 02811
Email: abecker@uri.edu
Phone: (401) 874-4192
Visit Austin’s Research Website
Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Austin Becker is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. He works across the fields of planning, policy, engineering, and ocean science. He creates and tests tools that help decision makers engage with complex problems involving uncertainty, consequences of natural hazards and large-scale shifts in climate, and the resulting challenges in policy and planning. This includes communicating storm impacts to emergency managers; perceptions of climate change amongst port administrators; impacts of hurricanes on port communities; barriers to resilience investing at northeast ports; and vulnerability assessments undertaken by US ports. He is a Sloan Foundation Research Fellow in Ocean Sciences, earned a PhD in Environment and Resources at Stanford University, and maintains a 500 Ton USCG Captain’s License.
Education:
PhD, Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment & Resources, Stanford University, 2013
Master of Environmental Science and Management, University of Rhode Island (URI), 2005
Master of Marine Affairs, URI, 2006
Bachelor of Arts, Hampshire College , 1995
Williams College/Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. 1992
Professional Certifications:
United States Coast Guard 500 Ton Master, Oceans, Sail