Austin Scott
Gastonia, NC
Distance education put Austin further on the path to full-time Christian mission work
Austin L. Scott is a graduate of Harrison Middleton University, earning a Doctor of Arts. Initially, Austin was confident about enrolling in the doctoral program at HMU, but later withdrew, citing a "crisis of confidence." However, encouraged by family and HMU administration, Austin re-enrolled and graduated with a 4.0.
In 2018, he earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. A Ronald E. McNair Scholar, in 2008 Austin was also class salutatorian at Livingstone College, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. He is a Christian missionary, entrepreneur, and human services professional with experience in education, workforce development, and international development. Austin is also an author, having publishing several books, essays, and research articles. His essay, "Expectancy, Goal-Setting, and Reinforcement: Behavioral Theories and their Application in the Workplace" was recognized as being in the top ten percent of all essays downloaded for 2021 on the Social Science Research Network.
Since completing his doctoral work at HMU, he has written and published a new book titled, "Between Christ and the Black Man: A Conversation on Race, Politics, and the Church in America." He has also been invited by fellow scholars to submit an essay addressing the Black experience in America for an anthology soon to be released by an academic press. Austin continues to serve his local community, and has plans to travel overseas this year to resume his missionary work. He hopes to use his doctorate to pursue new writing opportunities and to open doors for more African-Americans to become internationalized. .
"The administrative team is outstanding and the faculty and staff are excellent. The liberal arts education at HMU trains students to synthesize and generalize the ideas of scholars and experts from various fields—past and present—to develop alternative solutions to seemingly intractable problems."