Jessica Austin

Jessica Austin is a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center. Her work supports the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure CONVERGE facility, the Quick Response Research Award Program, and the annual Natural Hazards Workshop. Previously, she served as the primary data manager for the Social Science Extreme Events Research network. She also completed an internship with Esri, where she conceptualized a mobile app to reunite companion animals with their people following a disaster.

Prior to earning her PhD, Austin held multiple policy and administration roles in state, federal, and non-profit public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She earned her PhD in sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder, a Master of Public Administration from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Science in anthrozoology from Canisius College. Her research interests include animals and society, including the implications of hazards and disasters for companion animals; social psychology; and qualitative research methods.