RIT mourns the loss of Professor Emeritus Bruce Austin

Professor Emeritus Bruce Austin, from RIT’s School of Communication, died on March 16. A researcher, scholar, mentor, and author, Austin’s storied career at RIT spanned nearly 50 years. The RIT flag will be lowered to half-staff in his memory on Friday, March 28.

Friends and colleagues fondly remember Austin’s dry wit, humor, storytelling style, and his gentleman-like demeanor and integrity. Faculty and students at RIT also remember his dedication to higher learning and his generosity with his time, guidance, and advocacy.

“Whether evaluating faculty or student work there was no one whose praise was more welcomed, whose opinion more valued, and whose intellect more respected than Bruce’s,” said Rudy Pugliese, Professor Emeritus and longtime friend of Austin.

During his time at RIT, Austin made a significant impact on the School of Communication and College of Liberal Arts. Austin was the first lecturer at RIT qualified to teach communication courses and, at that time, he was teaching as many as eight sections in one quarter. He was instrumental in establishing the first Department of Communication at RIT, and he served as department chair for 15 years.

Austin is described as having a student-centered approach to his work, always making time to support both undergraduate and graduate students even when serving in leadership roles. He was also an advocate for faculty on campus, and he had a role in hiring many of the current School of Communication faculty members.

Kelly Norris Martin, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, is one of many people on campus who directly benefitted from Austin’s insight, knowledge, and kindness. When Martin, Elizabeth Reeves O’Connor, and other faculty members in the School of Communication were working to establish RIT’s Expressive Communication Center, Austin was one of the few who believed in the idea and championed the project.

“Bruce was one of those remarkable people who consistently supported faculty, staff, and students, regardless of the time or effort required, and no matter how often we returned for additional advice,” said Martin.

She added, “Truly, Bruce's hallmark of support was the extensive pages of edits he provided in red pen, which have improved countless papers and proposals. He was also the type of person who would reach out with thoughtful suggestions on how to find a rare treasure that aligned perfectly with an individual's personal tastes, because he took the time to get to know people. In every sense, both as a colleague and a friend, Bruce embodied devotion and generosity.”

In addition to leadership roles within the School of Communication, Austin also served as director of RIT Press for roughly a decade.

Austin was an avid writer, authoring hundreds of articles and numerous books. His work was often intertwined with connections to film, art, and music, some of his areas of expertise. At the time of his passing, Austin had drafted a history of RIT that is pending publication.

Two other areas of Austin’s expertise were antiques and the American Arts and Crafts movement. He was always eager to share information with other collectors, according to his obituary. Along with written works on these topics, Austin also curated two exhibits at RIT—“The American Arts & Crafts Movement in Western New York, 1900-1920” and “Frans Wildenhain, 1950-75”—and wrote the supporting catalogs.

Austin leaves behind his wife, Sue Weisler; his dog, Nikko; countless friends; valued colleagues; and grateful students.

Go to his online obituary for more information and updates. A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date.