Dear Campus Community,
I share this message to provide an update regarding staffing coverage and leadership for the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. I am pleased to announce that Austin Reid will be returning to Ithaca College to serve as Interim Director for the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, officially beginning this role on January 2, 2024.
As Interim Director, Austin will take-on numerous initiatives and provide critical support to our students during this time of transition. He will continue to foster important collaborations with the numerous affiliate partners and all the religious and spiritual themed groups that contribute to the vibrancy of Muller Chapel and our greater Ithaca community. He will also draw from his extensive background in community building to help support the launch of IC’s new Religious and Spiritual Life based Residential Learning Community (RLC) planned for Spring 2024.
During this time of continued conflict in Israel and Gaza, it is important to note Austin’s pivotal role in providing direct support to the many students in our IC community who are impacted by this ongoing violence. He will provide leadership and work with IC affiliates and partner organizations to build avenues for open dialogue, joint initiatives, and programming to facilitate a community rooted in understanding and tolerance that transcends religious differences. Austin will continue coordination of supportive programming through Muller Chapel including weekly Jummah Prayers, led by community affiliate Ashraf Khater, and engagement opportunities offered by Hillel at IC and other Jewish based organizations.
Austin is quite familiar with Ithaca College and the greater Ithaca community, having previously spent two years working with Hillel at Ithaca College from July 2018-to-May 2020 as part of the Springboard Fellowship program. During his previous time at IC, Austin helped organize and coordinate over 150 campus programs and fostered numerous initiatives to create meaningful opportunities to get engaged with Jewish campus involvement.
Following his time in the Springboard Fellowship role at Hillel at IC, Austin moved across town to Cornell University where he began pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. During his time on East Hill, he served as a Live-In Advisor to a student organization and helped provide support in communications, event planning, and student leadership transitions. Austin has worked with various non-profit agencies over the past six years and has expertise in event planning, fundraising, and communications.
Austin earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History from Capital University. He was deeply involved in many interfaith efforts during his time as an undergraduate, earning an induction into the Newman Civic Fellowship.
The college anticipates sharing additional plans during the Spring 2024 semester as it works to identify a permanent Director for the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.
If you have any questions regarding staff coverage and/or future plans for the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, please contact Luca Maurer, Executive Director for Student Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at lmaurer@ithaca.edu.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Solt Prunty
Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life