Paul Austin
Bio: Paul Austin joined the University of Maine as Leader-in-Residence for the Rural Thrive project in February 2025. Prior to that, he had a successful career of more than three decades in public, PK-12 education. Starting out as an educational technician serving children with autism, Austin also worked as a school social worker, special education teacher, school psychologist, special education director, assistant superintendent and superintendent. In his nine years as a superintendent, he served the communities of Regional School Unit 3 in Waldo County, Maine; Hingham Public Schools in Hingham, Massachusetts, and most recently, RSU 67 in Lincoln, Maine.
Austin is a graduate of the University of Maine, earning a Certificate of Advanced Study in educational leadership in 2004. In 2016, he earned his Ph.D. in public policy from the University Southern Maine. For his dissertation research, Austin focused on the best practices for implementing Response-to-Intervention Multi-Tiered System of Supports (RTI MTSS) in public schools. Now back at the University of Maine, Austin serves as an adjunct faculty member in the educational leadership graduate program. He mentors and coaches graduate student interns, works collaboratively with superintendents in the Maine Small Schools Coalition, and is interested in advancing research of school leadership resilience. He lives in Orono, Maine with his wife of 30 years, Lisa, and their 2 Golden Retrievers.