Bernadette Austin
Title: Executive Director, Center for Regional Change
Organization: University of California at Davis
Location: Davis, California
As the Executive Director of the UC Davis Center for Regional Change, Bernadette Austin supports research that is community-engaged, policy-oriented, and equity-focused. She serves as a lead on multidisciplinary research projects, including developing data visualization tools for affordable housing development, supporting transportation equity, and advancing carbon neutrality. Prior to her work at the Center for Regional Change, Bernadette spent a decade working in community development. Her projects include Sacramento’s first true transit-oriented development, West Sacramento’s first urban farm stand, and the first project in the country to implement a program combining housing vouchers and health services for disabled adults. An active ULI member, she has served on the national Public-Private Partnership Product Council and the leadership board for the Sacramento District Council. She has received awards for the Women’s Leadership Initiative and the local district council’s Vision Honors Member Achiever. Ms. Austin serves on the Advisory Board for the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity. She holds a Master of Science in Community Development from UC Davis and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from St. Mary’s College of California.