Stewart Austin, PhD

Stewart Austin, Ph.D., is Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Chhange. He holds a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (which has since been absorbed into New York University), and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from MIT.

Austin spent nearly 20 years at the world-renowned AT&T Bell Laboratories, working in research and development of fiber optic communication systems. Following Bell Labs, he spent four years as Director of Product Certification at a software startup company, and then completed his “corporate life” as Vice President of Engineering at a startup company that designed and built ultra-high capacity fiber optic communications systems. In 2002, he became an entrepreneur and started a successful home remodeling business. In 2009, Austin became a licensed NJ Home Inspector, operating as Prime Home Inspection Services, LLC. He retired in 2019.

Austin has volunteered at the Monmouth County SPCA, as well as with local area soup kitchens. He is a second-generation descendant and lost many relatives in the Holocaust.