Profile
Asuncion (Siony) Miteria Austria
Birth:
1932
Death:
2020
Training Location(s):
PhD, Northwestern University (1970)
MA, Columbia University
BA, University of the Philippines
Primary Affiliation(s):
Director of Clinical Training, Cardinal Stritch University (1971–2009)
Psychology’s Feminist Voices Oral History Interview:
Career Focus:
Clinical Psychology, mentoring, community leadership, advancing the status of ethnic minorities and women, social justice, administrative leadership
Biography
Asuncion “Siony” Miteria Austria was born on August 15, 1932, in Manila, Philippines. Growing up, she was inspired by her mother’s feminist values and became destined for a lifelong career as an educator, mentor, administrator and advocate for women, ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities. Reflecting on her mother’s feminist values, she said, “She believed in divorce. She believed in abortion. She was very liberal in her thinking. In a sense she planted the seeds and then I have always been kind of independent, free-spirited, you know, because of that relationship.”
She graduated as valedictorian from her high school in the Philippines and began her academic journey at the University of the Philippines. Although initially uncertain of her academic path, Dr. Austria chose psychology as a starting point. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and began working as a graduate assistant. During this time, she went to Columbia University as an international scholar to work and teach, a first for graduate assistants at her university. The experience at Columbia cemented her choice to pursue psychology: “This is really for me. Psychology is for me.” Dr. Austria graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in psychology and completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Northwestern University on a Rockefeller scholarship.
Dr. Austria’s academic journey was unique because she chose to bring her family with her to the United States. She actively pushed back against norms of the time that required many women scholars to forego having a family if they wanted to pursue higher education or take on the dual roles of mother and student. In fact, it was her husband, Richard, who took on the role of primary caregiver, in recognition of the difficulty of being both a mother and a full-time scholar. After completing her PhD at Northwestern, Dr. Austria began her career at Cardinal Stritch University, where she served in many administrative roles, such as Department Chair and Director of Clinical Training. She also helped to create courses on women and sexuality and mentored countless students.
Throughout her career, Dr. Austria was heavily involved with the American Psychological Association(APA), serving in various roles in Division 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women) Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race), and Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology). Having graduated with a PhD in Clinical psychology, her initial involvement was with Division 12, specifically section IV, Clinical Psychology of Women. Here she worked alongside feminist psychologists such as Judith Worell, Annette Brodsky, and Violet Franks. In 1993, Dr. Austria was invited to the first national conference on feminist training, education and research. She “liked the welcoming atmosphere of Division 35” and shortly upon joining was appointed program chair. During her tenure with the APA she also served as governance chair, where she worked diligently to ensure that Division 35 members were elected to APA boards. In addition to her role as governance chair Dr. Austria also served as president of two sections of Division 12 and was the first chair for the Committee on Diversity in Division 12.
Dr. Austria was recognized numerous times for her contributions to administrative work, mentorship, and leadership. She received numerous awards from the APA and from Cardinal Stritch University. In 2012, she was honoured for her mentorship and leadership in Division 45 with an award in her name: the Asuncion Miteria Austria and John Robinson Distinguished Mentoring Award. This award was created in recognition of Dr. Austria’s mentorship of ethnic minorities and her governance work on APA boards. Dr. Austria mentored many students over her career, both formally and informally. Reflecting her feminist values, she approached mentorship and collaboration in a non-hierarchical way. She sought advice from her students, as well as those who worked for her, and was one of the first to bring undergraduate students with her to conferences, where she would introduce them to the psychological community. She often, also, brought her family: “…[I]n the seventies, I brought them to APA conferences. They [her children] were little. I brought them to all APA conferences, so they have been to all these different places. My daughter just stopped last year when she got married, but they attended sessions, or they would go sightseeing with my husband and then we would meet at dinnertime.
In her academic work, Dr. Austria contributed book chapters and edited texts on diversity, religion, Asian American experiences, women, mentorship and feminism. She also developed courses on the Psychology of Women and Gay and Lesbian Studies at Cardinal Stritch University. Reflecting on her approach to making change she said, “I always leave something when I get involved. No matter how little the contribution is, I always have something that I leave behind me.” She also actively encouraged women and ethnic minorities to pursue higher education saying, “Education is the only passport for mobility. It is the only passport.”
Dr. Austria passed away on December 18, 2020. Her career and life as a feminist and advocate for women, ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities impacted many. She overcame significant obstacles in both her professional and personal life to pursue a career in academia, often facing the dual discrimination of being a woman and ethnic minority in the United States. She truly ‘left behind’ a contribution in the lives of her students and those she advocated for, mentored, and gave voice to. Although she may no longer be with us, her legacy lives on in the lives of the many people she touched.
By Aaron Peniston
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
By Siony Austria
Austria, A. M. (2003). People of Asian Descent: Beyond myths and stereotypes. In J. D. Robinson & L. James (Eds.), Diversity in human interactions: The tapestry of America (pp. 63–77). Oxford University Press.
Austria, A. C. M. (1971). Anticipated dependency and helping behavior [Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Bryant-Davis, T., Austria, A. M., Kawahara, D. M., & Willis, D. J. (Eds.). (2014). Religion and spirituality for diverse women: Foundations of strength and resilience. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Rice, J. K., & Austria, A. M. (2007). Collaborative leadership and social advocacy among women’s organizations. In J. L. Chin, B. Lott, J. K. Rice, & J. Sanchez-Hucles (Eds.), Women and leadership (pp. 157–176). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
About Siony Austria
Willis, D. J., & Austria, A. M. (2022). Asuncion (Siony) Miteria Austria (1932–2020). American Psychologist, 77(1), 150.
Asuncion (Siony) Miteria Austria
Birth:
1932
Death:
2020
Training Location(s):
PhD, Northwestern University (1970)
MA, Columbia University
BA, University of the Philippines
Primary Affiliation(s):
Director of Clinical Training, Cardinal Stritch University (1971–2009)
Psychology’s Feminist Voices Oral History Interview:
Career Focus:
Clinical Psychology, mentoring, community leadership, advancing the status of ethnic minorities and women, social justice, administrative leadership
Biography
Asuncion “Siony” Miteria Austria was born on August 15, 1932, in Manila, Philippines. Growing up, she was inspired by her mother’s feminist values and became destined for a lifelong career as an educator, mentor, administrator and advocate for women, ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities. Reflecting on her mother’s feminist values, she said, “She believed in divorce. She believed in abortion. She was very liberal in her thinking. In a sense she planted the seeds and then I have always been kind of independent, free-spirited, you know, because of that relationship.”
She graduated as valedictorian from her high school in the Philippines and began her academic journey at the University of the Philippines. Although initially uncertain of her academic path, Dr. Austria chose psychology as a starting point. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and began working as a graduate assistant. During this time, she went to Columbia University as an international scholar to work and teach, a first for graduate assistants at her university. The experience at Columbia cemented her choice to pursue psychology: “This is really for me. Psychology is for me.” Dr. Austria graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in psychology and completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Northwestern University on a Rockefeller scholarship.
Dr. Austria’s academic journey was unique because she chose to bring her family with her to the United States. She actively pushed back against norms of the time that required many women scholars to forego having a family if they wanted to pursue higher education or take on the dual roles of mother and student. In fact, it was her husband, Richard, who took on the role of primary caregiver, in recognition of the difficulty of being both a mother and a full-time scholar. After completing her PhD at Northwestern, Dr. Austria began her career at Cardinal Stritch University, where she served in many administrative roles, such as Department Chair and Director of Clinical Training. She also helped to create courses on women and sexuality and mentored countless students.
Throughout her career, Dr. Austria was heavily involved with the American Psychological Association(APA), serving in various roles in Division 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women) Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race), and Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology). Having graduated with a PhD in Clinical psychology, her initial involvement was with Division 12, specifically section IV, Clinical Psychology of Women. Here she worked alongside feminist psychologists such as Judith Worell, Annette Brodsky, and Violet Franks. In 1993, Dr. Austria was invited to the first national conference on feminist training, education and research. She “liked the welcoming atmosphere of Division 35” and shortly upon joining was appointed program chair. During her tenure with the APA she also served as governance chair, where she worked diligently to ensure that Division 35 members were elected to APA boards. In addition to her role as governance chair Dr. Austria also served as president of two sections of Division 12 and was the first chair for the Committee on Diversity in Division 12.
Dr. Austria was recognized numerous times for her contributions to administrative work, mentorship, and leadership. She received numerous awards from the APA and from Cardinal Stritch University. In 2012, she was honoured for her mentorship and leadership in Division 45 with an award in her name: the Asuncion Miteria Austria and John Robinson Distinguished Mentoring Award. This award was created in recognition of Dr. Austria’s mentorship of ethnic minorities and her governance work on APA boards. Dr. Austria mentored many students over her career, both formally and informally. Reflecting her feminist values, she approached mentorship and collaboration in a non-hierarchical way. She sought advice from her students, as well as those who worked for her, and was one of the first to bring undergraduate students with her to conferences, where she would introduce them to the psychological community. She often, also, brought her family: “…[I]n the seventies, I brought them to APA conferences. They [her children] were little. I brought them to all APA conferences, so they have been to all these different places. My daughter just stopped last year when she got married, but they attended sessions, or they would go sightseeing with my husband and then we would meet at dinnertime.
In her academic work, Dr. Austria contributed book chapters and edited texts on diversity, religion, Asian American experiences, women, mentorship and feminism. She also developed courses on the Psychology of Women and Gay and Lesbian Studies at Cardinal Stritch University. Reflecting on her approach to making change she said, “I always leave something when I get involved. No matter how little the contribution is, I always have something that I leave behind me.” She also actively encouraged women and ethnic minorities to pursue higher education saying, “Education is the only passport for mobility. It is the only passport.”
Dr. Austria passed away on December 18, 2020. Her career and life as a feminist and advocate for women, ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities impacted many. She overcame significant obstacles in both her professional and personal life to pursue a career in academia, often facing the dual discrimination of being a woman and ethnic minority in the United States. She truly ‘left behind’ a contribution in the lives of her students and those she advocated for, mentored, and gave voice to. Although she may no longer be with us, her legacy lives on in the lives of the many people she touched.
By Aaron Peniston
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
By Siony Austria
Austria, A. M. (2003). People of Asian Descent: Beyond myths and stereotypes. In J. D. Robinson & L. James (Eds.), Diversity in human interactions: The tapestry of America (pp. 63–77). Oxford University Press.
Austria, A. C. M. (1971). Anticipated dependency and helping behavior [Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Bryant-Davis, T., Austria, A. M., Kawahara, D. M., & Willis, D. J. (Eds.). (2014). Religion and spirituality for diverse women: Foundations of strength and resilience. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Rice, J. K., & Austria, A. M. (2007). Collaborative leadership and social advocacy among women’s organizations. In J. L. Chin, B. Lott, J. K. Rice, & J. Sanchez-Hucles (Eds.), Women and leadership (pp. 157–176). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
About Siony Austria
Willis, D. J., & Austria, A. M. (2022). Asuncion (Siony) Miteria Austria (1932–2020). American Psychologist, 77(1), 150.