Austin Dickson, Texas Christian ’02, was recently named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech. 

According to Georgia Tech, Dickson is the executive director of Literacy Action, overseeing all aspects of the 49-year-old nonprofit organization. Serving more than 2,000 students per year, Literacy Action provides educational services to advance adults towards employment, citizenship, living wages, and post-secondary education. Dickson previously worked for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta making grants to nonprofits. A native of Waco, Texas and graduate of Texas Christian University, Dickson earned master’s degrees in religion from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Emory University. In 2007, he entered Georgia Techʼs School of Public Policy, focusing on community and economic development and City and Regional Planning. He wrote his dissertation, “Minority Businessesʼ Economic Impact on Georgia,” to complete his degree in 2010. After working as a graduate teaching and research assistant at Georgia Tech, Dickson taught philosophy at Clayton State University from 2008 to 2016. He currently teaches nonprofit leadership and management at Emory. He has served on the board of a dozen local nonprofits, including the Atlanta Music Project and the YMCA. He was president of the East Atlanta Community Association, as well as Community Farmers Markets.