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 Austin
Merrill, History '91
Since
his graduation in 1991, Austin Merrill has had a varied
and interesting career—a testimony both to his
own talents and to the breadth of competencies provided
by majoring in history.
Immediately
upon graduation Austin was hired by MWC’s Admissions
Office, where he spent four years as an assistant dean.
After
that he volunteered for the Peace
Corps and lived in Ivory Coast for two years working
to help improve water/sanitation conditions. In the
process he received what he calls “a crash course
in the lasting effects of Western Europe’s colonization
of West Africa.”
Upon
completing his Peace Corps service, Austin began graduate
work at Columbia
University, where in May of 1999 he received a Master
in International Affairs degree. While at Columbia he
was selected as editor-in-chief of the school’s
prestigious Journal
of International Affairs. One of the issues was
entitled “Seeking International Justice: The Role
of Institutions,” for which he went to Atlanta
to interview Jimmy Carter. In 1999 the Columbia
Journalism Review published his article, “
Witness for the Prosecution,” which examined whether
journalists should testify before war-crimes tribunals
concerning atrocities they have covered.
Deciding
to stay in New York, he worked for a year as associate
producer for a documentary film company. One of the
projects he worked on was the feature-length film, “Well-Founded
Fear,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival,
aired on PBS and CNN, and won the grand prize at New
York City’s docfest 2000.
Austin’s
interest in both writing and the theater was demonstrated
in his co-adaptation of James Agee’s novel A
Death in the Family into a play—and then played
the lead role in a production of it. He is currently
working as a freelance writer and editor and as a researcher
at Vanity Fair.
[See his article on MWC graduates in the Peace Corps
in the winter issue of MWC Today.]
Reflecting
on his years at Mary Washington, Austin says, “I
entered college thinking I’d be a math major—that
had been my strength in high school—but I’ve
always been glad I chose history instead. It is, perhaps,
naïve to think that we can look back and understand
the decisions and actions of people in times of exploration,
war, or political and social upheaval….But our
naivete should be seen as a refreshing source of energy
that keeps us curious…. That’s what I got
out of studying history, and it’s what keeps me
going today.”
[This
is one in a series focusing periodically on the Department’s
graduates. Alumni are encouraged to keep the Department
apprised of recent activities by e-mailing the chair
at chudgins@umw.edu
or contacting any other member of the faculty.]
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