Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Diversity of the Indiana University School of Medicine
Adopted by the IU Indianapolis Faculty Council at their meeting on November 5, 2019.
Mary (Anna Maria) Guerriero Austrom passed away on October 23 surrounded by her loving family. Mary was born in Capriglia Irpina, Italy to parents Antonio and Carmela DeStefano Guerriero. In her death we are reminded of the importance of actively working to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Mary’s family immigrated to Beamsville, ON, Canada, where she grew up and graduated from Beamsville High School before completing undergraduate studies at Brock University. She was a distinguished alumni at both institutions. Mary earned a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from York University, where she also met her husband Doug. They married in Ontario, Canada and moved to Indianapolis to pursue their careers at Indiana University and raise their family.
Dr. Austrom had a distinguished career at the Indiana University School of Medicine where she served as the school’s Associate Dean for Diversity Affairs and the Wesley P. Martin Professor of Alzheimer’s Education and Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry.
As the IUSM associate dean for diversity affairs, Dr. Austrom left an indelible mark on the culture of the school as she transformed the approach to diversity. She was committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone could flourish. A key part of her vision was to integrate a focus on diversity and inclusion across every department of the school through the development of department diversity plans, and under her leadership, multiple new programs were developed for both learners and faculty.
Dr. Austrom played a critical leadership role in the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center for nearly three decades, leading its outreach and recruitment core. Mary focused intensely on easing caregiver stress and bringing underrepresented communities to participate in Alzheimer’s disease research, forming an exceptional Community Advisory Board to guide and facilitate these efforts. She will be widely remembered for her influence on improving dementia caregiver education locally, nationally and internationally and will be greatly missed in the Alzheimer’s disease research community. Dr. Austrom served as President of the Greater Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and on the National Board of Directors. Mary’s Alzheimer’s research and dedication to improving caregiving education positively impacted countless lives.
To honor Austrom’s legacy, the Department of Psychiatry will rename their annual Women in Psychiatry lecture to the Mary Guerriero Austrom, PhD, Women in Psychiatry Lecture. The School of Medicine has also established the Mary Guerriero Austrom, Ph.D., Outstanding Faculty Commitment to Diversity Award, which will be given annually to a faculty member who advances the school’s diversity goals. Dean Jay Hess said in a statement to faculty, staff and learners: “As we reflect on all of Mary’s accomplishments, there is no better way to honor her than to all do our part to make the school welcoming and inclusive for everyone.”
Outside of her professional career, Mary was a passionate cook, a skilled knitter, and an avid traveler. Mary will be remembered fondly by many for the open house parties she hosted and the Italian feasts she prepared. Mary always had knitting needles in her hand, no matter where she went, and was quick to gift friends with socks, hats, and baby blankets. Every holiday season, Mary was infamous for decorating her family home with a forest of Christmas trees. Above all else, Mary’s proudest accomplishment was her loving family. She was at her happiest when the whole family was together.
Mary’s spirit, her boundless love, inclusiveness, and kindness, lives on through her colleagues and loved ones. Mary is survived by her beloved husband of 34 years, Douglas R. Austrom; her five children, Jon Anthony, Douglas S., Philip, Katerina, and Sofia; her daughter-in-law, Katie Murray; her siblings, Frank, Josie, and John Guerriero.
We, her friends at IUSM, share with her friends and loved ones around the world, the feeling of deep sadness that we lost such a caring, gentle, and loving soul to pancreatic cancer. We find some solace in the fact that her impact continues through the numerous individuals she touched during her long and successful career at IUSM.
Be it here resolved that this memorial resolution be adopted by the faculty council of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and a copy be sent to her loving husband Douglas Austrom.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of Dr. Austrom’s colleagues,
Tom McAllister, M.D.
Megan Palmer, Ph.D.
Alvaro Tori, M.D.