Ed Austin returned to the Midwest in the fall of 2006 to enroll in the Illinois MBA. Originally from Effingham, Illinois, Ed graduated from high school in 1993 and immediately entered into the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.  Ed studied Mechanical Engineering while at West Point, and was a key contributor to the school’s SunRayce ’97 project.  Upon graduating in 1997, Ed was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.

As Second Lieutenant, Ed moved to Enterprise, Alabama, and spent his first year in the Army going through helicopter flight school. After graduating from flight school, Ed moved to Korea where he managed aviation subcomponent maintenance for 17 aviation units across the Pacific.

After serving for one year in Korea, Ed continued to serve in assignments around the world that included Savannah, Bosnia, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  In all these tours, Ed amassed a long list of accomplishments. Some achievements include developing tactical airspace procedures for all of Iraq and Afghanistan and serving as airfield manager of Balad Airbase, Iraq.  His greatest accomplishment includes leading soldiers as a company commander of the C Company Raptors and B Company War Eagles in both peacetime and combat. He has a long list of awards and decorations honoring his leadership and gallantry in combat.

In 2006, Ed traded in his flight suit for a business suit and returned to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to pursue his MBA. Pursuing an MBA at a quality program was a lifelong dream of his. He is thrilled to be a part of the program’s diverse and family environment. After serving nine years in a variety of leadership and operational positions, Ed decided to use this time to concentrate in Finance.

Ed continues to use his leadership skills in the Illinois MBA. He was elected President of the MBA Association in November 2006.  He will serve in this capacity for one year while focusing on improving career opportunities for fellow students. Additionally, he was selected to join the MBA Strategic Planning Committee. To further round out his skills, Ed also participates as a consultant for Illinois Business Consulting.

This summer, Ed will work for Ford Motor Company as a purchasing agent at its Dearborn, Michigan, headquarters. In the future, he plans to pursue a career in financial services. Ed is joined in Urbana-Champaign by his wife, Amanda Austin. Concurrently, Amanda is pursuing her Master’s in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Illinois. They are also in the process of adopting a young girl from Guatemala.