My work sits at the intersection of lived experience, research, public service, and community engagement. I am interested in how people experience systems, how those experiences shape what institutions come to mean in their lives, and what becomes possible when their knowledge is taken seriously.
My doctoral research examines how African American men in Memphis construct their life histories around the idea of the police and how early socialization experiences shape those narratives. Rather than treating encounters with police as isolated events, I am interested in how those experiences accumulate across a life and become part of how people understand authority, institutions, safety, and themselves.
That means listening closely to the stories people tell—not simply for what happened, but for how they make sense of what happened. The goal is to understand experiences with police within the larger context of family, neighborhood, relationships, institutions, and the social worlds in which a life develops.
“Data can tell me that a young Black man encountered the police. His story can tell me what that encounter came to mean.”
2024
Wyatt, A., McCuddy, T., & Watts, S.
Adolescent weapon carrying inside and outside of school: The impact of experiences and perceptions of violence.
American Journal of Criminal Justice.
2023
McCuddy, T., Clark, M., Wyatt, A., McCleod, E., & Dwight, S.
The Youth and Family Resource Center (YFRC): Process evaluation.
Shelby County Division of Community Services.
2022
Iesue, L., Helms, J. M., Watson, J., & Wyatt, A.
Perspectives on why individuals continue to engage in violent crime in Memphis–Shelby County.
University of Memphis, Public Safety Institute. Funded by Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
2017
Hutchinson, R., Wyatt, A., Sr., & Harris, F.
Best practices in regards to the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) neighborhood plan.
Soulsville USA.
2027
(Expected)
Wyatt, Austin.
Bluff City Blues: Black Men Narratives of Socialization, Policing & Survival in Memphis, Tennessee.
Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Memphis.
2019
Wyatt, A. T., Sr.
Understanding the impact of felony disenfranchisement and post-sentencing punishments on ex-felony offenders attempting to reintegrate into mainstream society.
Master’s thesis, University of Memphis.
2023
Wyatt, A. T., Sr., Watts, S., & McCuddy, T.
Exploring links between violent victimization and gang membership: The role of perceptions and collective efficacy.
American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting · Philadelphia, PA
2023
Carson, D., McCuddy, T., & Wyatt, A. T., Sr.
Unpacking the relationship between gangs in school, school climate, and school-based crime and victimization.
Eurogang Program of Research Meeting · Barcelona, Spain
2023
Wyatt, A. T., Sr.
The game don’t stop: Examining the cycle of African American gang offending as an intersectional product of racial discrimination and legal cynicism in Memphis, TN.
Eurogang Program of Research Meeting · Barcelona, Spain
2022
Wyatt, A. T., Sr., & McCuddy, T.
“I see death around the corner”: Fatalism and its role in youth risky behavior.
American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting · Atlanta, GA
2022
Wyatt, A. T., Sr.
Adolescent weapon carrying inside and outside of school: The impact of experiences and perceptions of violence.
School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy Works in Progress Forum · University of Memphis
2019
Wyatt, A. T., Sr.
Understanding the impact of felony disenfranchisement and post-sentencing punishments on ex-felony offenders attempting to reintegrate into mainstream society.
Master’s Thesis Presentation · Department of Anthropology · University of Memphis
Since 2021, Austin has been a consortium member of the Eurogang Research Program, participating in an international network of researchers examining gangs, youth violence, social exclusion, crime prevention, and community safety across national contexts.
2026
Social Welfare and Justice
May 2023
Eurogang XXI
Gangs and Mediation: Researching Youth Street Groups in the Global Age
June 2022
Eurogang XX
20th Anniversary Milestone
2018
Study Abroad Research
University of Memphis Sicily Program
My professional work has placed me at different points within the systems that shape people's lives—from working directly with young people and families to coordinating community engagement within county government. Those experiences inform the questions I ask as a researcher, just as research shapes how I approach the work in practice.
Public Service & Community Engagement
Program Coordinator · 2023–2026
Leads countywide community engagement efforts connecting residents, government, nonprofit organizations, public safety partners, and other institutions across Shelby County. The work centers resident voice, strengthens access to resources, builds cross-sector partnerships, and brings community knowledge into institutional decision-making. Austin also designs and facilitates public conversations around education, workforce development, economic stability, public safety, resource access, and neighborhood well-being.
Public Safety & Policy
Mayoral Task Force on Policing and Public Safety · 2024–Present
Selected by the Mayor of Memphis as one of nine members of the Mayoral Task Force on Policing and Public Safety. Austin contributes to discussions around policing practices, accountability, community–police relations, oversight, public trust, and public safety in Memphis.
Youth & Direct Service
Education Supervisor · 2016–2020
Led educational programming and support for young people navigating complex behavioral, social, educational, and institutional challenges, working alongside families, educators, clinical teams, community organizations, and juvenile justice stakeholders.