Philip Austin, a student in the School of Engineering, passed away the morning of Nov. 16. The Dean of Students sent an email to notify the Vanderbilt community of Austin’s death in his off-campus apartment. The details surrounding his passing were not included.

Austin originally came to Vanderbilt in 2005, but took time off before recently returning. He was a member of Sigma Chi, and he founded the software company “Intuitive Allocations.” He is survived by his wife, Claire Jordan, and his parents.

The full text of the email sent by the Dean of Students Mark Bandas is below.

The article will be updated with any new information.

Dear Vanderbilt Students,

It is with great sorrow that I share with you the news that Vanderbilt student, Philip Austin, passed away this morning in his off-campus apartment. Philip first matriculated to Vanderbilt in 2005 and had recently returned to campus to study engineering after a multi-year hiatus. While on campus, he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Philip started a software company in 2008 and was able to launch it successfully into a full-fledged business called “Intuitive Allocations,” focused on an optimization software called StableMetrics for which he filed a patent. His work in the tech industry and his investment in family time were meaningful parts of his life. He is survived by his wife, Claire Jordan, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Austin. We extend our deepest condolences to Philip’s family and friends.

We urge grieving students seeking assistance to reach out to our support services available on campus:

• University Counseling Center 615-32(2-2571)

• Student Care Coordination 615-34(3-9355)

• Center for Student Wellbeing 615-32(2-0480)

• Office of Religious Life 615-32(2-2457)

• The University’s Griefnet service 615-32(2-2457): available for support in person or by telephone

Please know that we are here to assist you. Do not hesitate to reach out.

Mark Bandas

Associate Provost and Dean of Students