Assistant Professor of Global Studies John Collins wants students to see the world.

"I have always believed that it's important to transcend the narrow boundaries of one's own particular experience (including one's own nationality) when attempting to understand global problems," Collins says.

He holds a B.A. in religious studies from Wesleyan University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in comparative studies from the University of Minnesota. Collins was one of the first faculty in the global studies program at St. Lawrence, when it began in 2000. "I have always been interested in international issues in general, and the Middle East, my area of specialty, in particular." Collins says. "At Wesleyan many of my close friends were from outside the US. In graduate school I was part of the MacArthur Program on Peace and International Cooperation, which brought together graduate students from all over the world."

Collins is the co-editor of the widely acclaimed book of essays Collateral Language: A User's Guide to America's New War and author of Occupied by Memory, a book that explores the memories of Palestinians in the "intifada generation," those who were between 10 and 18 years old when the intifada began in 1987.

He is also a member of the International Education Advisory Committee, and has been awarded fellowships by the Social Science Research Council and the MacArthur Foundation and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Outside of his academic work, Collins is an avid guitarist and songwriter and has played on campus numerous times with the faculty band. In addition to courses in global studies, he has also taught courses at St. Lawrence on protest music.