John Collins
Assistant Professor of Global Studies

With his B.A. in religious studies from Wesleyan University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in comparative studies from the University of Minnesota just under his belt, John Collins was one of the pioneer faculty members in global studies at St. Lawrence when the new major program commenced 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. 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.”

In addition to teaching at St. Lawrence, Collins co-edited the book Collateral Language (an anthology of essays on the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001), is a member of the International Education Advisory Committee, and continues to work with colleagues to build the global studies curriculum. He has been awarded fellowships by the Social Science Research Council and the MacArthur Foundation and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Outside of St. Lawrence, Collins is an avid guitarist and songwriter and has played on campus numerous times with the faculty band The Leftovers. He also is in a bowling league and likes to travel and spend time with his two cats.