[3] After receiving his Ph.D. in 1982, Collins began his academic career as an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Clarkson.

He eventually rose to the rank of professor, and served many administrative roles, including department chair, dean, vice president for academic affairs, and provost.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Collins in July 2011 to serve as co-chair for the North Country Regional Economic Development Council.

[5] Collins is chair emeritus and a trustee[6] of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), an executive board member of the Central New York Metropolitan Development Authority (MDA), president of the Seaway Private Equity Corporation (SPEC), vice president of the Associated Colleges of St. Lawrence Valley, and a board member of CITEC Manufacturing & Technology Solutions and the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center (NYIEQ).

[citation needed] He was succeeded by Marc P. Christensen, PhD, PE, who began serving as the 17th president on July 1, 2022.