Margaret James Strickland Collins (September 4, 1922[1] – April 27, 1996) was an African-American child prodigy, entomologist (zoologist) specializing in the study of termites, and a civil rights advocate.

She started college at age fourteen and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from West Virginia State University in 1943.

From the late 1970s through 1996, Collins was a research associate in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology.

[4] She was also an active civil rights advocate, receiving a bomb threat for planning to give a university talk on biology and equality, and being followed by the police and FBI when she was a volunteer driver during a bus boycott.

[4] Collins's mother, Luella James, wanted to become an archaeologist but her studies at West Virginia State were limited because of her gender; she later dropped out of college.

[4] When Collins was just 6 years old, she was recognized as a child prodigy; as a result of this achievement, she was given access to the book collections at West Virginia State University's Library.

[1] Collins's impressive intellect and university level reading skill allowed her to skip two grades and graduate high school early.

[7] After her early graduation from West Virginia State College's Laboratory High School, Collins continued her education until she received a Ph.D. in zoology in 1950.

[7] Collins eventually received mentorship from Toye Davis and Frederick Lehner, who were both professors at West Virginia State University.

[7] Emerson assisted Collins in her studies and shielded her from racism, but he did not let her do fieldwork because he thought women were irritating during scientific expeditions.

[4] Emerson helped Collins develop and complete her dissertation, Differences in Toleration of Drying among Species of Termites (Reticulitermes).

[7] Collins later divorced Strickland and left Howard University because it did not treat its women and men faculty members equally.

[4] During her time in Florida, Collins was invited to guest lecture at a local predominantly White university on Biology and equality.

Collins applied for and received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study at the University of Minnesota for a year.

[4] From 1961 to 1962, Collins was a research associate at the Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Station in St. Paul where she studied North American termites.

[7] Collins also took a tenured position at Federal City College (now known as University of the District of Columbia) for ten years.

[12] Collins researched the evolution of desiccation resistance in termites, tolerance to high temperature, and species abundance in virgin and disturbed tropical rain forests.