BREAKING NEWS: Darron Collins stepping down as COA president
BAR HARBOR, Aug. 25, 2023 - Darron Collins announced today he is resigning as president of the College of the Atlantic.
In a letter to the COA community, he stated, “I'm writing today to let you know that after serving for more than 12 years as president of College of the Atlantic, I will be stepping down from that role at the end of this coming academic year.
“I cannot imagine a more challenging, more rewarding way ot have spent the last decade-plus, and I'd like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for working with me to make COA an incredible institution dedicated to the health of our planet and our collective humanity. I am confident that COA has a very bright future ahead.
“Together, we have accomplished so much over these past years. We've completed two successful capital campaigns, the most recent of which raised $55 million dollars, and seen the construction of three new buildings, including the Davis Center for Human Ecology. We've doubled the amount of student housing, been named the leading green college by Princeton Review for seven years in a row, brought Andy Goldsworthy and his Road Line to the COA campus, and created the ground-breaking Summer Institute, now in its seventh year. Al of us can, and should, feel good about these accomplishments.
“The COA Board of Trustees will form a Presidential Search Committee composed of faculty, students, staff, and trustees to begin a search for a new president, which will take place during the academic year. You can expect more information about this soon.
“We look forward to a robust process as CAO evolves into its next 50 years, and I know the next president will bring a fresh perspective that will help make the college even stronger and more dynamic than it is today. Although we have a lot of work to do, I'm also excited to celebrate with all of you when the time is right.
Collins is from Morris Plains, New Jersey, according to Wikipedia. His grandmother, Josephine Collins (née Flynn), was born in County Roscommon and immigrated to Morristown in May 1928. Collins graduated from Parsippany Hills High School in 1988. He was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and graduated from COA in 1992.
Collins completed a master's degree in Latin American Studies and a Ph.D. in anthropology at Tulane University. During his studies, he researched ethnobotany in Guatemala and became conversant in Qʼeqchiʼ. His 2001 dissertation was titled From Woods to Weeds: Cultural and Ecological Transformations in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.
Collins worked for the World Wide Fund for Nature for 10 years, ending as the managing director of creative assets. He became president of the College of the Atlantic in 2011. Collins is the first COA alumni to hold the position.
Collins is married and has two daughters.