Collin comes to the Erb Institute as a former aquatic ecologist and youth educator for under-served communities, turned community-builder and sustainability champion. A biology major at Colorado College, who spent a semester at Woods Hole, Collin’s inspiration for a dual degree comes from a passion to develop projects using innovative financing strategies to promote green and water infrastructure investment and transformative local development, particularly in disadvantaged communities. After Ross, he hopes to formulate and implement financing solutions through community-based, public-private partnerships for long-term revitalization of environmentally, economically, and socially distressed areas.

Prior to joining the Erb Institute, Collin graduated with an MS from the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability in May 2019. His capstone project, “Life After Delisting: Sustaining Environmental Stewardship in Michigan Areas of Concern,” details comprehensive strategies for strengthening environmental stewardship and long-term community regeneration in Michigan’s most environmentally degraded coastal communities. Collin previously served as Youth Programs Manager for National Park Trust, a national environmental nonprofit that preserves critical parkland and engages the next generation of park stewards by connecting under-served youth to their communities through educational park experiences. In this role, he expanded national education initiatives and spearheaded numerous local, state, and federal partnerships.