Gregory Collins Assistant Professor, Business |
Education
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Wilkes University
B.A., Physics, Wilkes University
M.B.A., Business Administration, Lehigh University
M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed., Earth Science, The Pennsylvania State University
A.M., Statistics, University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., Education Policy, University of Pennsylvania
Teaching Interests
I'm passionate about using data to make better decisions, and I love leading courses where I can share my enthusiasm and the lessons I've learned with my students.
I regularly teach Operations and Information Systems, where we learn about key strategic and day-to-day decisions made in supply chain management and their consequences for business and society. We use spreadsheets and basic data analysis techniques to develop service and production planning skills.
I also teach a course on business analytics, where we extend beyond basic statistical skills and begin applying some of the mathematical methods that underlie machine learning. In addition to writing code and making sense of authentic datasets, we also explore aspects of organizational culture and leadership that help facilitate a sensible use of data.
Other courses that I have taught at Muhlenberg include Business Decisions in Sports, Project Management, Economics of Education, Statistical Analysis, and a first-year seminar on canals. Prior to joining the Muhlenberg community, I taught quantitative methods for education leaders and public policy analysts, and I taught high school physics, Earth science, energy and economics at a public school in the Lehigh Valley.
Research, Scholarship or Creative/Artistic Interests
My research interests center on education finance and policy, with a particular emphasis on organizational size. Contrasts between my first career as a private-sector operations engineer and my second career as a public school teacher were stark, and they inspired many questions that fascinate me. Are students and teachers more successful in smaller, more intimate schools? Are larger schools and school systems able to operate more efficiently?
My doctoral research studied the consolidation of school districts in Arkansas, examining changes in school spending and student outcomes. A related study estimated a cost-optimal size for school districts in Pennsylvania. More recently, my research has focused on child care and preschool settings. There, the law strictly limits the ratio of children to teachers, creating different implications for the ideal organizational size.