Mary Collins

Dr. Mary Collins, Ph.D., CPA has 40 years of experience in Jesuit Catholic Higher Education at Le Moyne College in Syracuse where she currently serves as the Associate Provost and as a Resident Chaplain. Dr. Collins earned a B.A. in psychology from Le Moyne College, a M.S. in Accounting and a Ph.D. focusing on accounting and organization behavior, change and development from Syracuse University. Her dissertation examined behavioral perspectives of the budgetary process in three distinct organizations: a small liberal arts college, an international public accounting firm, and a national cooperative.

During her time at Le Moyne College, Dr. Collins has served as Associate Provost for twelve years, as Resident Chaplain for ten years, as the Inaugural Dean of Management for several years, as the Department Chair of Accounting with multiple terms, and has served as Faculty Senate President three times. As a faculty member, she has taught upper division courses in financial accounting and auditing, pursued her research interest on budgets and organizational behavior and served on numerous committees primarily in academic affairs and finance. She received two awards for teaching excellence.

Her past board service includes the Institute of Internal Auditors of Central New York Chapter, Peace Action of Central New York, VNA Systems, Inc. (parent of Visiting Nurse Association of Central New York, Home Health Provider, Inc. and Independent Health Care Services), Home Health Providers of Syracuse, and Visiting Nurse Association of Central New York, Inc. Prior to returning to Le Moyne to teach, Dr. Collins worked in banking and in public accounting. She is licensed as a certified public accountant in New York State. Dr. Collins has also served on committees of professional organizations and local initiatives including East Syracuse Minoa School District, AJCU, Vice-Chair of Mayor’s Commission on Living Wage, New York State’s Assembly’s Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Forecast Development Committee, North East Regional American Accounting Association (NEAAA) Steering Committee, American Accounting Association Auditing Section National Committee, and the NYSSCPA General Committee on Higher Education and Entry to the Profession.

Dr. Collins loves to watch birds, enjoys fishing, stars at night and watching a well-behaved thunderstorm. But ultimately, she is student centered, loves to teach, and to build environments that support and enrich the education of youth for a life time of professional and social service.