He joined the college in 2011. Dr. Collins’ research interests include synthetic organic chemistry, natural product isolation, and chemical ecology. His research work has focused on the development of plant-based natural products to improve honey bee health. To this end, his group is currently involved with the synthesis of modified monoterpenoid molecules that can be fed to honey bees to defend against parasitic mites that transmit viruses. He is currently in collaborations with apiculturists to investigate the efficacy of these molecules in bee hives. Prior to joining Fort Lewis, Dr. Collins was a postdoctoral fellow at MIT, studying graphene and carbon nanotube chemistry.