Dr. Timothy J. Collins was appointed as the seventh President of Walsh University by the Board of Directors on August 5, 2019. As President, Dr. Collins oversees all activities that further the mission of developing leaders in service to others through a values-based education rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition. He leads a multi-national campus of 135 acres, serving 2,300 students and 300 employees in North Canton, Ohio, with an international and online presence that extends its educational reach.
Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Collins served in executive leadership at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory as well as serving as the Chair (Director) for both the Technical Management and Engineering Management graduate degree and certificate programs as a faculty member in the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. As the nation’s largest University Affiliated Research Center, the Laboratory performs research and development on behalf of the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other federal agencies with more than 7,000 staff members who are making critical contributions to a wide variety of nationally and globally significant technical and scientific challenges.
Before joining Johns Hopkins University in 2005, Dr. Collins served as a senior officer in the United States Air Force with command, staff and diplomatic experiences during his military career. He has more than 4,000 flying hours, including over 260 combat hours, as a command pilot in a variety of unmanned and manned fighter, tanker, reconnaissance, and command and control aircraft. He is a U.S. Air Force Command Pilot, a military parachutist, and is a credentialed Board President for both aviation Safety Investigation Boards and Accident Investigation Boards.
As a national guest lecturer and scholar on Catholic higher education, Dr. Collins has been involved in Catholic education for more than three decades.
Currently, he serves his community as a Director on the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Board, Stark Economic Development Board and Stark Educational Partnership Board, Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Board, as Secretary of the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) Board and on the OFIC Executive Committee. He serves nationally on the Committee for Tax Policy for National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and on the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II Executive Board.
Georgia Military College honored him as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2022.
Military honors for him include Aerial Achievement Medals, Air Medals, Aircrew Safety Award of Distinction, Bronze Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legions of Merit, and the Purple Heart.
His educational experiences include course work at Columbia University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Indiana University-Purdue University, FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, Air War College, and the Army Command and General Staff College.
Dr. Collins earned an Associate of Engineering degree from Georgia Military College, a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Science degree from the National War College, and a Doctor of Education degree from Benedictine University.
To learn more about the history and mission of Walsh University, listen to President Tim Collins on the Cardinal Newman Society podcast.
