O'Neil Ray Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
O'Neil Ray Collins
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Collins in 1975
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| Born | 9 March 1931 |
| Died | April 8, 1989 (aged 58) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Southern University University of Iowa |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mycology |
| Institutions | Queens College Southern University Wayne State University University of California, Berkeley |
| Thesis | Heterothallism and Homothallism in Two Myxomycetes (1961) |
| Doctoral advisor | Constantine J. Alexopoulos |
O'Neil Ray Collins (born March 9, 1931 – died April 8, 1989) was an American scientist. He was a botanist, which means he studied plants. He was also a mycologist, someone who studies fungi. Collins was an expert in the genetics of slime molds.
Early Life and Education
O'Neil Ray Collins was born in Plaisance, Louisiana, in 1931. He finished high school in his hometown in 1948. After high school, he served in the United States Army in Europe.
When he returned, he went to Southern University. In January 1957, he earned his bachelor's degree in botany. A professor named Lafayette Frederick helped him become very interested in mycology. This is the study of fungi, like mushrooms and molds.
Collins continued his studies at the University of Iowa. He worked with a professor named Constantine J. Alexopoulos. He earned his master's degree in 1959. Then, he received his doctorate (Ph.D.) in 1961. His special research for his doctorate was about two types of slime molds. These were from the groups Physarum and Didymium.
A Career in Science
In 1961, Dr. Collins started teaching at Queens College. At the same time, he did research on Didymium slime molds. He worked with Ian Kenneth Ross at Yale University.
In 1963, Collins took a teaching job at Southern University. Two years later, in 1965, he moved to Wayne State University in Detroit.
A big step in his career happened in 1968. Dr. Collins became the first Black faculty member in the Botany Department. This was at the University of California, Berkeley. He also helped lead the Graduate Division as an Associate Dean. He played a key role in creating the Graduate Minority Program. This program helped students from minority groups.
In 1974, he became a Miller Research Professor. From 1976 to 1981, he was the Chairman of the Department of Botany. This means he was in charge of the whole department.
Dr. Collins passed away in 1989. At that time, he was the only African-American biologist. He had a permanent teaching position at Berkeley.
