CEI Workhorse Leaving for New Adventure
For more than seven years, Aubrae Collins has been instrumental to the success of many CCI educational outreach initiatives. Arriving on campus to support the STARS project, it didn’t take long for Collins’ impact to extend well beyond her initial duties. As a member of the Diversity in Information Technologies Institute (DITI), which has grown to become our Center for Education Innovation (CEI), Collins has done it all – from “ordering the orange juice” to being a critical relationship manager with many of our external partners.
In addition to her work with STARS, Collins provided support to the University’s coordination and execution of the annual Julia Robinson Mathematics and Computing Festival, which encourages middle school girls to investigate areas of mathematics they would not ordinarily encounter in the classroom.
Improving diversity in math, science and engineering is a passion for Collins, who says, “We still have a lot of work to do making technical careers more attractive and accessible to girls and also to children from under-served communities, but our work here is advancing the cause.”
Most recently, Collins became the face of our Connected Learner project, which is transforming the student entering undergraduate computing and informatics from a person with an interest in computing to a person with an identity as a computing professional. Simultaneously, the project is developing fresh teaching practices to best suit the needs of an ever-shifting student population.
Willing to pitch in and take on any challenge, Collins developed skills she never knew she’d need when she came to UNC Charlotte. In addition to budgeting, purchasing, event management and student support, the mother of two also earned a Master’s in Public Affairs and discovered a passion for fundraising.
Collins has accepted a development role at Lifespan, a non-profit with which she has volunteered. Lifespan empowers adults and children with disabilities by providing educational, employment enrichment opportunities which encourage them to stretch beyond what they once thought were their limitations.
The CCI family wishes Collins the very best as she sprints – no doubt smiling – into her next adventure.
To learn more about Lifespan go to: lifespanservice.org.
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