COLLINS, Catherine Fisher

PERSONAL: Born in Buffalo, NY; daughter of Herman and Catherine (Lynch) Fisher; married Clyde A. Collins, December 31, 1973 (deceased); children: Laura Harris, Clyde II. Ethnicity: "African American." Education: Trocaire College, A.A.S., 1970; State University of New York—College at Buffalo, B.S., 1975, M.S., 1979, Ed.D., 1990. Religion: Methodist.

ADDRESSES: Office—Department of Community Health and Human Services, State University of New York—Empire State College, 617 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14203; fax: 716-831-1136. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Model City Agency and Human Resource Department, Buffalo, NY, component manager, 1971-73; Comprehensive Health Planning Council of Western New York, Inc., Tonawanda, NY, coordinator of federal funds, 1973-76; Health Systems Agency, Tonawanda, NY, director of quality assurance, 1976-86; Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo, NY, director of ambulatory care, 1986-89; worked as an assistant academic dean, 1989-90; Erie Community College, Buffalo, NY, professor and department head, 1990-92; State University of New York—Empire State College, Buffalo, NY, associate professor of community health and human services, 1992—. Medaille College, professor, 1980-82; State University of New York—Buffalo, assistant professor, 1984-90; Erie Community College, adjunct assistant professor, 1988-90; State University of New York—Buffalo State College, adjunct assistant professor, 1998—. New York State Commission of Corrections, past member of medical review board; Community Health and Human Services Committee, chair, 1974-75; Buffalo Black Media Coalition, member, 1984—; Health Committee of Western New York, member, 1984—; Jack and Jill of America, Inc., member, 1985—, eastern regional director, 1993-95, national editor, 1998-2000, national vice president, 2000-02; Hopevale, member of board of directors, 1989—.

AWARDS, HONORS: Certificate of Merit, Buffalo Urban League, 1976; outstanding service certificate, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1980; citation, Citizens Commission on Criminal Justice, 1985; citation of appreciation, Jesse Nash Health Center, 1985; leadership in health award, Health Systems Agency of Western New York, Inc., 1986; award from Coalition of 100 Black Women, 1989; service award, State of Connecticut, 1994; Heritage Award, State of New Jersey, 1995; Outstanding Academic Book citation, Choice, 1997, for The Imprisonment of African American Women: Causes, Conditions, and Future Implications; elected Kentucky Colonel, 2001; special citation for outstanding contribution to health education, governor of New York; recognition awards for work at correctional facilities, including Attica.

WRITINGS:

(Editor) African American Women's Health and Social Issues, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT), 1996.

The Imprisonment of African American Women: Causes, Conditions, and Future Implications, McFarland (Jefferson, NC), 1997.

Sources of Stress and Relief for African American Women, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT), 2000.

Handbook for African American Women's Health and Social Issues, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT), 2003.

Imprisonment of African American Women, Book II, McFarland (Jefferson, NC), 2003.

Imprisonment of South African Women, McFarland (Jefferson, NC), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Catherine Fisher Collins once told CA: "I will continue to write books for college students and professionals in criminal justice and health care. These are areas where very few African-American writers are represented. I was inspired to write because of the lack of African-American textbooks for college courses. There is a need to help Americans understand how we feel about issues that affect us, rather than have others who are not culturally related shape public opinion through their writings."