Kathleen Collins

Kathleen Collins is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota with affiliations in Islamic Studies. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and B.A. from Notre Dame.

Her research examines Islamist movements, post-Soviet transitions, and military reform in Eurasia. Current fieldwork investigates democratic civil-military relations in Baltic states.

Collins' scholarly work combines historical analysis with contemporary case studies of religious mobilization and regime transitions. Her books trace the evolution of political Islam from Soviet repression to contemporary jihadist movements.

Awards include:

• Carnegie Scholar Award
• Central Eurasian Studies Society Best Book Award
• McKnight Land-Grant Professorship

She advises doctoral students and has received funding from USIP, NCEEER, IREX, and the Templeton Foundation. Collins conducts fieldwork across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe.