|
|
Deirdre Collins Deirdre Collins was born April 13, 1963 in Independence, Missouri, the daughter of James Mark Purcell and Carolann Bingham Purcell. While still young, she moved to Peoria, Illinois. She attended Washington University in St. Louis and was graduated cum laude from Bradley University in Peoria. She taught mathematics at Mt. Carmel High School and at Francis Parker High School, both in Chicago, before attending graduate school. She earned master’s degrees in Mathematics and in Mathematics Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She taught at Wright College, Kennedy-King College, Oakton Community College, Roosevelt University, and DePaul University, all in the Chicago area. While in graduate school, Dierdre met her future husband, Sterrett Collins. On July 25, 1998 she married Sterrett in Galesburg, Illinois, and they moved to California. For three years she taught at Victor Valley Community College and served as Mathematics department chair. She was hired as a full-time member of the Math Division here at GCC in the Fall of 2001. During her short five years at GCC, Deirdre was very involved both locally and at the state-wide level. She was deeply committed to the success of all students, even pursuing extensive formal education in the area of learning disabilities. She was an active participant in the Math Division’s annual retreat, co-coordinated the Mathematics Collaborative with local high schools, co-coordinated the AMATYC Math League student competitions, was a member of the Calculus Curriculum group and served as Co-Chair. Her campus involvement included serving on the Academic Senate, the Writing Across the Curriculum Task Force, the Program Review Committee and the Assessment Committee. On the State level, Deirdre served as a member of the Board of Governors of FACCC, both as governor-at-large and as treasurer. Deirdre was an active member of Pasadena Presbyterian Church. She was also a member of the Glendale Quilt Guild, in whose annual show, several of her quilts had been shown. She was also a member of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society both in Illinois and in California. She is survived by her husband, Sterrett Collins of Glendale; her mother, Carolann Purcell of Peoria, Illinois; her brother, Bruce Purcell of Peoria, Illinois, and other family and friends. A student scholarship in Deirdre’s name has been set up at the request of her family. Contributions may be sent to the Glendale College Foundation.
—Reprinted from the Los Angeles Times |
