Suzanne L. Collins married Joseph T. Collins in 1984 and that relationship opened a new world of wildlife and photography for her. She was the Assistant to the Dean for the School of Education at The University of Kansas in Lawrence, retiring in December 1998 after over 30 years at the university. Upon her retirement, the KU School of Education established the Suzanne L. Collins Endowed Scholarship. Suzanne was a finalist for KU Employee of the Year in 1983 and was recognized as the KU School of Education Professional Staff Employee of the Year in both 1991 and 1998. In January 1999, she was recognized by the Kansas House of Representatives for her photography and books. She was named the Conservation Communicator of the Year for 2000 by the Kansas Wildlife Federation.
She is currently the Secretary-Treasurer and a Member of the Board of Directors of The Center for North American Herpetology, a non-profit 501c3 foundation headquartered in Lawrence. Served as President of the Kansas Herpetological Society, former member of the University of Kansas School of Education National Advisory Board, and is the President of JTC Enterprises, an environmental consulting firm.
Suzanne is a wildlife photographer of national stature whose striking color images have appeared in many books and in magazines such as The Nature Conservancy, The World & I, Natural History, Ranger Rick, Reptile and Amphibian Hobbyist, Country Journal, and Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine.
Her photographs entitled Amphibians in Kansas have been exhibited at the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. Her photographs have been displayed in the Prairie Center (Wichita), Bronx Zoo Reptile House, Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga), and in the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit on Declining Amphibians. In addition, her photographs were featured in an Interactive Video Program on Kansas Wildlife developed by the KU School of Education. Her images now appear worldwide on numerous Internet web sites, and are featured on the web site of The Center for North American Herpetology.
She has a professional image collection of amphibians, turtles, and reptiles totaling over 15,000 the best of which are promoted by her agent, Photo Researchers, New York. In addition, Ms. Collins has a large slide collection of wildlife habitats and scenes. A number of her photographs have been used on postcards featuring the state of Kansas. In 1998, some of her photographs were selected for use on the Kansas Governor’s website. Her images have been used on natural history posters nationwide, most recently on Montana and Nebraska wildlife posters. In 1999, her photographs were featured on the widely acclaimed Venomous Snakes of Kansas poster.
Suzanne was the 1990 recipient of the 6th Annual Chickadee Checkoff Photography Award, sponsored by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks to promote the conservation of nongame wildlife. Her winning photograph was of a Crawfish Frog from Linn County, Kansas, near the Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Refuges. The photograph appeared in Kansas Wildlife & Parks Magazine and has been used on posters and in brochures to promote Kansas wildlife conservation. The Kansas Herpetological Society presents The Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins Award (established to recognize, in odd-numbered years, Suzanne’s photography) for the best photograph of a Kansas amphibian, turtle, or reptile. The Collins Award is an award of $1000.00.
The Collinses’ Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris collinsorum) was named in honor of Suzanne and Joe Collins in 2020 by (Ospina, Tieu, Apodaca, and Emily Moriarty-Lemmon. Copeia. 108 (4): 778–795). This species ranges from southwestern North Carolina/southeastern Tennessee, south through northern Georgia to most of Alabama (south of the Tennessee River), and west to northeastern Mississippi.