From the 2010 Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards:
Mary Beth Collins, director of Student Health and Counseling, has served Portland State University for 29 years. Her nomination portfolio extols her excellence in service to students as Portland State University.
For nearly 30 years, Ms. Collins has provided for the physical and mental well-being of thousands of Portland State students. Her deep understanding of the direct link between health and student success has made a significant impact on the quality of student services at the University. Ms. Collins' ability to focus on the individual needs of students while managing a multi-million dollar health care operation helps define the level of excellence for service and caring for the success of our students. Her approach has been effective and much appreciated.
An innovator, mentor, and leader, Ms. Collins was responsible for transforming Portland State's counseling center into an integrated and comprehensive health and wellness center that has become a national model. The Center for Student Health 13 and Counseling has significantly altered the landscape of health care at PSU, providing high quality and accessible mental health, physical health, and testing services targeted to the needs of the student population.
Ms. Collins has been generous with her time, energy, and wisdom, all the while keeping in mind the bottom line: improving student success and educational access.
The Mary H. Cumpston Award for Service to Students is given annually to an academic professional or unranked university administrator who has demonstrated excellence in the area of service to students. The late Mary H. Cumpston was a beloved colleague whose enduring contributions to Portland State University and to the community have enhanced the development and delivery of student services. Her gift was the ability to identify individual and University needs and to match those needs with creative and effective solutions.