In Brief: September 2025

Back to Newsroom

Polysomnography Director Amber Allen spoke at the “Global Perspectives for Sleep Technologists” session at the 2025 World Sleep Congress in Singapore. She was the U.S. presenter for that session, along with presenters from France, Italy, Portugal, and Australia. There were more than 4,000 attendees from across the globe. Amber also recently completed her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of the People.

Wylie Campus Biology Professor, Mervat Karout has recently completed their Graduate Certificate in Medical Microbiology from the University of Florida College of Medicine. 

McKinney Campus Dean of Academic Affairs and Workforce Programs, Dr. Michelle Buggs, has been selected to serve on the McKinney Library Advisory Board as a regular board member beginning Oct.1. Dr. Buggs has also been selected to serve on the board of Volunteer McKinney for a three-year term. 

Fourteen learners graduated from the Diagnostic Medical Sonography General Track. All 14 learners graduated as Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, recording a 100% cohort first-attempt pass rate for their registry exams. In addition, all 12 Diagnostic Medical Sonography Cardiac Track May graduates are actively employed as cardiac sonographers.

Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Licensed Vocational Nurse to Registered Nurse (LVN-to-RN) full-time faculty member, Dr. Amy Bierhup, was selected as the Florence Marie Dickinson Endowed Chair in Nursing.

Nursing Professor Leslie Payne will present at the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) National Convention in October. She is presenting “Making It Click: Helping Nursing Students Grasp Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Concepts Through Hands-On Learning.” 

Nursing Dean Amy Wilson and Nursing Professor Michelle Denny will present at the Texas Nursing Student Association (TNSA) convention. The presentations include “Caring, Connecting, and Creating the Future of Nursing” and “What Does the Future of Nursing Look Like?”

HVAC Professor Mike Brucia is now a Certified Master HVACR Educator (CMHE), which requires passing seven different exams (80% or higher) to achieve. While six of the exams are HVAC+ Refrigeration related, the seventh is focused on teaching methodologies. Professor Brucia is one of 160 in the nation, and one of 15 in Texas, with this distinguished designation.

The Collin College Welding Program collaborated with the UT Dallas Design team to create a patient extrication simulator for the UT Dallas Emergency Medical Training program. With the help of Welding Professor Cesar Lopez, the project provided extensive hands-on experience for Collin College’s welding students. It allowed students to work with aluminum fabrication while contributing to emergency response training.

Engineering Professor Dr. Fawad Rauf was awarded a grant for the development of an Online Educational Resource to support the Technical Algebra and Trigonometry course taught in Texas colleges. This was a competitive grant awarded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and it will be a huge money saver for students who, in some cases, are using textbooks totaling $150 or more for a single course.  

The Collin College chapter of Psi Beta has been honored with the prestigious Chapter Excellence Award. This recognition highlights the chapter’s commitment to academic excellence, community service, and the promotion of psychology as a discipline. Throughout the year, its members have engaged in numerous initiatives to promote Psi Beta’s mission of leadership, scholarship, community service, and research.

---

Back to Newsroom