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Linda M Collins Collins (born March 13, 1955) is an American professor of human development and family studies known for her work applying statistical methods to preventing substance abuse and other problem behaviors. She is a professor at the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and has directed Penn State’s Methodology Center since 1994.

Biography and career
Dr. Collins grew up in Connecticut. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in psychology and received her Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology from University of Southern California in 1983.

She worked at the University of Southern California between 1983 and 1993. She was an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and then Assistant and Associate Professor of Psychology. She became Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Professor of Statistics at Penn State in 1994. She became Director of The Methodology Center in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development in 1994. In 2014 she became Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Studies.

Her methodological contributions include the development of the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST). “MOST enables researchers to develop interventions that are not only effective, but also efficient, economical, and scalable.” She collaborates with researchers around the country on applications of MOST in areas like smoking cessation, weight reduction, and prevention of child maltreatment.

Recognition
She is a Fellow of the Society for Prevention Research and of the Society for Behavioral Medicine.