Dr. Rob Collins Jr. is an educator, researcher, and leader who believes in transforming everyday classroom learning to prioritize joy, community connection, and deep inquiry that leads to meaningful action.

Over the past decade, Rob has dedicated his career to education innovation across Kentucky and beyond. He has founded and led statewide initiatives including the Local Laboratories of Learning (L3) project, the Kentucky Innovative Learning Network (KY ILN), the Kentucky Portrait of a Learner, and the Kentucky Innovative Teacher Fellowship. He has led community town halls and professional development sessions for hundreds of educators in Kentucky, Appalachia, and nationally—primarily superintendents, chief academic officers, directors of innovation, and other senior district and school leaders.

Rob has facilitated statewide communities of practice and exhibitions of innovation and learning, and supported the development of community-based assessment and accountability legislation that has transformed policy in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Currently serving as a strategic data analyst and researcher shaping statewide education policy, Rob leads research and analysis on the efficacy of innovative programs, policies, and practices closing achievement and opportunity gaps across Kentucky.

Believing that student transformation begins with teacher transformation, Rob founded CIP Learning to reimagine professional learning for educators—building joyful, competency-based experiences that connect teachers nationwide. CIP Learning leverages competency-based education (CBE) models and community-centered structures to support educators as they design, implement, document, reflect on, and publicly share authentic classroom projects. Rob's philosophy rests on the symmetry of adult and student learning—that the same principles driving vibrant student learning should shape how educators learn and grow.

Rob has shared his expertise in competency-based learning for educators, community-based assessment, and innovative pedagogy on the national stage. He supported the development of KnowledgeWorks' Portrait of a Leader and has appeared on numerous podcasts, including Growth Over Grades and Learning Unboxed.

Beyond education, Rob has founded and led initiatives to strengthen civic engagement, cultural wealth, and democratic renewal, including the Appalachian Futures Institute—a think-and-do tank devoted to research and activism aimed at building a brighter, more equitable future for Appalachia.

Rob is an alumnus of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence Teacher Fellowship, BRIGHT Leadership Kentucky, Teach For America Appalachia's Central Appalachia Leadership Lab (CALL), and the Obama Leaders USA Program.