Gilbert Collins has served as Director of Global Health Programs and Associate Director of the Center of Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University since late 2016. Prior to that, he was the Director of Graduate Student Life at the Woodrow Wilson School for three years. Before coming to Princeton, Gilbert worked for eight years in southern Africa, directing HIV/AIDS interventions and other development activities as the U.S. Peace Corps Country Director in Namibia and Associate Director in Botswana. Earlier, he served as the Evaluation and Planning Team Leader for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development, providing strategic guidance for relief and development activities in health, water/sanitation, nutrition, psychosocial support, shelter, and other sectors for seven years. Gilbert is an MPA graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School, with a concentration in development studies. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, and has also studied in Berlin and Beijing.
Our History
In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.