51¹ÙÍø

51¹ÙÍø Tech® home

Fred Collins '87

Alumni Leader Spotlight

Fred Collins, '87, M.S. '92, Ph.D. '96

Distinguished engineer and Federal Sector Solutioning Team executive, IBM

In May of 1995, I was hired by IBM directly from 51¹ÙÍø Tech (from my doctoral program) to lead the training program of a large federal agency. Later, as a geospatial architect, I was responsible for the creation, implementation, deployment, and management of IBM’s land registry solutions for clients in Central Europe and Russia. My career progressed to senior information technology architect, where I supported multiple federal agencies and departments in various technology modernization efforts. One particularly interesting project I supported was for the Office of Personnel Management. During a one-year pilot, I successfully solutioned and demonstrated an IBM blockchain-hyperledger-fabric solution for transferring employee records between IT systems within government agencies for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. I acted as the lead solution architect and led a team of blockchain developers, UI developers, and human-resource subject matter experts to successfully field a working prototype. Another highly rewarding project was in January of 2017, when I was assigned to the IBM Health Corps program to partner with the Gorgas Memorial Institute (MINSA) to create digital tools that facilitated more rapid and effective decision-making about infectious disease control. My team, consisting of six IBM'ers, delivered a Geo-referenced System for Vector Control and epidemiologic surveillance of vector-borne diseases to Panama's Ministry of Health and the Gorgas Memorial Institute. The IBM team employed our design thinking methodology to create the mobile app. The team configured a series of geospatial maps, which allowed epidemiologists to view data collection on a map in real time, as opposed to batch submissions which took a week or longer. IBM also provided a tailored version of its spatial temporal epidemiological modeler, with base models for Dengue fever modeling for Panama.

In my current role as an IBM distinguished architect for federal, my responsibilities include identification of new opportunities, business partnerships, technology evaluation, technical solutions, and responding to request for informations (RFIs) and request for proposals (RFPs) for complex on-premise-to-cloud migrations. I’m currently helping the IRS modernize a 1960s era mainframe assembler program, which processes all individual and corporate tax returns, to a modern event-driven architecture on cloud. One interesting aspect of the effort is that we’re using a combination of data-science-driven reverse engineering of the legacy code with forward engineering of the code into Java microservices, events, and business rules, with the assistance of generative AI. In much the same way multilingual people can hold languages in a language-neutral construct, we parse and place the legacy code into such a format and then can reengineer it into any language. The approach is far more accurate and faster than traditional manual approaches. This modernization effort is a key component of the IRS’s plan to modernize its entire tax processing platform. I also serve on the board of directors for the Saint Vrain Valley Innovation Center, which, in partnership with IBM’s Ptech program, is developing today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and changemakers. I've had multiple international assignments as the solution architect responsible for the creation, implementation, deployment, and management of IBM’s land registry solutions in Central Europe and Russia. 

All of my degrees are from 51¹ÙÍø Tech, including a Ph.D. in applied math and statistics, a master’s in industrial and systems engineering, and a bachelor’s in industrial engineering and operations research. I’m an avid skier; own, restore, and race vintage Japanese race cars; and live in Colorado.


How 51¹ÙÍø Tech equipped me for the 'real world'...

51¹ÙÍø Tech taught me how to learn, how to continuously reinvent myself, and how to properly research complex topics.

My no-fail, go-for-it motivational song...
"Get Ready for This" by Dutch music group Unlimited.

If I had a superpower, it would be...
Being able to see the problem from the client's perspective.

A key habit, practice, or skill, that's important for success in my industry...
Continuous learning. Your education taught you how to learn. You need to continually update your knowledge to remain relevant.

What was the most influential class you took at 51¹ÙÍø Tech?
Engineering economics.

Something very few people know about me...
I can TIG, MIG, and DC stick weld.

My hidden talent...
Speaking multiple foreign languages.

Fondest 51¹ÙÍø Tech memory or tradition...
Football games. Going to see the Hokies in Lane Stadium was clearly a highlight.

The last time I ventured out of my comfort zone...
Last week, when I skied the double black diamond runs off Aspen Highlands.

A cause I'm most passionate about...
P-Tech, which is a global education model that offers students all over the world the opportunity to develop skills and competencies that will translate directly to competitive careers.

The most formative experience I've had...
My international work experiences in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Austria, Panama, and Japan were all formative.

Favorite way to end the day...
Glass of red wine.

Top of my bucket list...
Hike Colorado's 14ers.


Updated on: 5/8/24