Aaron Collins named new Craft Academy director
An experienced administrator, instructor and superintendent is now director of one of the nation's top STEM-focused high school academies on the campus of Morehead State University.
Aaron Collins, current superintendent and CEO at Metro Technology Centers (MetroTech) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been named the new executive director of the Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics.
Collins said he believes the Craft Academy is a special program and is excited for the opportunity to lead in a way that continues its success and impact.
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity to serve as executive director of the Craft Academy," he said. "I'm glad to have this opportunity to build upon that foundation."
Collins' current role with Metrotech, which he has held since 2020, involves leading and overseeing one of the largest technology centers in Oklahoma with four campuses offering full-time, short-term, career, and customized business training. He previously served in administrative and teaching roles at various schools in the South and the Pacific Northwest. Collins taught at middle school and high school levels in Georgia, Tennessee and Idaho and served in his first administrative role as assistant principal for Walker County Schools in Georgia from 2006 to 2011.
He also held educational leadership roles in two Kentucky school districts, first as principal of Sebree Elementary School in Webster County from 2011 to 2013, and then as superintendent of Fulton County Schools from 2013 to 2020. When his son was attending school in Fulton County, Collins recalls taking him to the MSU campus for a summer camp hosted by the Craft Academy. He said he has a passion for helping gifted students find their place at Craft by placing them with like-minded people with similar interests and goals. He is excited to combine this with his prior experience to help Craft Academy students excel in the classroom and after they graduate.
"I think it's easy to see that my career is centered on students. It's been centered on education for students...for meaningful career pathways," Collins said. "I think it aligns very well in my experience and belief in students that if you support students, you're going to see great things."
Collins earned an Associate of Arts from Florida College in 1997 and a Bachelor of Science in History Teacher Education from Oklahoma Christian University in 1999. He attended Tennessee Technological University from 2004 to 2007, earning a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Instructional Leadership. He plans to finish his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Administration from Tennessee State University in December 2026.
In these leadership roles, Collins has focused on STEM and workforce-connected academic pathways. He led MetroTech to record full-time enrollment in his tenure, with a 40% increase over five years while maintaining academic quality and notable completion outcomes. He also secured more than $18 million in grant funding to expand STEM, health sciences, aviation, and academic programs that align with today's workforce. As superintendent of Fulton County Schools, he founded the Four Rivers Career Academy, aligning curriculum, facilities, scheduling and staffing to meet college-level expectations.
Collins was also named to The Journal Record's Oklahoma Education Power List in 2025 and 2021 and earned the Teachers Appreciation Foundation Top Impact Dignitary Award in 2024. He also earned recognition in Kentucky, including the Regional Educator President's Award from West Kentucky Community and Technical College in 2020, and was named a Kentucky Colonel in 2012.
Collins said he wants the Craft Academy to help high-achieving Kentucky high school students turn their dreams into achievable goals, including gaining admission into Ivy League schools like M.I.T. He wants to increase enrollment and overall awareness of Craft Academy across the state while providing Craft students with more internships, research projects, and real-world experience to help them apply what they learn once they graduate.
"All students matter. We need to find their course and assist and support them," Collins said. "They have a story, and they deserve an opportunity to tell their story."
The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics is a dual-credit academy for academically exceptional Kentucky students. Craft Academy provides students with a postsecondary residential experience to complete their junior and senior high school years by enrolling in college courses. The Craft Academy aims to meet the unique educational needs of the Commonwealth's academically gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. The academic rigor of the Craft Academy challenges students to excel at their highest level through project-based STEM+X courses and hands-on learning experiences emphasizing innovation, design, creativity, and civic and regional engagement.
To learn more, visit the Craft Academy website, email craftacademy@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2093.
