Western Governors University has named Kevin Collopy of Wilmington as one of the school’s 25 Distinguished Graduates, according to a news release.

Collopy earned a master of healthcare leadership degree from the accredited online university in 2021 and presently serves as the clinical outcomes & compliance manager for AirLink/VitaLink at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center. 

WGU’s Distinguished Graduate award recipients were honored as “examples of inspiration and dedication. Their work and volunteer efforts go above and beyond, significantly impacting their communities and career fields," according to the release.

WGU has more than 301,000 alumni in the United States, including more than 6,800 graduates across all 100 counties in North Carolina.

"Collopy is an accomplished prehospital and critical care transport medicine leader who has been engaged in supporting his community and advancing his profession for more than 20 years," the release stated. "He launched AirLink/VitaLink’s prehospital blood administration program while simultaneously developing an outreach program that improved supplies of blood in the region. Since the program’s inception, it has collected double the amount of blood it has administered to patients, enough to impact more than 2,500 patients and their families."

Since graduating from WGU, Collopy has served as chair of the Global Critical Care Transport Higher Education Council, where he led the development of the inaugural Accreditation Standards for A.S., B.S., and Graduate Critical Care Transport Education Programs, according to the release. Additionally, he has partnered with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative as the prehospital trauma course director to develop and deliver a trauma education program for prehospital providers in Ukraine, part of an integrated effort to support the Ukrainian health and trauma systems during the ongoing conflict, the release stated.

Collopy also teaches paramedic programs at Cape Fear Community College and is the principal investigator for six ongoing prehospital research studies. Collopy was also recently honored with the 2022 Top Clinical Research award at the International Scientific EMS Symposium.

“Kevin is an outstanding professional who has not only contributed to his local community, but to the field of prehospital medical care around the world,” said Ben Coulter, Ed.D., Chancellor of WGU North Carolina, the university’s state affiliate. “On behalf of Western Governors University and WGU North Carolina, I extend my congratulations to him and his family.”