Founded in 2021, the Collier Robert Woods, Jr. Scholarship supports Black and African American students with interests in lighting design and/or theatre production, technology, and associated theatrical fields.

Since its inauguration in 2021, the Collier Woods Scholarship has been given to six recipients. 

Woods, who passed away in 2020 at age 64, was a veteran lighting designer and stage technician with extensive lighting design credits in opera, ballet, modern dance, music and theatre. He was a dedicated member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in Seattle and Sarasota, Fla., and a member of the United Scenic Artists in New York. A native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Theater, a Master of Fine Arts in Design from the University of Washington, and taught at the University of Washington and Morgan State University.

Woods' design credits include performances at the Seattle Repertory Theater, Intiman Theater, and Bellevue Community College, as well as productions at Cockpit-In-Court Summer Theater in Maryland, PepsiCo Summerfare in New York, the University of Delaware's Professional Theater Training Program, and for Festival Sundiata performances of Gil Scott-Heron, Branford Marsalis, and Albert King in Seattle. Dance and opera companies he designed for include Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and Pennsylvania Opera Theater. He served as Head Electrician for the First National tour of “The Color Purple,” Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. His national and international touring credits include Bruce Springsteen, “Riverdance,” and Broadway tours of “Phantom of the Opera,” “Showboat,” “The Full Monty,” “Hairspray,” “Spring Awakening,” “West Side Story,” “Anything Goes,” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

2023 Collier Woods Scholarship winner Lauren Kennedi Ozie Dixon says, "I am thankful to be selected as a Collier Woods Scholarship Recipient for it allows me to pursue my goals of "Lighting The Way" to a better, more inclusive industry!"

2022 winner Kim Parson says, "I am truly honored to have been chosen to receive this amazing scholarship," Kim said. "My love and dedication to the theatre is paying off, and to be able to be recognized for it is absolutely a blessing. Sending a huge thank you to Ms. Anjali Austin for her hard work and commitment in keeping Mr. Collier Woods' legacy going. I truly hope I can be an inspiration in my years to come just as Mr. Woods was to so many people. Thank you again for this opportunity!"