The Richmond Scholars Welcome New Faculty Director

The Office of Scholars and Fellowships is pleased to welcome Dr. Laura Knouse as the new Faculty Director of the Richmond Scholars Program! Dr. Knouse’s role is to provide mentoring and support to the Scholars from the faculty perspective, as well as to work with the Office of Scholars and Fellowships to develop programs and activities that will help build a strong Scholars community.

Dr. Knouse completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Richmond as a University Scholar, now known as a Richmond Scholar. She says the main reason she chose UR was that she knew it was a place she could focus on her academics while staying involved in the arts. At UR, Knouse pursued a major in psychology and a minor in music.

Following her undergraduate studies, Dr. Knouse pursued a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She completed her clinical internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. There, she spent time treating patients and conducting research on the intersection of ADHD and depression. After four years in Boston, Knouse decided she wanted to focus more on teaching and research. She pursued a teaching position at her alma mater and the rest is history!

At UR, Dr. Knouse feels she can be a whole person, and not only a clinical psychologist. The goal of a liberal arts education is to encourage intellectual engagement from a multi-disciplinary perspective, which suits Dr. Knouse’s diverse interests. Dr. Knouse is a member of two faculty bands and sings with students in the university’s chamber ensemble. She says that her favorite part about teaching at UR is the freedom she has to be creative. The intellectual creativity the University fosters has enabled her to pursue more innovative teaching and research methods.  Dr. Knouse is excited about the opportunity to mentor Richmond Scholars, who bring a wide array of interests and are boundary-crossers and connection-makers. She hopes to support students in pushing their own boundaries and identifying the values that will fuel a lifetime of learning.