Richard Knopf

Richard C. Knopf serves as director of the Partnership for Community Development at Arizona State University and of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University. He is also a professor of community development in the School of Community Resources and Development within the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at ASU.   His expertise rests in advancing community quality of life by building innovative inter-generational partnerships among businesses, government, non-profit and community service organizations. Over the past decade, he has managed investments of more than $2.5 million by corporations, government, and local and national foundations in his ASU centers to promulgate this mission.

Professor Knopf has authored more than 170 publications in community quality of life, including state-of-art reviews. In recognition of the global and local impact of his work, he was bestowed with the Community Development Achievement Award from the Community Development Society in 2014. He has also formed partnerships with the work of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and its global “Learning Communities” initiative, and serves on the steering committee for the Global Age Friendly University Network.   

Much of Knopf’s teaching and research has focused on the role of community development in life quality enhancement and economic growth. His specialty areas include: healthy aging and lifespan development, inter-generational programming, community building, community development theory and practice, community needs and assets assessment, community justice and marginalization, civic engagement and volunteerism, strategic planning and visioning, community well-being, community special events management, regional planning, program evaluation and assessment, non-profit capacity building, organizational marketing and promotions, natural resources policy, university-community partnership formation, grant writing, and public philanthropy.

Prior to coming to Arizona State University, Professor Knopf served on the faculties of Pennsylvania State University, University of Minnesota and Colorado State University.  He also served in research and public policy formation roles in the United States federal government as a senior social scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In that capacity, he focused on regional planning and community life quality development initiatives. He carries a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning and doctorate in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Professor Knopf’s passion rests in community service. He treasures the opportunity to help communities grow into ideal places for all generations to live, work and play.