Carolyn McKnight

Carolyn P. McKnight, Ed.D., is the Senior Director of Community Engagement and Business Development for the KU Office of Economic Development and Edwards Campus. In this role, she provides oversight for KU external relations in service of the promotion of research, credit, and non-credit programs. Carolyn also directs the KU Edwards Campus Advisory Board, comprised of executive members, a Workforce Development Advisory Board with senior-level human resource professionals and six academic boards. In addition to her engagement work, she works on strategic initiatives for the university.

Some of her previous work includes the development of a new campus in Leavenworth, the expansion of the Degree in 3 program (an accelerated degree pathway) and service on a cross-campus KU team to assist three Kansas counties to allocate $44 million of CARES Act funding for community reinvestment.  

Before working at KU, Carolyn served as the director of the University of Central Missouri’s Summit Center, an off-campus center located in Lee’s Summit, MO. The Summit Center served over 1,600 student in 18 academic programs.

Carolyn received her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri–Columbia, a Master’s Degree from the University of Central Missouri and a Bachelor of Science from Emporia State University.