Faculty Profile
Dr. Knobloch is the Chair of the PK-12 Council for the College of Agriculture and he provides leadership for the Life Science Education Initiative in youth development and outreach education. The purpose of his research is to improve science literacy through informal life science education and motivate Indiana youth to pursue careers in the life sciences. Dr. Knobloch collaborates with youth educators, outreach coordinators, and professors to implement learner-centered teaching strategies and study the effectiveness of experiential learning programs in nonformal educational contexts (environmental, plant, animal, food, and nutritional sciences).

Education
PhD, Human & Community Resource Development, Ohio State University, 2002
MS, Agricultural Education, Iowa State University, 1997
BS, Agricultural & Extension Education, Iowa State University, 1992

Department Responsibilities
Chair, Graduate Program
Coordinator, Life Science Education Signature Area
Director, Learner-Centered Teaching Project

Courses Taught
YDAE 591 Strategies for Youth Educators
YDAE 591 Research Design for Social Scientists
YDAE 591 Plant Breeding Education and Outreach
YDAE 591 Plant Breeding Research for K-12 Outreach
YDAE 644 Graduate Seminar

Professional Service
Chair, PK-12 Council, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, 2011-present
Co-chair, Association of Career and Technical Education Research Task Force, 2010-11
Evaluation Specialist, National 4-H Science Leadership Academy, 2010
Research Conference Chair, American Association of Agricultural Educators, 2009-10
Research Conference Chair, Association of Career and Technical Education Research, 2007-08
Co-Chair, American Education Research Association Division C New Faculty Mentoring Program, 2006-07

Research Interests
Motivation; personal epistemology; experiential learning; learner-centered teaching; science literacy

Grants & Projects
Project Director, Enhancing Science Capacity in Introductory Animal, Plant, and Food Sciences Courses. USDA NIFA Higher Education Challenge Grant. 2010-13

Co-Project Director, Training STEAM Educators to Teach Applied and Advanced Topics in Animal Genetics. USDA NIFA Secondary and Postsecondary Education Higher Education Challenge Grant. 2010-12

Co-Project Director, Partnership for Research and Education in Plant Breeding and Genetics and Purdue University. USDA NIFA Agricultural and Food Research Initiative Grant. 2010-13

Co-Project Director, Web-based Learning Modules to Enhance Science Learning in Agriscience Classrooms. USDA CSREES Secondary and Postsecondary Education Higher Education Challenge Grant. 2009-11

Project Director, Enhancing STEAM Learning and Career Development through Life Science Education Contexts. United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service Hatch Project. 2008-12

Co-Project Director, A Collaborative Land-Grant Model for Integrating Learner-Centered Instruction in 1890 Food and Agricultural Science Classrooms. United States Department of Agriculture 1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity-Building Grant. 2007-12

External Evaluator, Linking Watershed Research and GK-12 Education within an Ecosystem Context. National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Grant. 2007-12

Awards & Honors

Selected Publications