Herman Knopf, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
Biography
Herman T. Knopf, Ph.D. joined the faculty at the University of Florida in 2016 as a Research Scientist at the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. Immediately preceding his position at the University of Florida, Dr. Knopf served as the Director of the Yvonne & Schuyler Moore Child Development Research Center and an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Knopf has conducted research supported by the US Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning Research and Evaluation; Florida Department of Education, Office of Early Learning; The South Carolina State Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs; the South Carolina Center for Child Care Career Development; and the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education.
Throughout his career, Dr. Knopf has focused to strengthen systems to coordinate efforts to leverage existing administrative data to build infrastructure to support data-informed policy decision making, transform professional development for early care and education practitioners, measure and support child and family access to quality child care services, and facilitate transdisciplinary partnerships among practitioners, policymakers and researchers to improve outcomes for young children and their families.
Review Panels, Advisory Boards, Committees and Consulting
National
Member, Steering Committee for the Child Care Research and Policy Consortium, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, 2009 – present
State
Member-at-large, Board of Directors, Florida Association for the Education of Young Children, 2020 – present
Local
Chair, Technical Advisory Committee, Children’s Trust of Alachua County, 2019 – present
Secretary, Board of Directors, CHILD Center, 2016 – present
Member, Board of Directors, Children’s Center, University of South Carolina, 2013 – 2016
Grants
Sunshine State Early Childhood Information Portal: Florida’s Early Childhood Integrated Data System
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families Preschool Development Grant B-5, Florida’s Office of Early Learning (7/2020 – 6/2023)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $2,474,898
Screening Early Intervention Workgroup and Tracking System
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families Preschool Development Grant B-5, Florida’s Office of Early Learning (7/2020 – 12/2020)
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Award: 75,000
Studying the Impact of HB1091 on Child Care Access in Hillsborough County
Funded by the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (3/2020 – 6/2020)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $12,767
Sunshine State Early Childhood Information Portal: Florida’s Early Childhood Integrated Data System
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families Preschool Development Grant B-5, Florida’s Office of Early Learning (7/2019 – 6/2020)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $732,390
Measuring and Mapping Child Care Access in Alabama
Funded by the Alabama Department of Human Services, Sub-Award through the University of Alabama (10/2019 – 9/2021)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $50,000
Building a Statewide System for Inclusion
Funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, South Carolina Department for Social Services, Office of Early Care and Education, Sub-Award through the University of South Carolina (10/2019 – 9/2020)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $38,469
Preschool Development Grant Birth -5 Statewide Needs Assessment
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families Preschool Development Grant B-5, Sub-Award through Florida’s Office of Early Learning (3/2019 – 7/2019)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $235,000
OEL Web Portal Addendum to Pilot FL Index of Child Care Access
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families, Florida’s Office of Early Learning (Total Project: 7/2016 – 6/2019; Sub-Award: 11/2017 – 6/2019)
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Award: $540,360
Sub-Award: $38,382
South Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network
Funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, South Carolina Department for Social Services, Office of Early Care and Education, Sub-Award through the University of South Carolina (9/2016 – 6/2018)
Role: Principal Investigator
Sub-Award: $105,326
Building a Statewide System for Inclusion
Funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, South Carolina Department for Social Services, Office of Early Care and Education, Sub-Award through the University of South Carolina (10/2016 – 9/2018)
Role: Principal Investigator
Sub-Award: $76,800
Child Care Accessibility Index
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning Research and Evaluation, Sub-Award through the University of South Carolina (9/2016 – 2/2018)
Role: Principal Investigator
Sub-Award: $28,040
Management and Administration of South Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network
Funded by the South Carolina Department of Social Services (7/1/2016 – 6/30/2021)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $8,543,797
Administrative Data to Inform State CCDBG Subsidy Policies
Funded by the US Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning Research and Evaluation, Grant ID: 90YE0176 (10/1/2015 – 2/28/2017)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $148,502
SC Gateways: Preschool Initiative
Funded by SC Department of Education/USDE (10/1/2015 – 9/30/2016)
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Award: $100,399
Building a Statewide System for Inclusion
Funded by the South Carolina Department of Social Services (2012 – 2017)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $2,118,198
Management and Administration of South Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network
Funded by the South Carolina Department of Social Services (2011–2016)
Role: Principal Investigator
Award: $6,767,842
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Publications and Journal Articles
Parsons, A. A., Walsemann, K. M., Jones, S. J., Knopf, H., & Blake, C. E. (2016). Parental involvement: Rhetoric of inclusion in an environment of exclusion. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 47(1), 113-139. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241616676874
Parsons, A. A., Walsemann, K. M, Jones, S. J., Knopf, H., & Blake, C. E. (2016). The influence of dominant obesity discourse on child health narratives: A qualitative study. Critical Public Health, 26(5), 602-614. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2016.1164298
Selected Links
Degrees
Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Florida, 2004
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, University of Florida, 1998
B.A. in Special Education, University of Florida, 1997
Key UF Professional Appointments
Research Scientist, Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies, University of Florida, 2016 – present
Select Honors, Awards and Appointments
Southeastern Conference Visiting Scholar, University of Florida, 2016
Leonard Maiden Spirit of Service Award, College of Education, University of South Carolina, 2009
Two Thumbs Up Award, Office of Student Disability Services, University of South Carolina, 2005