SC State’s Knowell loves learning how the human body works ‘all the way down to the molecular level’
Dr. Ashley Evans Knowell is the 2024 Professor of the Year for SC State’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation.
Note: This is the fourth and final installment in a series of articles about SC State’s 2024 Professors of the Year.
Through both her work at the HERT-C and her instructional role as an SC State associate professor of biology and bioengineering science, Knowell works toward a just health system that works for everyone, including disadvantaged populations.
“My passion lies in empowering the next generations of African American scientists and researchers -- also empowering our communities to make informed health decisions and to advocate for themselves,” she said.
Knowell, an SC State alumna, is the university’s 2024 Professor of the Year for the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation (STEM-T). University Relations recently asked her a series of questions about her approach to teaching and research.
Q: What has inspired you during your journey as an academic?
Knowell: My family: my mother, my husband, my daughter -- they believed in me and encouraged when I felt I couldn't keep going. Knowing that people believe in me, helped me to believe in myself.
Q: What led you to choose your field of study?
Knowell: I originally wanted to become a family physician, but then I had my first research experience and realized that I liked it. I loved learning all the way down to the molecular level and understanding how the body works.
Q: How would you describe your teaching philosophy?
Knowell: Students learn what they care about from people they care about and who they know care about them. I would not be who and where I am if it were not for the teachers/professors that I encountered on my journey. I try to be that for the students that I meet along their journey.
Q: What in your career are you most proud of?
Knowell: I'm most proud of helping to develop and establish the South Carolina State University Health Equity Research and Training Center, where I serve as co-director. We focus on providing community-based research and training to disadvantaged populations. So far, we've done projects focusing on COVID, workplace wellness, cancer, infant and maternal mortality and started a Community Health Worker training program.
Q: What has been your most exciting or valuable experience in your career at SC State?
Knowell: One that immediately came to mind was taking six African American students to Barcelona, Spain, to present their research at an International Research Conference. Some students had never even flown before, this was definitely a life-changing experience for them and me.
Q: Tell us an anecdote from your life that would allow people to know you better.
Knowell: My commitment to education runs deep; it was inherited as I come from a family of educators, at least three generations. My grandfather attended South Carolina State University and majored in the sciences. He became a science teacher and then went on to become a principal.
My commitment is also evident in my past experiences; I began tutoring as a high school student and continued tutoring throughout my undergraduate education. I graduated from SCSU in 3.5 years and then taught middle school for one semester while waiting to start my PhD program.
At the college level, I instructed undergraduates throughout my graduate education, and now have been employed at South Carolina State University for 11 years. It is my vow to be the educator and mentor that I needed as a student and help my students reach their greatest potential.
Knowell earned her Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry from SC State in 2006 and her Ph.D. in biology with a concentration in cancer biology from Clark Atlanta University in 2013.
For more information about SC State’s STEM-T College, the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences and all the university’s fields of study, visit www.scsu.edu/academics. Reach Knowell at aevans10@scsu.edu.