My father. He was physically disabled but remained engaged with our local government through the weekly Parish Council meetings on the local TV station. We would watch it together and I quickly learned the how important local government was and how it operated. When I was about 7, he saw how upset I was that the old telephone books were going to the landfill. As we did not have curbside recycling, he found me a wagon, called the neighbors, and watched as I walked my neighborhood picking up old telephone books for the recycling center. I learned that I was not too young to care about the environment and to take action. Later, I and other like-minded community members pushed for the local government to expand recycling throughout the Parish and local university, install bike lanes, and organize hazard waste days.
Policies that strengthen the resilience of coastal communities, which is often at the intersection between environmental and emergency management policies.
As a Cajun from Coastal Louisiana, I love gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, boiled seafood, and po’boys. My favorite is boiled crawfish.
I love being in nature and hiking trails. While I grew up surrounded by wetlands, my favorite ecosystem is the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest (Coastal Redwood Forests). When I am not hiking, I am reading a good legal thriller or murder mystery.
My inspiration for environmental issues includes Rachael Carson, Lois Gibbs, Dr. Wilma Subra, Erin Brockovich, and Jane Goodall. These women fought for those who often do not have a voice or seat at the table. My inspiration for emergency management includes Kay Goss, Dr. Louise Comfort, and Craig Fugate, who have revolutionized the practice and study of emergency management. Finally, my students inspire me with their passion for public service and innovative ideas.
I wanted to be an environmentalist and lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Claire Connolly Knox, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida and holds a joint appointment with the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research. She is Director of UCF’s Master of Emergency and Crisis Management Program, which is ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report for two consecutive years. Dr. Knox is an expert in environmental vulnerability, emergency management, and coastal resilience. In 2024, she was inducted as an Elected Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.
Her co-edited book, Cultural Competency for Emergency and Crisis Management: Concepts, Theories and Case Studies, won 2021 Book of the Year Award from ASPA’s Section on Democracy and Social Justice. She has obtained nearly $5 million in grants and serves as Associate Editor of Natural Hazards Review and the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. She has received multiple awards for research, teaching, and service, including the 2022 Kay C. Goss Award for Innovation in Emergency Management at FEMA’s Higher Education Symposium and the 2025 Campus Impact Award from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Visit Claire's Fellow Profile to learn more about her incredible career.