Professor of Business Law     JD, Indiana University Bloomington, 1977; MA, Miami University, 1971; BA, magna cum laude, University of Evansville, 1968
Profile Having taught English at Concord College in Athens , West Virginia , and business law at IU Bloomington before coming to IU South Bend, Dr. Knowles joined the faculty in 1977. A licensed attorney, she is a member of the American, Indiana State , and St. Joseph County Bar Associations; the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (formerly the American Business Law Association, of which she is a past president); and Beta Gamma Sigma. She has co-authored two business law textbooks, the most recent of which was published in 2004. Dr. Knowles has received an IU system-wide teaching award, as well as the Academy of Legal Studies in Business's 1994 Master Teacher Award, has been a Danforth Associate, and has served as co-chair of the 1992 FACET conference (IU's faculty colloquium on excellence in teaching) and the system-wide Teaching Excellence Recognition Award (TERA) committee. She has been the recipient of three Trustees' Teaching Awards and six School teaching awards as well. In 1997, the Student Association named her “Educator of the Year” at IU South Bend. In 2002, Dr. Knowles received an IU system-wide mentorship award. Besides receiving four School awards for service, she also has been recognized nationally and locally for her professional and civic accomplishments, most recently as the recipient of the W. George Pinnell Award for outstanding service to IU and the 1993-94 Eldon F. Lundquist Faculty Fellowship, respectively. In 1998, Dr. Knowles received the Academy of Legal Studies in Business's Senior Faculty Excellence Award, which honors the recipient's dedication to teaching, contributions to the organization, and high-quality research publications. She, in addition, has been the recipient of four School research awards. In 1995, she became the first faculty member from the School to serve as the campus's Honors Program director, a position she relinquished in July 2006. Dr. Knowles publishes primarily in the areas of employment discrimination law, intellectual property law, and higher education pedagogy. She frequently gives scholarly presentations on these subjects at professional meetings and before community and management groups.