Paula Knaus, MA
Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs, USF College of Public Health


Paula Knaus, MA, is the Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Knaus brings to her role more than 32 years of experience in the field of Human Resources.

Since her arrival at USF in 1982, Ms. Knaus has served in many leadership roles, including Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Vice President for Human Resources and Diversity, Associate Vice President for Faculty and Staff Affairs for USF Health, and Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs in the College of Medicine. Among her many achievements and recognitions within USF Health, Ms. Knaus played a key role in the creation of a separate Faculty Affairs Group within the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) to focus on the growing field of Faculty Affairs in colleges of medicine nationwide. In addition, Ms. Knaus has initiated and implemented significant initiatives within the university, including the Employee Assistance Program, Victim's Advocate Program, Teaching Enhancement Program, Leadership Development Program and Office of Diversity. At the AAMC, Ms. Knaus is the co-founder of their Southern Region Annual Professional Development Conference for Women in Medicine.

Prior to her career in academia, Ms. Knaus worked in the retail and steel manufacturing industries. As a graduate student, she conducted research in the Netherlands for Philips Electric Company to study and determine the receptivity of American human resource management practices and techniques among Phillips' employees working in Western Europe. To date, Ms. Knaus serves as a resource for outside organizations in matters of classification and compensation practices - highly regarded as a skilled facilitator and expert in conflict resolution.

Ms. Knaus received her Masters in Human Resources from the University of Georgia. She has served on various community boards and women's organizations in the Tampa Bay area, including the Children's Home Society, the Joshua House and the Athena Society of Tampa.