Interview conducted by graduate student Carolina Noriega, a PhD student in the Human Development and Family Science program.
Q: What is your name, title, position, and what do you teach?
DK: I am Darin Knapp, a Professor of Practice, Associate Director of the Norton School, and Director of Graduate Studies for Marriage and Family Therapy. I typically teach Contemporary Families (HDFS 257), Basic Counseling Skills (HDFS 401), and Mental Health and the Family courses focused on adults and on kids and adolescents (HDFS 427A and 427C). I am also preparing a curriculum to teach MFT classes starting next year.
Q: What made you interested in teaching?
DK: It was truly just an experience. During my PhD program I was assigned as the sole instructor for a class called Family Relationships and Gender Roles. It did not go well at first, but my wife told me, “your students will not take you seriously until you take yourself seriously as a teacher.” I put a lot of time into improving, completed teaching workshops, and realized I loved it; it energized me and felt fulfilling. I later learned there were teaching-focused faculty positions and decided to pursue them because while I liked research and clinical work, I loved teaching.
Q: Where did you complete your education?
DK:My undergrad is in HDFS from BYU, my master’s is in Marriage and Family Therapy from BYU, and my PhD is in Marriage and Family Therapy from Kansas State University.
Q: Was this your first position after your PhD?
DK: Yes. I applied to teaching positions, interviewed here, liked the people in the program, and felt it was a really good fit even though moving to the desert was not originally part of the plan.
Q: What is your favorite topic to teach?
DK: Suicide prevention. I’ve done extensive clinical work and community workshops, and students had so many questions that I created a special topics course about suicide in families. It’s heavy but worthwhile, life-changing material that students can apply immediately while learning about research, policy, and practice.
Q: What are the biggest challenges of teaching and student success?
DK: One challenge is wearing many hats and wishing I had more time to consistently update course materials. Another is balancing best practices with what is practical, especially in large classes. I also advocate for students to remember they are real people outside of class, it’s okay to take a break and not work yourself to the bone. Teaching has also shifted, and I sometimes feel more pressure to be an entertainer while ensuring what I do truly helps students learn.
Q: Is there a topic you don’t particularly like teaching?
DK: In Contemporary Families, we cover families in older adulthood. I enjoy it, but it’s not one of my strong content areas, so compared to topics I know deeply, it’s probably my least favorite.
Q: What would you tell your younger self when you first started teaching?
DK: Recognize that there are many job paths with a PhD. I didn’t realize there were teaching-focused roles, and knowing earlier would have helped me be more strategic and confident about my professional direction.
Q: What advice would you give graduate students interested in teaching?
DK: Find out what your options are and keep doors open. You never know which opportunity will become your career. Be brave in the classroom, trust yourself, try different approaches, ask for feedback, and treat teaching a little like an experiment.
Q: What goals do you have moving forward in your teaching career?
DK: I want to build a strong curriculum for the Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program and ensure my graduate-level courses promote critical thinking and high-quality research engagement. I’d also like to pursue additional teaching awards to celebrate and legitimize teaching-focused faculty roles.
Q: How do you manage stress or challenging teaching moments?
DK: I rely on supportive colleagues so I don’t feel professionally isolated and can share both successes and mistakes. Personally, being a parent helps me stay present, young kids demand your full attention, which creates space away from work stress.