Prior to GW, Knapp served as the dean of Johns Hopkins University's School of Arts and Sciences.

[1] On June 7, 2016, Knapp announced that he would not seek a third term as University President, and therefore would be concluding his tenure as in July 2017.

From August 2007 to November 2017, Knapp served as the 16th President of the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. During Knapp's tenure, the university constructed District House, a large residence hall and the Science and Engineering Hall, both located on the Foggy Bottom campus.

The Science and Engineering Hall is the largest academic and laboratory building in the nation's capital.

Under Knapp, the $1 Billion "Making History: The Campaign for GW" fundraising initiative was successfully completed.