Marty Krauss, the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and a professor of disability research in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, sat down with the Justice to discuss why she has been at Brandeis for 33 years, the University's awkward student body, her relationship with University President Jehuda Reinharz, her favorite music and a few other things we may not have known about our provost.

JustFeatures: Where are you originally from?
Marty Krauss: I grew up in Durham, N.C. I lived there until I graduated from high school, and then I went to the University of Michigan for undergraduate work. And then I moved to Boston, and in 1977, I started as a doctoral student at the Heller School here at Brandeis, and I've been here ever since.JF: How was it like living in North Carolina?
MK: You know, that was in the '50s and '60s. It's not the Deep South, but it's definitely the south. It was a lovely place to grow up, but I wouldn't want to live there anymore.

JF: Why is that?
MK: It's too sleepy.

JF: Since you've been here since 1977, do you ever feel like you've been a Brandeis student for all these years?
MK: Yeah, I think that everybody in academia feels like they're  a perpetual student. As a faculty member, you're constantly learning and honing your skills, and you never feel like you're prepared enough. I mean, that's part of the lifestyle. I mean, that's the prospect that makes the university so attractive. You're constantly learning.

JF: Why specifically Brandeis for 30 years?
MK: I love this place. I've been given enormous opportunities here. My work at the Heller School—that was a very creative place for me to work. I was allowed to create my own research interest and teaching areas. You're basically your own boss, in some ways, as a faculty member. And I also had opportunities to be in the University administration before becoming provost (on board committees and things like that). So I just felt like at Brandeis, if you wanted to do something, you're likely to do it at Brandeis. So it's an incredibly exciting place to be.

JF: You know the Brandeis stereotypes about the students being a little awkward. Has this always been the case since you've been here?
MK: I think Brandeis has always had the reputation of being an intellectually curious and intellectually aggressive place. I know the stereotype was that Brandeis wasn't fun, and I feel that [Senior Vice President for Stufents and Enrollment] Jean Eddy has done a lot to change that stereotype. So, I really don't know if that's how it was 30 years ago.

JF: How has Brandeis changed since you've been here?
MK: Basically, it's changed a great deal with beautiful new buildings. I remember the budget problems, you know, way back when [in] the '70s and '80s. At one point, we didn't have hot water in the Heller School. They turned off that hot water because they were trying to save money. Now, we have running water on campus.
[Also] the physical campus has changed dramatically. I think the sense of community is even stronger because the graduate schools and the faculty of the graduate schools are much more involved now in undergraduate education, much more involved in the life of the University at large, and it feels like a bigger community than the College of Arts and Sciences.  I feel like that's a very positive change.

JF: The students here think that Jehuda Reinharz, if only because he is president, is a little intimidating. Have you ever felt that way?
MK: No, I really haven't. I've known him since he was the provost, and even before I became provost I had lunch with him once or twice a year, just because he likes to eat lunch with faculty. I've always found him warm and engaging. And now that he's my boss, I've always found him easy to talk to, incredibly interested in whatever I was talking or thinking about. So no, I've never found him intimidating.

JF: Speaking of Jehuda, I saw him driving away on his moped yesterday.  Have you ever driven his moped?
MK: No, and I'm not happy about it. I'm waiting for my turn. I think there are four mopeds on campus now.

JF: Any plans for mopeds in the near future?
MK: For me? No, I don't think so.  … I'm thinking of a Segway, but no.

JF: What type of music do you like?
MK: I listen to NPR a lot, so I don't listen to a lot of music on the radio. When I do listen to music, it's usually classical music.

JF: We make staff playlists every week at the Justice. If you had a playlist, what would you put on it?
MK: I don't even know what a playlist is!

JF: It is a list of songs.
MK: Probably the Beatles. I'd put the Beatles in there. I've always liked Laura Nero, which you guys probably never heard of. And Joni Mitchell [has] always been a favorite.

JF: If you could take any class at Brandeis, what would you take and why?
MK: Right now, I would take classes in the Classical Studies department because I went to Greece this summer, and I would really love to study ancient Greece.
JF: Any professors you would love to have a class with?
MK: Ann Koloski-Ostrow (CLAS).

JF: What were you doing in Greece?
MK: My husband and I were vacationing there. We went to the Acropolis, obviously, and then we went on a cruise to the Greek Isles for a week.

JF: What kept you motivated everyday in all your professional pursuits at Brandeis?
MK: Basically, I wouldn't say I'm a workaholic, but I love working. I like administration, I like solving problems. I like running projects.

JF: When you are not working, do you have any interesting hobbies?
MK: I have three kids; … That's my main hobby. I had them when I started working at the Heller School. I have not had a lot of time; this is a full- time job. I'm really looking forward to have time to do other things other than work: more reading, more writing, more traveling, more hiking, things like that.

JF: Boston's a big sports city. Are you a sports fan?
MK: I'm a big nut. I root for Duke; I'm pretty rabid about that. And I love all the Boston sports. I have a daughter that's a total nut.

JF: Who's your favorite player?
MK: I love Jacoby Ellsbury; he's just great. And I love Dustin Pedroia. I love the small guys that run fast.

JF: Do you go to Fenway Park often?
MK: We live 20 minutes away from it, so we walk. My former nanny's brother is a major league umpire, and she's like a daughter to me. So when her brother, Bruce Dreckton, is umping in Fenway, she comes up with her family from Delaware. She's married with two kids, and we go to all the games for free.

JF: Besides Red Sox games, for those of us who may not be huge Red Sox fans, what else do you recommend doing in Boston?
MK: Sailing on the Charles. It's a fantastic experience. And I would recommend the North End— it's a lot of fun. And the Cape. [I] love the Cape.

JF: Which do you prefer, being a professor or an administrator?
MK: I love both. Both are very different jobs, but I can't wait to go back to the faculty. I hope I'm still able to be active in the administration, though.