Joe Kraus, Ph.D.

Joe Kraus, Ph.D.

  • Associate Professor of English
  • Director of the Honors Program
  • B.A., University of Michigan
  • M.A., Columbia University
  • Ph.D., Northwestern University

A Lifetime on Campus

One of Dr. Joe Kraus’s earliest childhood memories is watching his father, a college English professor, host student groups in his family’s home, reading and critiquing the written works of prominent fiction authors.

A self-described “faculty brat,” Dr. Kraus spent his formative years on college campuses while his father taught, watching and learning, and maybe more accurately, reading and writing. It must come as little surprise that now, years later, he is an associate professor of English and director of the University’s Honors Program.

 “It never really occurred to me to do anything but be a professor at a small liberal arts college,” he explains.

Teacher-Student Relationship

Much like his father, Dr. Kraus enjoys the relationship between teacher and pupil, which he explains is anything but a one-way street.

“Anyone who asks what does it mean to be a teacher, my first bit of advice (to them) is to learn how to listen to your students,” he says. “Learn how to hear them.”

The University's Mission

What appeals most to Dr. Kraus about The University of Scranton – besides its exceptional faculty and Jesuit education – is the institution’s ability to propel students to new levels of understanding, and therefore, success.

He believes the University and its faculty uphold a mantra that benefits all students: Wherever you are, we are going to help you get to the next step.