Mark Kamlet, a graduate student at Berkeley, sits at a blackjack table in a Nevada casino. No doubt the other players and dealer are impressed with his steady winnings. He has also captured the attention of a pit boss, who moves closer to the table. During the next hand, does Kamlet move his lips ever so slightly as if he's counting? The pit boss has his answer. He thanks Kamlet for playing, gives him some complimentary tickets to a Dyan Cannon show, and asks him to leave for the night. Kamlet obliges, but he'll eventually be back.
Earning extra cash on the Reno/Tahoe casino circuit might not seem to be the most likely beginning for the future provost of Carnegie Mellon, but Kamlet was never one to seek out a specific career path. As an undergraduate at Stanford, he majored in mathematics because he liked math. He didn't obsess about whether it would advance or hinder his future.
He continued to follow his instincts after graduate school by following his "mentor" Pat Crecine to Carnegie Mellon when Crecine was appointed dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1976. It turns out that Kamlet had found his professional home. Throughout his career at Carnegie Mellon, he has worn the hats of professor, department head, associate dean, and dean. He was appointed provost in 2000. President Cohon recently extended his appointment until 2012, saying, "Mark is an extremely important member of the administration, and I couldn't be more pleased—for myself, as well as the university—that he has agreed to this extension."
True to his history, Kamlet, now Executive Vice President and Provost, says he isn't sure what he will do after his term ends, but he mentions that he hopes a beach and a golf course are involved. No mention of playing cards.
—Kelly Delaney (HS'09)
