Dr. James Levernier
Reaching Out for Student Success
His colleague, Dr. Moira Maguire, described Dr. James A. Levernier as the very definition of a master teacher.
鈥淢any teachers like to believe they change students鈥� lives, but few garner the kinds of praise that make the claim a reality,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he four former students of Jim Levernier鈥檚, who wrote letters on his behalf, all identify this amazing quality in him.鈥�
The professor of English is a noted scholar who has published quintessential texts in his field. However, his main true impact is his work mentoring students, particularly those whom statistics predicted would never reach their true potential.
鈥淒r. Levernier stands apart in that he has produced exceptional scholars not only from obviously bright and talented students but also from those students whose potential everybody else doubted,鈥� said Jay Jensen, a 2009 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock graduate and now an M.A. student at the University of Chicago.
In addition to his classload and scholarly responsibilities, Levernier has been an active participant in the McNair Scholars Program since it was established at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Because McNair students often require extra patience and guidance, most mentors work with a single student. Levernier routinely mentors two students.
鈥淎s a student in three of (Levernier鈥檚) American literature courses, I witnessed the stunning transformation of numerous students who imagined that they had little hope of graduating and pursuing successful careers until they ended up in his classroom,鈥� Jensen said.
Levernier first came to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock 35 years ago. He earned a B.A. degree in English from Marquette University in 1971 and an M.A. degree in 1973 and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975.