Dr. Levin Arnsperger

After growing up in Stuttgart, Germany, I studied American Studies, Political Science, History, and Comparative Literature at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Free University – primarily at the John F. Kennedy Institute – and Emory University. I recently finished my dissertation in the English Department at Emory under the supervision of Dr. Walter Kalaidjian, Dr. Craig Womack, and Dr. Michael Elliott; the doctoral degree was awarded in August 2013.

Since Fall 2014, I have been the Assistant Director of the English as a Second Language Program at Emory University, teaching writing classes for ESL students (ENG 101 and ENG 221) and running the tutoring program; I supervise 10-15 ESL tutors (number varies).

A review of a two-volume work on American Indians and Popular Culture was published in the Spring 2014 issue of the American Indian Quarterly. In 2012, the journal LWU published my article on “Paranoia after September 11: Submitting to the Specter of Terrorism”. My research interests include twentieth- and twenty-first-century American literature as well as Native American literature and contemporary global literatures (especially fiction on war and conflict).

During the academic year 2013-2014, I was Visiting Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University, with a joint appointment in English and American Studies. At Kennesaw State, I taught graduate and undergraduate classes, including the 90-seat section of ENGL 2110-World Literature and AMST 7520-America in Transnational Context.  Previously, at Emory, I gained substantial experience as a literature and writing teacher, having led freshman composition classes and upper-level seminars. I am also a teacher at the Goethe-Zentrum Atlanta, where I have been leading German language classes since 2012. I have studied Latin (1992-1998), English (since 1993), French (since 1994), Italian (since 2001), and Arabic (since 2009), and I have worked on a number of smaller interpretation and translation projects in addition to a published translation of Barack Obama’s speeches.

Working and engaging with students has been infinitely inspiring. I enjoy studying and teaching contemporary American literature and culture, and I am excited to work with different communities, both on campus and off campus (as I have done for example as a tutor for Refugee Family Services). Through my current position in Emory’s ESL Program, I can combine my interests in American Studies and international relations, additionally giving me the opportunity to teach while also allowing me to do writing studies research and gain experience in program management.

In addition to my teaching and service, I have worked in various other academic and non-academic professions. Throughout my graduate studies I have conducted research as a graduate assistant for The Letters of Samuel Beckett. Similarly, since my time as an exchange student and Fulbright grantee in 2004-2005, I was involved with the Richard Ellmann Lectures as a volunteer coordinator and graduate assistant. For two summers, I served as an orientation assistant for Emory’s International Student and Scholar Services.

I have also acquired valuable experience as a teacher-facilitator in the Business School, tutoring in the Business Writing Center and assisting with Business Communication classes. During my final year at Emory, in 2012-2013, I worked as a Graduate Fellow with the Office of Sustainability Initiatives and the Center for Community Partnerships, two offices of national renown. My fellowship allowed me to gain insights into efforts on the part of Emory and non-profits in Atlanta to promote healthy, sustainable life styles and protect precious natural resources. Prior to commencing my doctoral studies, I worked as an intern for The Carter Center in Atlanta, the German Consulate General in New York, and the German Department of State in Berlin.