Levander joined the Rice faculty in 2001 and is Professor of English and Carlson Professor in the Humanities. She has authored many books and articles on American culture and teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in the English department. She is the recipient of international awards and grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, Fulbright Foundation, Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Humanities Center, among others. She holds a PhD and BA (with honors) in English from Rice University.