Levon Esters, Ph.D.
He credits much of his success to his HBCU experience as an undergraduate and master’s student and to a series of HBCU-educated mentors. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that he’s made mentorship a focus of his research and practice.
Esters, who grew up on the Southside of Chicago, was honored as the Outstanding Graduate Mentor/Teacher in Purdue’s College of Agriculture this year and as Faculty Mentor of the Year by the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring last year.
One of his most influential mentors was fellow Aggie alumnus Blannie Bowen, Ph.D., at Penn State University, where Esters earned his doctorate.
“Dr. Bowen was my doctoral advisor at Penn State University, who happened to have earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from A&T,” Esters said. “To have the opportunity to have a black man as my doctoral advisor who at the time was also the department head was inspiring. And to know that his talents were cultivated at an HBCU was extremely motivational.”
He was also influenced by outstanding faculty members too many to name as a master’s student at A&T, but one name stands out: Alton Thompson, Ph.D., Esters said.
“Dr. Thompson was the consummate scholar, administrator, and faculty member,” he said. “I hold a high degree of respect for Dr. Thompson, and even when I see him at conferences which I did just last year, I mentioned to him how much of a role model he was for me and how I appreciated what he did for me as a student.”
Esters formed lasting friendships with fellow graduate students, faculty and staff during his time at A&T, 1998-2000. He remembers a close-knit community that studied together, ate together and hung out together.
“I learned much from the faculty, staff, and my peers. The most important lessons, I would say, are the expectation of pursuing excellence, the importance of being a role model, and the importance of community.”
Prior to attending A&T, Esters earned his bachelor’s in agricultural business at Florida A&M University in 1995. After completing his master’s, he earned his doctorate in agricultural and extension education at Penn State in 2003.
Esters is a nationally recognized scholar on equity and diversity within the STEM-based agricultural and life sciences disciplines. His research focuses broadly on issues of educational equity and access of underrepresented minorities with a concentration on the mentoring of graduate students of color; STEM career development of racial and ethnic minorities attending Historically Black Land-Grant Colleges and Universities; and educational and professional mobility of graduate students and faculty of color.
He is among a few African-American scholars in the U.S. who conduct research in these areas, and has been able to serve as a national role model for other African American graduate students who are committed to broadening participation of underrepresented minorities in the Ag+STEM disciplines.
What would he tell today’s generation of Aggies?
“I would tell all of my fellow Aggies that A&T is a special place that will prepare you for the real world,” Esters said. “There is no doubt in my mind that I was well-prepared when I graduated and went on to pursue my doctoral degree at Penn State University. The confidence A&T instilled in me was instrumental in my success at Penn State and that is something I will always hold dear.”
