He received his undergraduate degree in economics from Loyola University New Orleans in 1997, where he was recognized as the outstanding graduating business student, and outstanding economics graduate. From there, he went to the University of Iowa where he received Master’s degrees in Economics and Mathematics in 2000 and 2003, and a Ph.D. in economics in 2004. Dr. Levendis has taught at the University of Iowa, Cornell College, Southeastern Louisiana University, and has now returned home to teach at Loyola.