James W. Marquart earned a B.A. in law enforcement from Western Illinois University, an M.A. in sociology from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in sociology from Texas A&M University, which he obtained while working as a prison guard. He serves as Professor of Practice at Texas Christian University. During his career, he has also held such positions as program chair, research director, dean, and provost. He has published many papers and has three books with the University of Texas Press and served as a president of an academic society in 2010.

