Laurie Elish-Piper, PhD, is Dean of the College of Education at Northern Illinois University, where she also holds the titles of Distinguished Engagement Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor. Dr. Elish-Piper is a past director of the Jerry L. Johns Literacy Clinic. Her scholarship addresses literacy assessment, literacy coaching, family engagement, and supporting struggling readers. She has coauthored 13 books and more than 80 articles and chapters. Dr. Elish-Piper has served in leadership roles in the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, the International Literacy Association, and the Illinois Reading Council. Previously she worked as an elementary teacher, a middle school language arts and reading teacher, and an educational therapist.

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Mona W. Matthews, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University. Dr. Matthews's scholarship, which merges research and theories related to young children’s social, literacy, and individual development, addresses how young children’s social resources (e.g., classmates, teachers, family) influence their literacy development. She has coauthored one previous book and 47 articles and chapters. Dr. Matthews is a past president of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. She previously worked as a preschool teacher, a first-grade teacher, and an educational consultant working with teachers to support their literacy teaching.

Victoria J. Risko, EdD, is Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt University, where she taught in the language, literacy, and culture program within the Department of Teaching and Learning. Her research focuses on teacher education and professional development, teacher reflection, and equity-based multimedia environments that support English learners and readers who are experiencing difficulties. Dr. Risko is a past president of the International Literacy Association and the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. She is coauthor of several books and numerous articles and chapters. A recipient of several national and international awards for contributions to research and literacy education, Dr. Risko is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. She began her career as a first- and fourth-grade teacher.

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