Laurie Elish-Piper is a Presidential Teaching Professor in the Department of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University. She also serves as the NIU Literacy Clinic Director and Co-Director of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language and Literacy. Her research and teaching focus on literacy assessment, supporting struggling readers, readers' rights, literacy coaching, and family literacy. She has also co-authored six books including A Declaration of Readers' Rights: Renewing Our Commitment to Students (Allyn & Bacon, 2008) and Teaching Reading Pre-K - Grade 3 (Kendall/Hunt, 2006). Prior to her current position, Dr. Elish-Piper worked as an elementary teacher, middle school reading teacher, and educational therapist in a clinical setting.

Susan K. L'Allier is an Associate Professor in the Department of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University. She teaches undergraduate students majoring in Elementary Education and graduate students working toward their reading specialist certification. Her research focuses on literacy coaching, school-university partnerships, and embedding children's literature into literacy instruction. She has authored and co-authored several journal articles based on her research. Prior to her current position, Dr. L'Allier worked as a preschool and elementary teacher of the hearing impaired and as a principal.