JOE CORTINA and JANET ELDER began their writing collaboration as colleagues in the Human and Academic Development Division at Richland College, a member of the Dallas County Community College District. Professor Elder now writes full time; professor Cortina currently teaches reading at Richland and serves as the developmental reading program coordinator. Both are trained reading specialists, and are highly experienced in teaching basic and advanced reading improvement and study skills courses. Their combined teaching experience spans elementary, secondary and undergraduate levels, as well as clinical remediation.

Dr. Cortina and Dr. Elder began collaborating in 1985. Their first textbook was Comprehending College Textbooks: Steps to Understanding and Remembering What You Read. Their beginning-level textbook, New Worlds: An Introduction to College Reading, is now in its third edition. Dr. Elder is also the author of a new introductory-level text, Entryways into College Reading and Learning, andan intermediate- to upper-level college reading improvement textbook, Exercise Your College Reading Skills: Developing More Powerful Comprehension, now it its second edition. Both authors are longstanding members of the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) and the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE), and Dr. Cortina is also a member of the Texas counterparts of these national organizations, Texas-CRLA and TADE.

JOE CORTINA earned his B.A. degree in English from San Diego State University and his master's degree and doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction in reading from the University of North Texas. He has taught undergraduate teacher education courses in reading at the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University. In 1981 he was selected to represent the Dallas County Community College District as a nominee for the Piper Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition, Dr. Cortina was selected as his division's nominee for Richland's Excellence in Teaching Award in 1987, 1988 and 1993. In 1992 he was selected as an honored alumnus by the Department of Elementary, Early Childhood and Reading Education, of the University of North Texas and in 1994 he was a recipient of an Excellence Award given by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. In addition to teaching reading courses at Richland College, Dr. Cortina has served on interdisciplinary teaching teams for honors English courses and has served as a faculty leader of Richland's writing-across-the-curriculum program. He has also has served on the conference program committees for both the College Reading and Learning Association and the National Association for Developmental Education. Dr. Cortina conducts in-service training and serves as a mentor to both new full-time and adjunct faculty at Richland College.

JANET ELDER was graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin with a B.A. in English and Latin, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She was the recipient of a government fellowship for Southern Methodist University's Reading Research Program, which resulted in a master's degree. Her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in reading is from Texas Woman's University where the College of Education presented her the Outstanding Dissertation Award. After teaching reading and study skills courses at Richland for several years, she implemented the college’s Honors Program and directed it for six years before returning to teaching full time. In addition to teaching reading courses, Dr. Elder periodically served on honors English and humanities teaching teams. She was a three-time nominee for excellence in teaching awards. Disability Services students also selected her three times as the recipient of a special award for "exceptional innovation, imagination, and consideration in working with students with disabilities." She is a recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s Excellence Award. In fall, 2004, she left teaching in order to write full time, but continues her affiliation with Richland as a professor emerita. A frequent presenter at professional conferences and in-service workshops, she has a deep interest and expertise in "brain friendly" instruction.