Emily Isaacs (B.A., Colby College; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts/Amherst) has taught composition for thirty years, first in Massachusetts, very briefly at a state penitentiary, and, for the last twenty years, at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She has taught a wide variety of students at various levels, with a special interest on less-prepared students who are anxious to catch up to their peers. Emily developed the award-winning Writing Program at Montclair State, and served as a campus leader in pedagogical innovations, writing assessment, and individualized learning pedagogies. Emily's scholarship is in the area of Writing Studies, with publications in College English, Pedagogy, Writing Center Journal, Writing Program Administration, and several edited books. She is the co-author of Public Writing: Student Writing as Public Text, and the author of the forthcoming book, Writing at the Comprehensive State University. Emily is a steadfast believer in teaching all students the creative, intellectual processes that writers follow to succeed, but also sees the importance of providing explicit instruction in the conventions of academic and disciplinary writing.
Catherine Keohane (B.A., Columbia University; Ph.D., Rutgers University) has taught composition for over twenty years, both at four-year and two-year institutions, working with students at every level. She earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from Rutgers University and now teaches at Montclair State University, having also taught at Bergen Community College. With a background in eighteenth-century literature, Catherine now splits her teaching between composition and literature. At Montclair State, she served as Director for Writing Placement and also participated in a review of the basic writing curriculum, helping to restructure the course and co-authoring a custom textbook. She has published articles in ELH, Writing Program Administration, Studies in the Novel, and Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture, and has presented papers at conferences including MLA, CCCC, and ASECS. Her scholarship includes literary studies, writing assessment, outcomes assessment, and teaching difficult texts. Catherine sees the goal of college composition classes at all levels as engaging in the crucial work of developing not only students' critical reading and writing skills but also their confidence in their ability and right to join in conversation with other writers.