Linda B. Gambrell, PhD, is a Professor in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University. Prior to coming to Clemson University, she was Associate Dean for Research at the University of Maryland. From 1992 to 1997, she was principal investigator at the National Reading Research Center, where she directed the Literacy Motivation Project. Dr. Gambrell began her career as an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist in the public schools. She has written books on reading instruction and has published in a range of professional journals. She is past president of the National Reading Conference and the College Reading Association and was recently elected to serve as President of the International Reading Association (2007-2008). In 2004 she was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame. Prior awards include the 1998 International Reading Association’s Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award, the 2001 National Reading Conference’s Albert J. Kingston Award, and the 2002 College Reading Associate Laureate Award. Dr. Gambrell's current interests are in the areas of reading comprehension strategy instruction, literacy motivation, and the role of discussion in teaching and learning.

Lesley Mandel Morrow, PhD, holds the rank of Professor II at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Education, where she is Chair of the Department of Learning and Teaching. She began her career as a classroom teacher, then became a reading specialist, and later received her PhD from Fordham University. Her area of research deals with early literacy development and the organization and management of language arts programs. Her research is carried out with children and families from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Morrow has produced more than 250 publications, including journal articles, chapters, and books. She has received numerous grants from the federal government for her research and has served as a principal research investigator for several research centers. She received Excellence in Research, Teaching, and Service Awards from Rutgers University, as well as the International Reading Association’s Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award and Fordham University’s Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement. Dr. Morrow was an elected member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association and is a past president of that organization. She is an elected member of the Reading Hall of Fame.

Michael Pressley, PhD, who passed away in May 2006, was University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, as well as Director of the Doctoral Program in Teacher Education and Director of the Literacy Achievement Research Center, with both roles part of his professorship in the Department of Teacher Education and the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education. He was an expert on effective elementary literacy instruction, with his research appearing in more than 300 journal articles, chapters, and books. Dr. Pressley served a 6-year term as editor of Journal of Educational Psychology. He was honored with awards from the National Reading Conference, the International Reading Association, the American Educational Research Association, and the American Psychological Association, among others. Dr. Pressley received the 2004 E. L. Thorndike Award from Division 15 of the American Psychological Association, the highest award given for career research accomplishment in educational psychology.