Cornell Brellenthin received her M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater and her Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. Prior positions at the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater, Harvard University, and the University of Maryland include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in literature, rhetoric & composition, ESL, and creative writing. She has also served as a Financial Aid Administrator in the Wisconsin Technical College System and worked in the banking and publishing industries.