Gail Hapke received her BA in English literature at the University of Cincinnati and her MA in English Literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She completed the PhD program at the University of Illinois in medieval English literature, excluding the dissertation; worked for several years in the publishing industry; took graduate courses in Curriculum and Instruction; and completed the PhD program in Writing Studies, again excluding the dissertation. (She likes to say that she is a double-ABD.) Her main professional interest is in teaching English and Rhetoric at the college level, and has been recognized for her achievements in this area.