Ivan G. Dole began teaching with the Dallas County Community College District in 1999 while earning an MA in Linguistics from the University of North Texas in Denton. Over the course of his career, he has taught all levels of developmental reading, developmental writing, and ESOL, including two years overseas in South Korea. Professor Dole began writing textbooks while serving as coordinator for the Developmental Reading Department at North Lake College in Irving, Texas. The desire to write a textbook arose early in his career and was fostered during his involvement with an award-winning, innovative, multi-discipline faculty team from his campus that focused on effective teaching and learning across academic disciplines. The emphasis on concepts such as collaborative learning, critical thinking, scaffolding of knowledge, making connections across academic disciplines, solidifying learning outcomes, and increasing student retention helped refine the thoughts and ideas for ENGAGE: COLLEGE READING.