LeAnn Akins has a BA and MA from Eastern Illinois University.  She has taught freshman writing at EIU since 1997. While at EIU, she has served as Unit B representative for the English Department's Composition Committee, Reader for the University's Electronic Writing Portfolio Review Panel, and Education Advisor for EIU's Alpha Psi Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma. She has also taught at various other institutions including Lake Land Community College, Olney Central College, Kankakee Community College, and The Language Company. 

In addition to teaching, Akins has extensive training and experience in grant writing. Grants written/awarded include state, federal, and private grants.  She has also lead grant writing seminars at Lake Land College, has tutored writing online with Smarthinking.com, and has reviewed and edited numerous composition textbooks for companies such as McGraw-Hill, Bedford/St. Martin's, Pearson/Longman, Thompson, and Haughton Mifflin.