Before joining the faculty at WSU, Rebecca Hart Olander taught secondary English at West Springfield High School; edited a magazine about food, wine, and travel; interviewed prospective students and read applications for admission at Hampshire College; led writing workshops and book groups for people of all ages; and worked for a variety of local publications and educational institutions. Her poetry has been recently published in Brilliant Corners, Yemassee Journal, Naugatuck River Review, and Silkworm and her critical work has appeared in Rain Taxi Review of Books, Solstice Literary Magazine, and Valparaiso Poetry Review. She was the winner of the 2013 Women's National Book Association poetry contest.