Jeff Wheeler studied at the University of Southern California where he earned his doctorate by writing the dissertation Palpable Fictions: Popular Rhetoric, Religious Relics, and the English Reformation. His interest in English literature of the Reformation has led to his participation in two seminars on the subject sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In his English classes, students develop analytical writing skills by thinking through topics ranging from the art and literature of the Renaissance to the study of public space, from plagiarism to folk music.

Before coming to Long Beach City College, he taught at Pepperdine University and at the University of California at Los Angeles.