Nicole Gonzales Howell
Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Language · University of San Francisco
I am a writing scholar and teacher-educator whose work sits at the intersection of antiracist pedagogy, raciolinguistic justice, and the ethics of writing and assessment in the age of AI. At USF I serve as Co-Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and lead the university’s AI Faculty Advisory Board.
Current Roles
Co-Director, Center for Teaching Excellence
Fall 2025–Present · University of San Francisco
Writing Area Director
Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · Rhetoric & Language Department
AI Faculty Advisory Board Lead
Guiding institutional policy on generative AI in teaching and learning
Areas of focus
Rhetoric & Composition · Antiracist Pedagogy · Raciolinguistics & Language Justice · Universal Design for Learning · Writing Assessment · AI & Writing Pedagogy
Teaching →
A pedagogy built on labor-based assessment, language justice, and meeting students as whole people.
Research →
Scholarship on raciolinguistic justice, embodied rhetoric, and writing assessment.
AI & Speaking →
Keynotes, convenings, and faculty development on the ethics of AI in higher education.
Recent Recognition
College of Arts & Sciences Full-Time Faculty Award, 2025
Rhetorician of the Year, Young Rhetorician Conference, 2024