Kristi Costello

Kristi Costello serves as Assistant Professor of English at Arkansas State University and directs the A-State Writing Program and Writing Center. She joined the institution in 2015 due to its strong campus community pride and dedicated faculty-staff environment, distinguishing it from other universities she had considered.

Her research centers on rhetoric and composition, emphasizing that "rhetoric is everywhere and we are always composing" in all forms of communication. She advocates for teaching critical thinking through sensitivity, rationality, and responsibility in communication, with her educational philosophy condensed to: "Don’t teach what to think, teach how." Her work intersects with political discourse, reflecting her deep interest in political science.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the source material.

While serving as Writing Program Director, she mentors students in writing across disciplines though specific advisees and grant details were not provided. Her leadership focuses on building institutional writing support infrastructure.

She actively engages campus community through writing center operations and has hosted authors like Jennifer Finney Boylan, demonstrating commitment to literary culture beyond classroom instruction.