Nicole MacLaughlin

Nicole MacLaughlin serves as Director of Writing and Rhetoric and Associate Professor in the University Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame, where she has been full-time faculty since 2007. Her work centers on leveraging writing education for individual empowerment and social justice through innovative pedagogical approaches.

Her academic credentials include:

• B.A. in Teaching of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• M.A. in Writing Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Ph.D. candidate in Educational Studies, Purdue University

MacLaughlin's research investigates self-efficacy and emotion in writing processes, with concentrated focus on first-generation student success. She pioneers third-space pedagogies that reframe academic reading and writing as accessible, hands-on crafts, bridging theoretical frameworks with practical applications to advance economic and social equity. Her community-engaged scholarship emphasizes writing as a vehicle for social transformation.

Her scholarly trajectory from 1997-2023 reveals sustained commitment to writing program administration, community partnerships, and performance-based social justice initiatives. Recent work demonstrates innovative support structures for student-athletes through The Writing and Rhetoric Tutorial and amplifies marginalized narratives via the Show Some Skin project, highlighting intersections of writing, identity, and activism.

Her distinguished contributions include:

• Provost’s Award for Academic Support of Student-Athletes (2020) for developing The Writing and Rhetoric Tutorial, an individualized coaching program supporting students across the curriculum

As faculty advisor to Show Some Skin since 2012, MacLaughlin mentors students in creating cross-disciplinary performances that explore identity and marginalization. She actively partners with South Bend community organizations including the Robinson Community Learning Center and Robinson Shakespeare Company, co-developing initiatives that document local history and examine arts-based educational interventions.

Her community-based pedagogy has produced tangible outcomes including historical documentation projects, sustainability-focused writing for community organizations, and performance pieces that foster critical dialogue on difference and belonging.