Howell's research and teaching explore the intersections of ethology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and theology with attention to the social location of the worldviews shaping the fields. Howell is a founding member of the prestigious International Society for Science and Religion.[2] A long-standing supporter of professional societies dedicated to science and religion research, Howell served on the academic board of the Metanexus Institute and is a member of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences and the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science. She is a steering committee member for the Kansas City Religion and Science Dialogue Project and Vice President of the Highlands Institute for American Religious and Philosophical Thought—both projects are recipients of Local Societies Initiative grants for programming in science and religion.[3]