Anne M. McAlister is an assistant professor in the First-Year Engineering Center at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on engineering identity, teamwork, and sociotechnical thinking, with the goal of broadening ideas about who engineers are and what they do in order to empower students to tackle complex issues of the world through engineering. Specifically, her work focuses on engineering and science identity and, more recently, on first year experiences with teamwork and sociotechnical thinking. Through her research, Dr. McAlister aims to better understand and challenge obstacles to success within engineering education and to strengthen sociotechnical thinking in first year engineering education.
Education
Ph.D., Education, University of Virginia
M.S., Systems Engineering, University of Virginia
B.S., Chemical Engineering, The Ohio State University
Selected Publications
Undergraduate engineering students’ perspectives on the intersection of engineering identity, marginalized social identities, and identification with social justice. (2026). Journal of Engineering Education, 115(1), 1-23.
McAlister, A. M., Garibay, J., Wheeler, L. B., & McDermott, J.
Elements of engineering culture affecting undergraduate students' mental health and their help‐seeking attitudes. (2025). Journal of Engineering Education, 114(3), e70017.
Sánchez‐Peña, M. L., McAlister, A. M., Ramirez, N. M., & Kamal, S. A.
A comparison of elementary teachers’ verbal supports for students in inclusive and general classroom contexts during an NGSS-aligned science, engineering, and computer science unit. (2023). Science Education, 107(4), 853-883.
Lilly, S., McAlister, A. M., Fick, S. J., & Chiu, J. L.
The many roles of an engineering doctoral student: Exploring how doctoral students identify with the multiple roles they assume. (2022). International Journal of Engineering Education, 38(5), 1307–1327.
McAlister, A. M., Lilly, S., Bailey, R. & Chiu, J. L.
Exploring factors that impact physical science doctoral student role identities through a multiple case study approach. (2022). Science Education, 106(6), 1501-1534.
McAlister, A. M., Lilly, S., & Chiu, J. L.
Elementary teachers’ verbal supports of science and engineering practices in an NGSS-aligned science, engineering, and computational thinking unit. (2022). Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 59(6), 1035-1064.
Lilly, S., McAlister, A. M., Fick, S. J., Chiu, J. L., & McElhaney, K. W.
“Man, I am a Black engineer”: The co-construction of resistance and engineering identity. (2022). Paper presented at the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN.
McAlister, A. M., Wheeler, L. B., Garibay, J., & McDermott, J.
Undergraduate engineering students’ perceptions of research and researchers. (2020). Journal of Engineering Education, 109(4), 780-800.
Faber, C. J., Kajfez, R. L., McAlister, A. M., Ehlert, K. M., Lee, D. M., Kennedy, M. S., & Benson, L. C.
Qualitative coding: An approach to assess inter-rater reliability. (2017). Paper presented at the 124th American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, OH.
McAlister, A. M., Lee, D. M., Ehlert, K. M., Kajfez, R. L., Faber, C. J., & Kennedy, M. S.
