Shannon McAlister

Ph.D. Candidate, Music Theory and Music History

M.A., Music Theory, University of Connecticut

B.M., Music Education, University of Delaware

Shannon McAlister is a Ph.D. candidate and graduate teaching assistant in music theory and history at the University of Connecticut. She completed a Graduate Certificate in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies in Public Health in May 2024 and is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Postsecondary Disability Services. Shannon earned her M.A. in Music Theory and a Graduate Certificate in College Instruction from the University of Connecticut in May 2022. She holds a B.M. in Music Education with a concentration in instrumental music from the University of Delaware, where she also minored in disability studies. During her undergraduate studies, Shannon served as a teaching assistant in music theory for two years, and was also awarded the Major John DeMartini Scholarship for demonstrating humanitarianism, professionalism, integrity, and unselfishness.

Shannon’s research areas include disability studies, music theory/history pedagogy, and medical ethnomusicology. She published her first article entitled “Simple Solutions to Complex Problems: Hidden Disabilities in the College Music Classroom” in Music Research Forum, Vol. 37, in November 2023. She is currently working on her Ph.D. dissertation which explores the effectiveness of music for spreading public health messages during the COVID-19 global pandemic. A native Long Islander residing in Connecticut, Shannon enjoys hiking across New England and is always planning her next trip to a mountain.