Rate My Professor Alex McAllister

Alexander McAllister, professionally known as Alex McAllister, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at The Pennsylvania State University. He serves as Supervisor for the Spanish Basic Language Program, overseeing SPAN 010 and SPAN 020 introductory courses. His office is in 229 Burrowes Building, with office hours Tuesdays 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Wednesdays 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m., and by appointment. McAllister earned his Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics and Language Science from Penn State, providing a strong foundation in linguistic analysis relevant to Spanish language pedagogy and research.

Affiliated with the Center for Language Science, McAllister engages in the interdisciplinary study of language sciences. As a graduate student at Penn State, he received multiple NSF-funded PIRE fellowships through the Center for Language Science, including for 2014-2015 research in Granada, Spain, 2016-2017 in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and Spring 2018. These awards supported international collaborative projects on language science topics. In 2026, McAllister earned a promotion in the College of the Liberal Arts, acknowledging his contributions to teaching and program leadership. Through his supervisory role and teaching, he upholds high standards in undergraduate Spanish language education, contributing to Penn State's mission in global languages, literatures, and cultures within the liberal arts tradition.