Nilusha De Alwis FIT-Choice Research Assistant MPsych (Educational & Developmental) Research Student Faculty of Education, Bldg 6 Monash University, Clayton Campus Melbourne VIC 3800 AUSTRALIA Email: Nilusha.DeAlwis@education.monash.edu.au FIT-Choice Office Tel: +613 9905 2129

Research Interests

Sense of belonging, and academic motivation and achievement in early adolescence
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Helen Watt

Publications

De Alwis, N. (2008). Identifying factors that deter engineering students from pursuing a “STEM” teaching career. Unpublished Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology thesis, Monash University, Melbourne. (Hons. Class I).

De Alwis, N. & Watt, H. M. G. (2009, July). What makes teaching a less appealing career choice among Engineering students? Paper presented in Symposium ‘Teaching Personalities and Motivations: Theoretical advances and empirical findings’. AHDA Biennial Conference, Adelaide, July 6-8.

De Alwis, N. & Watt, H. M. G. (in press). Entrepreneurial and other career motivations among Engineering students. In A. Malach-Pines & M. F. Özbilgin (Eds.), Handbook of Research on High Technology Entrepreneurs (Ch. 15). Edward Elgar Press.

Awards

Australasian Human Development Association [AHDA] Biennial "best student paper presentation award"; July 2009. The biennial award involves $500 and a Certificate. Monash University, Faculty of Education Research Publication Award 2009 (joint winner). The annual award involves $2000 and a Certificate. [ left inset: Award presentation by AHDA President, Dr Julie Robinson ]

Nilusha is associated with the FIT-Choice program of research