PE, LEED-AP, is an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida. She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering and a graduate certificate in engineering education -all from Clemson University. She has over ten years of construction and civil engineering experience working for energy companies and as a project management consultant. Dr. Simmons has extensive experience leading and

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... ting multi-institutional, workforce-related research and outreach. She is a leader in research investigating the competencies professionals need to compete in and sustain the construction workforce. She oversees the Simmons Research Lab (SRL), which is home to a dynamic, interdisciplinary mix of graduate researchers who work together to explore human, technological and societal interactions to transform civil engineering practice with an emphasis on understanding hazard recognition, competencies, satisfaction, personal resilience, organizational culture, training and social considerations. As a researcher, Dr. Simmons passionately pursues workforce research characterizing, expanding, sustaining, measuring and training the technical and professional construction workforce in the US. The broader impact of this work lies in achieving and sustaining safe, productive, diverse, and inclusive project organizations composed of engaged, competent and diverse people. Abstract This study explores the differences in student perceptions of academic discipline belonging (ADB) and peer interactions (PI) for students from different citizenship backgrounds and who are also majoring in Civil Engineering and Building Construction programs. A quantitative, causal-comparative study (n = 397) was conducted using the Postsecondary Student Engagement (PosSE) Survey. The survey included participants from sophomore to senior levels. Analysis of the survey data includes two-way ANOVAs. ANOVA results indicated that student citizenship status is a significant factor for ADB and PI. Further, results indicated that permanent residents had significantly more positive perceptions of academic discipline belonging and peer interactions than other groups, while naturalized citizens had significantly lower perceptions. The significance of this study lays on it being one of the few quantitative studies focusing on civil engineering and building construction students' affective engagement.