Ann L. McGill's research focus is on consumer and manager decision making, with special emphasis on causal reasoning, consumer evaluations of products and services consumed alone or with others, the influence of freedom of choice on outcome satisfaction, and product and brand anthropomorphism, and dehumanization. "My research enhances our understanding of how people think, which makes it easier to reach and help them," she explains.

McGill has held teaching positions at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and New York University. McGill passed her CPA examination in 1980 and worked as an auditor for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co. in Detroit. This professional experience helps in the classroom by allowing her to build bridges from concept to application.

Besides teaching and advising several PhD candidates, McGill is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Association of Consumer Research, the Society of Experimental Social Psychologists, and the Society for Judgment and Decision Making. She is a former associate editor and editor for the Journal of Consumer Research.

McGill won the 2005 and 2019 McKinsey Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Chicago. The award exemplifies her teaching philosophy as she wants her students to walk away with a sense of when to apply these concepts to their endeavors and the ability to keep learning.

She received a BBA with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1979, an MBA from the Chicago Booth in 1985, and a PhD, also from Chicago Booth, in 1986. She joined the Chicago faculty in 1997.