Associate Professor of Psychology
Degrees
Doctor of Philosophy, Louisiana State University
Master of Arts, Louisiana State University
Bachelor of Science, Southern Oregon University (magna cum
laude)
Office: Whittaker Hall, Room 203
Office Hours: Wed: 9:30–11:30 am; Tues/Thurs:
10-11 am; Other times by appointment
Phone: 845-569-3860
Email: sarah.uzelac@msmc.edu
Courses
PSY 3060 Accelerated Session C
PSY 4331 Psychopharmacology
PSY 4332 Biopsychology of Birth
Bio
Professor Uzelac was born and grew up in the San Francisco Bay
Area of California. She completed her bachelor of science degree in
psychology with a minor in biology and graduated magna cum laude
from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, in 1998.
Following the completion of her undergraduate degree, Professor
Uzelac continued her education at Louisiana State University in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, focusing her graduate studies on the role
of neurotransmitter systems in stress responding in animals. It was
in this area that Professor Uzelac earned a master of arts in
psychology in 2001 with her thesis, "Serotonin Involvement in
Physical and Psychological Stress: Effects of Centrally
Administered Methysergide."
She persisted in this field of study, earning her doctoral
degree with her work entitled, "Serotonin and Stress Responding in
Animals: Role of 5-HT2A/C Receptors in the Central and Peripheral
Nervous Systems," in 2005.
Between the completion of her master's and doctoral degrees,
Professor Uzelac worked as a research coordinator for The Center
for Neuropsychiatric Outcome and Rehabilitation Research (CENORR)
at the Zucker Hillside Hospital campus of North Shore Long Island
Jewish Medical Center, in Queens, New York. At CENORR, she was
involved in two longitudinal National Institute of Mental Health
funded projects, investigating the impact of neurocognitive
deficits on everyday functioning in people with severe mental
illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major
depression.
After three years of full-time research at CENORR, Professor
Uzelac began her teaching career at Mount Saint Mary College in
Newburgh, New York, in the fall of 2005. She teaches both
introductory psychology courses as well as upper level courses in
biological psychology, psychopharmacology, the biopsychology of
birth, and the capstone seminar in psychology.
Since joining the Mount faculty, Dr. Uzelac has been involved in
several research projects including investigations into adolescent
egocentrism, internet use in adolescents and young adults, and a
project designed to discover patterns of homelessness for the
Orange County Department of Social Services. She is also currently
pursuing a project focused on the connection between education,
socio-cultural beliefs about birth, and perinatal
interventions.
Professor Uzelac is married and has two children.