Evelyn Sarsar

Dr. Evelyn Sarsar is a Teaching Pathway Postdoctoral Faculty member in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of San Diego, specializing in the developmental and health impacts of systemic racism on marginalized youth. Her research bridges psychological science with physiological measurement to understand how social stressors become embodied.

Her academic training includes:

• PhD in Human Development and Family Science (minor: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine) from University of Arizona
• MS in Human Development and Family Science from University of Arizona
• BA in Psychological Science from California State University San Marcos

Dr. Sarsar's research program critically examines pathways through which racial discrimination 'gets under the skin' to affect adolescent development and health trajectories. Using daily diary assessments and salivary cortisol sampling, she investigates both vulnerability factors (mental health symptoms, HPA axis dysregulation) and protective cultural assets (self-compassion, ethnic-racial identity) among Latinx youth. Her work uniquely integrates social justice perspectives with biopsychosocial methodology to highlight resilience within marginalized communities.

Current professional activities focus on establishing her research program at USD, with scholarly contributions emphasizing culturally informed approaches to understanding and mitigating racism-related health disparities. The available profile indicates active research in developmental health psychology but does not specify current grants, laboratory facilities, or student supervision details.