Ellen Dossett, Ph.D.

Ellen Dossett, Ph.D, Director of Life Projects
UAB Civitan International Research Center

Ellen Dossett, Ph.D.,
Director of Life Projects Ellen Dossett image

Dr. Ellen Dossett is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology at the UAB Civitan International Research Center and she is the Director of LIFE Projects at the Center. The LIFE Projects department includes the Lifelong Coordination Clinic (LCC), the AmeriCorps Program, clinical training programs, advocacy activities, consulting services to employers, and research projects which examine the quality-of-life concerns of young adults with disabilities. Her department also shares collaborative efforts with federal and state agencies, such as the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities, and the Governor’s Office on Disability.

After completing her doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of Alabama in 1990, Dr. Dossett worked in Seattle, Washington, as a psychologist, then returned to her native Alabama. In 1993, she came to the Center as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Developmental Psychology and became a faculty member in 1994. Her major clinical activities include providing transition services for young adults with developmental disabilities, and life-span planning for adults with disabilities. Dr. Dossett’s specific areas of research and clinical interests include moral development from a cognitive-developmental perspective, and decision-making in a contextual setting, particularly with families who have adult members with developmental disabilities. Her applied research addresses quality-of-life issues significant to adults with disabilities.

Before joining the Center, Dr. Dossett’s professional experience encompassed over 25 years as a high school principal, consultant, educational psychologist, and counselor. She developed a GED program for high school dropouts and taught English, speech, and psychology in the United States and in Mombassa, Kenya, East Africa. She was also the principal of Alabama’s Juvenile Correctional School, Chalkville Campus.

Dr. Dossett’s most recent publication, Just As I Am: Americans With Disabilities, won the prestigious Independent Publishers Award, Inspirational Category. She and photographer Carolyn Sherer authored a remarkable coffee-table book that chronicles the perseverance and spirit of 40 individuals with disabilities. Their inspirational stories of courage, endurance, and triumphs are accompanied by art-quality photographs. Just As I Am is one more way Dr. Dossett demonstrates her personal dedication to facilitating families through the difficult decisions they are called upon to make in support of family members who have lifelong disabilities.

E-mail Ellen Dossett
Fax: (205) 975-0330
Telephone: (205) 934-2965