The University of Alabama (UAB) National Alumni Society selected Michelle Cardel, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy, as the 2017 recipient of its Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which honors one alumni annually under the age of 40 who has shown outstanding achievement in his or her profession and demonstrated notable service to the community.
Since graduating from UAB with a master’s degree in clinical nutrition in 2009 and doctorate in nutrition sciences in 2012 from UAB, Cardel has developed a robust research portfolio in obesity, nutrition, and weight management initiatives. She currently serves as a member of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The Obesity Society, and American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and shares her research findings at a variety of national and international conferences.
Cardel has also been the recipient of the Charles Barkley Young Investigator Award, the UAB’s Outstanding Woman Award, a National Cancer Institute CURE Program Grant, and a recent diversity supplement from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to explore how stress, perceived social status and discrimination affect the development and severity of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in African American adults.
The UAB National Alumni Society will recognize Cardel at its annual alumni awards luncheon Friday, Sept. 29.