Michelle Martel received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2008 from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. She completed a predoctoral clinical psychology internship at Texas Children’s Hospital Learning Support Center of Child Psychology in Houston, Texas. Before she began graduate school, Michelle attended University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa where she received a B.A. in Psychology and Literature, Science, and the Arts with a minor in French. Michelle has been very fortunate to have amazing mentors during her undergraduate and graduate career, many of whom with which she still works. She would like to thank Joel Nigg, Ph.D. (from Michigan State University, now at Oregon Health & Sciences University), Grazyna Kochanska, Ph.D. (University of Iowa), Robert Zucker, Ph.D. (University of Michigan), Naomi Breslau, Ph.D. (Michigan State University), John Knutson, Ph.D. (University of Iowa), and Natalie Denburg, Ph.D. (University of Iowa).

After nine long years away from home, Michelle returned to New Orleans to join the psychology faculty at University of New Orleans in August 2008 as part of the Biopsychology track. Michelle is overjoyed to return to the New Orleans area with its amazing Cajun culture and heritage.

On a more personal note, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family. Some of Michelle’s hobbies include reading for pleasure, creative writing, and making jewelry. She is proud that she recently learned how to make alligator sauce piquant. In recent brave moments, she went skydiving (see Dr. Shirtcliff’s laboratory homepage) and learned how to ride a motorcycle.