Dr. Morel obtained her Masters of Science and Ph.D. in Physics from Florida State University. She studied the interactions of quarks that compose the protons and neutrons, together known as hadrons, and that give nuclei their characteristics. Following graduation, she completed two post-doctoral appointments: one at University of Adelaide, in Adelaide Australia where she continued her work in hadronic physics; the other at the University of Virginia where she worked on computational models of neurons to study how they process information. She has since been teaching physics and astronomy.

Prior to her graduate studies, Dr. Morel spent several years working for a consulting firm specializing in electrical & mechanical engineering applications to commercial buildings. She also worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor.