Elder Varela
PhD, MS, CPH, CHES®
Evaluation Specialist

Elder Varela specializes in public health nutrition, program evaluation, implementation science, and community-engaged research. As Evaluation Specialist at Michigan Fitness Foundation, she uses her expertise in quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods methodologies, and data-driven approaches to support the design and evaluation of nutrition and physical activity initiatives to measure program impact, inform decision-making, and communicate findings to diverse audiences.

In her previous work, she led research and evaluation initiatives across university, healthcare, and community settings, partnering with communities and interdisciplinary teams to translate data into meaningful, actionable insights to strengthen programs, improve health disparities, and elevate community voices.

Varela holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Health and Human Performance with a minor in Research and Evaluation Methodology from the University of Florida, a Master of Science in Health Education and Behavior from the University of Florida, a Master of Professional Studies in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Central Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology with a minor in French from the University of Florida. She maintains Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Certified Public Health (CPH) credentials and is currently pursuing a Certificate in Lifestyle Medicine through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.