Dr. Crandell received an M.S. in equine nutrition and exercise physiology from Virginia Tech under the direction of Dr. Tom Meacham and a Ph.D. equine nutrition and reproduction under the direction of Dr. David Kronfeld. Her M.S. research focused on the effects of added dietary fat in exercising growing horses and Ph.D. work was in vitamin A depletion and supplementation in broodmares and growing horses. Dr. Crandell spent two years on the faculty of Virginia Tech as the Superintendent of the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Middleburg, Virginia.