Jennifer Schultz is the horticulture educator for University of Illinois Extension in Macon County. She joined the staff in August 2004. Her responsibilities include development and coordination of horticulture programs, particularly the University of Illinois Master Gardener program and Green Thumb Operation in Macon County.

As a new member of University of Illinois Extension, Jennifer is very interested in urban horticulture as it relates to community development. She is also very excited about horticulture in a global, holistic context, particularly in how it relates to health and wellness. She is currently involved in several interdisciplinary Extension projects including topics such as pediatric overweight, community gardening, and programs targeting Hispanic and Latino audiences.

Jennifer holds a B.S. in biology from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, and a Ph.D. in horticulture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her Ph.D. research examined plant genetics and breeding in sweet corn. Specifically, she investigated marker assisted selection for the sugary enhancer1 trait in sweet corn.

Jennifer is originally from Burr Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She has always been interested in science, especially plants. Horticulture and gardening have been a constant part of her life -- she can't imagine working in an area that didn't include plants!