Across the nation, opportunities for professional plant breeders are trending upward. With three major seed companies in the U.S. recently announcing plans to double rsearch output in the next five years, the demand for experienced plant breeders continues to grow. In fact, the 2008-2009 Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates a nine percent increase in openings for trained agricultural scientists and researchers between 2006 and 2016.
For students with an interest in science-whether in chemistry, biology, biotechnology, or anotherspecialty--plant breeding offers unparalleled options for professional advancement.

The Goal:
The Illinois Plant Breeding Center at the University of Illinois is focused directly on educating promising students to become top-notch scientists in the field of plant breedinng. A multi-disciplinary group of faculty and the resources of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University are committed to theis endeavor, so that when alumni of the Illinois Plant Breeding Center enter the workforce, they are ready to take on challenging roles in industry, academia, or government.
The Opportunity:
Students can use the Illinois Plant Breeding Center as a portal to educational opportunity:
-Customize Your curriculum to meet specialized career needs.
-Learn from global leaders in genetic improvement.
-Participate in cutting-edge genomic applications.
-Get a first-hand look at industry implementation of plant breeding principles.
-Benefit from a rich resource netwrok across the Illinois campus and beyond.

What is Plant Breeding?
Plant breeding is the science of applying genetic principles to improve plants for human use. Whether aimed at improved yield, disease resistance, nutritional qualities, industrial uses, or aestetics, plant breeding impacts the life of every individual in the world.

Interested?
Contact Us!
Illinois Plant Breeding Center
Rita Mumm, Ph.D., dIRECTOR
ae-110 Turner Hall, MC-046
1102 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: 217.244.9497
E-mail: ritamumm@illinois.edu