Dr. Schmidt is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. As a researcher, she employs a wide array of strategies to characterize the physical and chemical properties of food materials to help the food industry, as well as consumers, produce safe, nutritious, and high-quality food products. As a teacher, she is devoted to helping students develop and mature as scientists and citizens that make a difference. Shelly is a University of Illinois Scholar, a University of Illinois Distinguished Teacher Scholar, and a charter member of both the College of Agriculture Academy of Teaching Excellence and the UIUC Campus Teaching Advancement Board.