{"id":1791,"date":"2026-04-09T15:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utia.tennessee.edu\/spotlights\/?p=1791"},"modified":"2026-04-09T15:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:00:15","slug":"shalena-durkot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utia.tennessee.edu\/spotlights\/shalena-durkot\/","title":{"rendered":"Shalena Durkot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UT Gardens, Crossville<\/a>, coordinator leads with passion for plants and people<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Where are you from, and how did your career lead you to UTIA? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, but moved to Tennessee when I was three, so I\u2019m basically a Tennessee gal! I’ve always loved digging in the dirt and making mud pies, so it makes sense that I fell into the field of horticulture. I fell in love with it while working on the grounds crew while attending Pellissippi State Community College. After earning my Associate of Science, I went on to the University of Tennessee for a bachelor’s in ornamental horticulture and landscape design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduation, I spent seven years as a landscape designer at Meadow View Greenhouse and Garden Center in Lenoir City, one of UT Gardens’ sponsors. After starting a family, I worked six years with the City of Oak Ridge parks department. When the garden coordinator position at UT Gardens, Crossville, opened, I was excited to apply and reached out to my former mentor and professor, Sue Hamilton. I have now proudly been the garden coordinator for seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What do you do on a typical day? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n