Michael Veracka, a Bethpage resident, has been promoted to associate professor at Farmingdale State College. Veracka teaches in the Department of Urban Horticulture and Design in the School of Business. He is also department chair.
An award-winning landscape architect, Veracka has worked across the country designing and creating gardens, from small urban spaces to large country gardens. He is the creator of the Sustainable Garden at Farmingdale State College, a new half-acre demonstration garden focusing on contemporary strategies and practices relating to responsible resource use; conservation and innovation; product development, and food production. In 2013, the State University of New York designated the garden as one of “Six Big Ideas with Unlimited Potential.”
“I am thrilled to be able to position our horticulture students to have real-world opportunities within our curriculum to learn firsthand how to create, construct, and maintain natural and built systems that underscore Farmingdale State College’s commitment to sustainable land practices,” Veracka said. “The involvement of our students prepares them to enter the work force where knowledge and skills of landscape sustainable practices are increasingly desirable.”
At the root of Veracka’s work is a reverence for nature and a respect for the natural environment. His landscape gardening is particularly well known throughout New England. He is a graduate of Providence College (Rhode Island) and taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. He maintains a home in Providence.
The School of Business enrolls over 2,200 students in the Departments of Business, Computer Systems, Global Business Management, Visual Communications, Urban Horticulture and Design.
