Mr. George P. LaRosa , Officer-in-Charge at Farmingdale State College, welcomes Michael Veracka as an assistant professor in the Ornamental Horticulture department.
Michael Veracka, a Providence , RI resident, joins the Farmingdale faculty with a wide variety of experience in the field of horticulture. He has worked as an educator, landscape urban planner, designer and builder and business owner.
Mr. Veracka has been an adjunct professor at Harvard University ‘s Landscape Institute at Arnold Arboretum for over two years and at the Rhode Island School of Design for over eight years. At both universities, he developed and taught contemporary landscape design, horticulture and plant identification, construction methods, and building materials in design studios and technical classes. Professor Veracka also teaches seminars for teachers, students, and volunteers on the topics of urban horticulture, agriculture, forestry, construction techniques, and implementing community outreach programs.
As the owner of Michael Veracka Landscape Garden Design and Construction, Professor Veracka works with many private and public sector clients to conceive, develop, implement and maintain sustainable landscapes within urban and suburban environments. Many of the landscapes are designed to revitalize blighted urban areas, such as the award winning Smith Hill Visions project. Some even serve as ‘living-laboratories’, working model landscapes that demonstrate first hand sustainable design principles.
Professor Veracka is a licensed Arborist and certified Horticulturist. He earned his BA from Providence College and his Master of Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. [ from Farmingdale.edu website ]