STILLWATER, Okla. – If you are near the offices of Oklahoma State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, you may notice a new face in the hallway.
Cheryl Mihalko joined the faculty this fall as an assistant professor in the landscape architecture program. She comes to OSU from Athens, Ga., where for the last 10 years, owned and operated Fine Gardens, a landscape architectural business that focused on exclusive residential, small commercial and public space projects.
Although she owned her own business, Mihalko is no stranger to the classroom, having taught landscape architecture courses at the University of Georgia; Gwinnett Technical College; University of California, Davis; Cosumnes River College, Sacramento; Cornell University; and Santa Barbara City College.
“I taught during the time I owned my own business, but I was really looking to get back into the higher education classroom fulltime,” Mihalko said. “The opportunity here at OSU seemed like the perfect fit since I wanted to find a landscape architecture program within a horticultural department.”
This fall she is teaching a landscape graphics class, as well as a landscape design class. Through class projects she said she is looking forward to getting out into the community.
“I want to find a variety of projects that will get students out statewide and into local communities. I’m really intrigued by all of the wineries in the state and would like to get involved with them to develop site plans that might include small gardens, places for events, as well as address larger issues of regional identity and ecological resource management plans,” she said. “These kinds of projects may be handled in design studio courses or by offering special topic and intersession courses.”
Mihalko was very involved in these types of service learning projects in Atlanta that had statewide impact.
During the spring semester she will be teaching planting design and is excited about using The Botanic Garden at OSU as a resource for her students.
Mihalko earned her bachelor’s and master’s in landscape architecture from California Polytechnic State University and Cornell University, respectively.
###
Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments Cooperating: The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or status as a veteran, and is an equal opportunity employer.
Trisha Gedon
Communications Specialist
Agricultural Communications Services
136 Agriculture North
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-3625 (phone)
405-744-5739 (fax
[email protected]
