Cobleskill also has an outstanding Agricultural Engineering Department and students are able to choose from a wide assortment of courses dealing with equipment overhaul and repair. The Plant Science Department at Cobleskill has 14 faculty and four staff members, some of whom have received national recognition. The Director of the Turf Program, Bob Emmons, has been awarded the Citation of Merit from the New York State Turfgrass Association, a Certificate of Merit from the United States Department of Agriculture and is the Director of the New York State Turfgrass Association. The author of the text, Turfgrass Science and Management, Professor Emmons is a former golf course superintendent. To enhance our student's experiences, superintendents and other turfgrass specialists serve as visiting lecturers.
Field trips are an important part of the program.
In the spring of 1995, for example, all of the turf students visited Westchester, Winged Foot, and Oak Hill Country Clubs. At Cobleskill we emphasize strong industry involvement in our Turf Program and practical, hand's-on training. Every turf student, for instance, must individually calibrate a sprayer and the spray an area correctly. Mark Michaud, a SUNY Cobleskill Turf graduate now works as a Golf Course Superintendent for the Pebble Beach Golf Course, Pebble Beach, California. Dr. Frank Rossi, a SUNY Cobleskill Turf graduate now works as a Professor of Turfgrass Management at the University of Wisconsin.