Office of the President

Welcome

I am proud to be serving as the 10th President of Farmingdale State College.  

I was drawn to Farmingdale by the many faculty members, staff, and students I met throughout the search process. Their unwavering commitment, enthusiasm, and forward-thinking nature were key to assuring me that FSC is focused on innovation, rich with exciting prospects and opportunities, and with an absolute emphasis on student success. 

Like many in the campus community, I am a first-generation college student and the child of an immigrant parent. My father came to the U.S. as a teenager, receiving an education only through 8th grade. Through a tremendous work ethic and sheer grit, he worked as a mechanic in a family business in Brooklyn and eventually opened his own auto repair shop. Through this lens, I built my academic career in public institutions, supporting some of the hardest working and most promising students, often first generation, often employed outside of their coursework, often the children of immigrants.  

With nearly 10,000 students following in the steps of 100,000 alumni, our scholars can achieve their goals thanks to the dedicated faculty and staff at FSC, a reflection of the State University of New York pillars of success. It is these students who will be driving the economy of the future, securing our planet’s environmental health, and building the community and nation. 

Farmingdale is a hidden gem with an outstanding location, surrounded by diverse communities, educational institutions and industry partners, all a stone’s throw from New York City. 

At FSC, we are primed to offer the best learning environment, to enhance and grow new paths to promote scholarship and external grant support, while deepening our partner relationships and growing new corporate and donor friends, and collaborators.  Our students represent our collective tomorrow, and it is one of the greatest privileges for us to be part of their journeys. 

I invite you to browse our website and visit our 380-acre campus. Learn about the wonderful array of degree programs, certificates, and other learning opportunities designed to help move you towards success. I am confident you will see what I see: the tremendous effort, creativity, and caring that drives this academic community forward, and ensures that FSC not only represents the future of higher education but helps create that future.

 

Robert S. Prezant, PhD
President
Professor of Biology