MSU professor’s impact on landscape architecture students, community prompts fellow selection

Contact: Erin Buckley

Portrait of Cory Gallo
Cory Gallo (Submitted photo)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State landscape architecture professor is being honored as a new fellow with a national professional society in recognition of exceptional accomplishments throughout his career.

Cory Gallo, who also is assistant dean of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and assistant director of the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, has been elected to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council of Fellows. Members are selected based on their contributions to the landscape architecture field.

Gallo said his involvement with MSU and the broader landscape architecture community has been meaningful to him.

“I was nominated for my work as an educator in landscape architecture, which has been an incredible journey,” Gallo said. “Working with students on service-learning projects has been the most meaningful aspect of my teaching career. The design-build program allows MSU students to design something for the community and then install that design, which helps improve the quality of life for those community members.”

Anne Spafford, professor and head of MSU’s Department of Landscape Architecture, said it’s a prestigious honor to be on the Council of Fellows.

Cory Gallo pictured at a campus landscape architecture installation project
Cory Gallo pictured at MSU's Community Garden (Photo by Megan Bean)

“Induction to the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects is one of the highest honors the profession bestows in recognition of exceptional accomplishments over a sustained period of time,” Spafford said. “The induction of Cory Gallo is extremely well-deserved, and we could not be prouder of him. Cory spearheaded the immensely successful design-build aspect of our program.

“You can see examples of his design-build studio projects around campus and Starkville at the MSU Department of Landscape Architecture courtyard, MSU Community Garden, Starkville Public Library and Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum. His work, however, is spread across the U.S., as models of creative and beautiful means of sustainable stormwater management, fabrication techniques and community food systems,” Spafford said.

Gallo said he’s proud of his accomplishments in the landscape architecture field and the honor of being selected as a fellow.

“Individuals are nominated by the state chapter of the society, which is reviewed by a national committee of fellows from across the country,” Gallo said. “I feel very strongly about my profession, and I am really proud of it and the work that I’ve done with students here at MSU.”

For more on the Department of Landscape Architecture in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, visit www.lalc.msstate.edu.

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