Marcus Duck teaches several classes and interacts with students outside the classroom
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EmailDuck joined Michigan State University in 2002 and currently serves as an advisor and instructor in the Department of Horticulture and the Institute of Agricultural Technology. He has a passion for watching his students grow.
Marcus Duck started his college experience at Central Alabama Community College where he could live at home while working full-time to earn the money for college and other living expenses. After earning his associate degree there, he transferred to Auburn University where he earned his bachelor's of science degree in horticulture (landscape design, construction and management). Duck took a break from school for a few years to gain more industry experience before coming to Michigan State University (MSU) to earn his master's of science degree in horticulture.
Duck's first horticultural job was working in the Wal-Mart garden center during high school and college. During his time at Auburn University, he completed an internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, working on the Integrated Pest Management Team.
After graduating from Auburn, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to work for Landscape Services Inc. Duck started on their pest management crew, fertilizing residential and commercial landscapes, as well as applying fungicides, insecticides, etc. He then transitioned to managing their estate gardening program, where he mostly worked on high-end residential properties: pruning, enhancement plantings, weed management, irrigation scheduling and maintenance, annual/perennial plantings/maintenance, and much more.
Duck came to MSU to earn his M.S degree. As he was finishing up his research projects and thesis work, the position of program coordinator for the horticulture certificate programs through the Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) opened up. He has been in this position since he graduated from MSU in 2002.
He currently teaches HRT 207 Horticulture Career Development (with Susan Gruber), HRT 213/213L Landscape Maintenance, HRT 214 Landscape & Turfgrass Business Operations, HRT 218/218L Irrigation Systems in Horticulture, and AT 293 Professional Internship in the IAT. He also created and taught the majority of the course content for HRT 206 Training & Pruning Plants (spring 2005 to spring 2019).
Duck enjoys working with all of our students. He's able to get to know them well in the courses he teaches, as co-coach of our NALP National Collegiate Landscape Competition team, and through his involvement as the permanent advisor of the Student Horticulture Association. He hopes to be actively involved with keeping our horticulture certificate and undergraduate programs as one of the best in the country!
