Horticulture Professor At Bergen Community College Recognized For Planting Roots

Press release from Bergen Community College:

PARAMUS, NJ — Bergen Community College horticulture professor and program coordinator Steven Fischer, Ph.D., closed 2025 on a high note by earning the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) Educator of the Year Award.

“It’s an honor,” Fischer said. “The award says there is a credibility that our horticulture students have attained.”

Fischer joined the College in 1977 and taught alongside Bergen’s horticulture program founder Jacob “Jack” Fisher (no relation). Fischer became a member of the NJLCA thanks to a recommendation from his colleague.

“Jack introduced me to the NJLCA, and he felt that it is a great bridge for our students to be part of,” Fischer said.

Since then, from teaching concepts in plant caretaking to checking soil health, Fischer has provided hands-on training for his students in the Ender Hall Greenhouse at the College’s main campus. Fischer also seeks to connect students with the larger horticulture community, including by offering experiential learning opportunities off campus through NJLCA trade shows. The field trips give students a chance to review the latest horticulture technology, plant care innovations and seeds. Fischer often attends as an invited guest to share his expertise.

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

This press release was produced by Bergen Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.