Derald A. Harp, Ph.D.

Professor of Horticulture

Dr. Harp was born and raised in south Fort Worth, and he always enjoyed being outside, growing up playing various sports and working with horses. He was introduced to agriculture through 4-H and through a series of fortunate events, he found his way into landscape horticulture helping install and maintain high-end commercial and residential properties throughout the D/FW metroplex. His work today helps landscapers maintain a beautiful landscape while minimizing our impact on the environment, reducing water and fertilizer use, eliminating the use of pesticides, and helping maximize opportunities for pollinator insects through the Earth-Kind Landscape Management program, a cooperative research and outreach program with Texas A&M AgriLife.

A Conversation with Dr. Harp

What is your favorite class or subject to teach? What do you find most rewarding about teaching this subject?

My favorite class to teach is PLS 450 Landscape Management. I spent almost 15 years in the landscape industry, and I can provide a first-hand description of the day-to-day operations of a landscape company, whether installation or maintenance. In this class, we also shift over to the business side of the operation, spending time on business structure and the financial side of operations, often topics students are thinking about as they enter the industry. It's always good to hear from alumni as they share their stories and experiences in this very rewarding field.

How do you involve students in your research?

Students are directly involved in our research. I have over 40 peer-reviewed publications throughout my career, and only three do not include a student as a co-author, many of whom were undergraduates. Students help with study installation and they are critical to data collection which can sometimes be tedious! In many of our studies, we count flowers weekly, and that includes plants that may have as many as 12,000 flowers on a single plant!

In college did you ever change majors?

A student should never be afraid to change majors, though earlier is always better! I started my studies as an agribusiness major. My first class was an Introduction to Agricultural Economics course that I didn't care for at all. That same semester, Dr. Michael Wade came to our Introduction to Agriculture course and introduced me to horticulture. I knew immediately this was where I wanted to be, and it led me to a truly enjoyable and rewarding career.

Education

• Ph.D., Horticulture, Texas A&M University , 2000
• M.S., General Agriculture, Tarleton State University, 1993
• B.S., Horticulture and Landscape Management, Tarleton State University, 1989

Experience

• Regents Professor – Horticulture, East Texas A&M University
• Interim Dean – College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2024

• Interim Director – School of Agriculture, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2014-2016
• Associate Professor – Horticulture, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2009
• Assistant Profesor – Horticulture, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2003
• Assistant Profesor – Horticulture, Southeast Missouri State University, 2000

Teaching Areas

• Agricultural Science and Technology: Ornamental Horticulture emphasis
• General Agriculture BS/MS

Featured Courses

• PLS 1315: Introduction to Horticulture
• PLS 230: Ornamental Plant Identification
• PLS 450: Landscape Management
• PLS 501: Plant Science Instrumentation

Research Areas

• Sustainable and minimal input landscapes, especially realted to reduced irrigation
• Performance of herbaceous perennials in landscapes and attractiveness to pollinator insects
• Landscape plant responses to abiotic stress and nutritional homeostasis

Awards

• 2023 Texas A&M University System Regents Professor
• 2022 Texas A&M University-Commerce Researcher of the Year
• 2021 Texas A&M University-Commerce Faculty Senate and Texas Association of Black Professionals in Higher Education (TABPHE) Henry Wade Senior Faculty Award
• 2019 TABPHE Alonzo Sosa Innovation in Teaching Award
• 2019 TABPHE Eminent Faculty Scholar Award

Professional associations

• American Society for Horticultural Science
• International Society for Horticultural Science
• International Plant Propagators Society
• North American College Teachers of Agriculture

Recent Publications

• Harp, Derald A., Michaela Bledsoe, Beatriz Ruiz, Taryn Bazhaw, Martin Mendietta, Canaan Sutton, and Pedro Castillo. 2022. An assessment of mechanical pest control methods in an urban landscape. Acta Hortic. 1345: 309-314.
• Bazhaw, Taryn, David Drake, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, and Derald A. Harp. 2021. Factors influencing honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) visits to crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.). J. Env. Hort. 39:143-149.
• Bledsoe, Michaela, Rafael Bakhtavoryan, Keith Frost, and Derald Harp. 2021. Factors influencing the propensity of college students in introductory horticulture and plant science courses in Texas to pursue a career in horticulture. NACTA J. 65: 360-365.