About the Center
Scientific research, public outreach and education programs for North Texas and beyond
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas houses scientific research, public outreach, and education programs. Everything we do aims to advance “green” innovation in urban agriculture and forestry, water and land resource management, turfgrass breeding and urban landscapes, and healthy living for all Texans.
Four Pillars of Research and Extension at Dallas
Urban Agriculture and Forestry
As rapid urbanization continues across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, a key component of all activity at the Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas is to implement research, outreach and the latest technologies to produce increasingly nutritious food within cities. At the same time, we work to achieve widespread use of local ornamental plants, and conservation of urban and suburban tree systems for healthy, sustainable development.
Water and Land Resource Management
The Dallas center’s urban research and extension focus addresses associated demands to protect precious water and land resources. The center’s programs work to understand the mechanisms underlying environmental health and to implement new interventions for improved ecosystems benefiting urban and rural communities.
Healthy Living
As new understandings emerge about producing more nutritious foods and building healthier environments, the AgriLife center at Dallas works to disseminate scientific solutions, applicable to all Texans, for increased public health. We aim to understand the means of building communities around healthy living, and about increasingly effective, wide delivery of the latest information for a healthier Texas.
Turfgrass breeding and urban landscapes
Researchers at Dallas work to develop and deliver resource-efficient turfgrasses and best management practices for our communities as more than 80% of people in Texas and the U.S. now live in cities. At the same time, as much as 50% of any city is covered in turfgrass, and weather patterns continue to change. These circumstances highlight a growing need for environmentally and economically sustainable solutions for the golf, sports and lawn and landscape industries.
Strategic Plan: Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas
The strategic plan of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas aligns with that of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Our four research priority areas interact synergistically to deliver healthy living to Texans. Innovative research is the foundation of this strategy, which operates at the nexus among agriculture, environmental and human health by cultivating science-based solutions to develop sustainable, profitable, and resilient agriculture and horticultural systems that provide affordable, high-quality, nutritious food and improve quality of life.
A regional hub for Texas A&M AgriLife
The center at Dallas is one of 13 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension centers across the state. Each regional center addresses agriculture, life sciences and natural resources issues that are relevant to the food and commodities thriving where we operate. The centers also collaborate statewide on a range of teaching, research and extension initiatives. Each of the regional centers is administrated by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and houses faculty and staff from a range of organizations within The Texas A&M University System.
