Over the course of his professional career, his impact and service are synonymous with tangible results and positive outcomes for those who have benefitted from his contributions.

Some key academic highlights and leadership accomplishments that directly reflect his impact include:

• Securing over $1 million through 15 separate funding agencies, including grants from the Texas Pioneer Foundation, Hogg Foundation, National Basketball Association Foundation, and Players Coalition Charitable Foundation
• Leading the redesign of Texas College’s First-Year and Second-Year Experience programs to be more engaging and incorporate key AVID strategies for tutoring and supplemental instruction
• Leading the establishment of a summer bridge program at Texas College (Summer Transition Enrichment Program-S.T.E.P.) that provided early access to college-level courses and acclimation to college life
• Serving as the Chair of Texas College’s Quality Enhancement Plan titled “Don’t Talk About It, Write About It”
• Co-Leading an overhaul of Jarvis Christian College’s admissions process to create a more student-centric, equitable, and efficient system
• Co-Leading an overhaul of Eastfield College’s academic advising process to prioritize individualized proactive advising support to identify potential challenges early on and provide timely guidance
• Leading the establishment of an articulation agreement with Texas A&M University-Texarkana for students at Jarvis Christian College who were interested in pursuing a graduate degree
• Leading the Faculty Innovation Center at Northeast Texas Community College to enhance faculty development though initiatives focused on integrating instructional technology and promoting cultural inclusion
• Advancing the establishment of a behavioral health resource center at Jarvis Christian College
• Leading a significant overhaul in e-learning for Northeast Texas Community College to equip faculty with skills to enhance instructional design, technology integration, and student engagement strategies
• Co-Leading the establishment of a Minority Matters Initiative at Northeast Texas Community College, which focused on improving the success and outcomes of minority male students
• Leading the integration of minority content-based curriculum at Northeast Texas Community College to support the College’s diversity initiatives
• Leading the establishment of a peer mentoring toolkit at Northeast Texas Community College that received recognition from the Texas Education Agency
• Leading the establishment of a Youth-Officer Relations program for Fort Worth Police Department to build positive relationships between law enforcement and youth
• Advancing an HBCU student-athlete empowerment initiative with the Players Coalition to focus on name, image and likeness, financial literacy, public safety, and voting
• Co-Leading the implementation of a character education and career pathway program for four Region 8 Education Service Center’s school districts
• Serving a National Skills Coalition WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Advisory Council member. This council brings together over 20 leaders from 13 states and two tribal nations to help shape the future of the nation’s workforce system

Additionally, the following Impact Reports illustrate how Dr. Harper has led the HOPE Initiative for nearly a decade, generating operational success for the non-profit organization he founded while creating measurable outcomes that promote positive change.