  We present the first measurement of the exclusive reaction $\gamma p
\rightarrow a_2(1320)^0 \, p$ in the photon energy range $3.5$-$5.5$ GeV and
four-momentum transfer squared $0.2<-t<2.0$ GeV$^2$. Data were collected with
the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer at the Thomas Jefferson National
Accelerator Facility. The neutral $a_2$ resonance was detected by measuring the
reaction $\gamma p \rightarrow \pi^0 \eta p$ and reconstructing the $\pi^0
\eta$ invariant mass. The differential cross section $d\sigma/dt$ was extracted
at different beam energies in each $-t$ bin. The most prominent feature of the
differential cross section is a dip at $-t\simeq 0.55$ GeV$^2$. This can be
well described in the framework of Regge phenomenology, where the exchange
degeneracy hypothesis predicts a zero in the reaction amplitude for this value
of the four-momentum transfer.
