Dr. Matthew Garcia will join the College of Science & Engineering family at the start of the fall semester as director of Ranch Management and Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show Professor in Ranch Management. Dr. Garcia obtained his Ph.D. in Animal Science Genomics from Washington State University in 2005. He earned his MBA in Innovative Management from Portland State University and his BS in Animal Science Genetics from New Mexico State University. He comes to TCU from Utah State University, where he served as associate department head and associate professor. In this role, he led their beef cattle extension that includes state-wide programs and regional programs in Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho.
"I look forward to working with this new generation of Ranch Management students to help develop them into the future leaders of the agricultural industry. My goal is not only to build on the amazing legacy of the Ranch Management Program, but also to ensure that the program is viewed as the premier ranch management program both nationally and internationally,” Dr. Garcia says.
Dr. Garcia is originally from New Mexico, where his family ran a cow calf operation. With his Ph.D. focused upon comparative reproduction genomics for beef cattle, specifically disease resistance and fertility, Dr. Garcia was recruited to the USDA and did his post doc work there as a research geneticist. Following that he joined Louisiana State University where he taught beef production, animal breeding, and genetics. He was a faculty supervisor and had responsibility for their AgCenter with 600 head of cattle on 800 acres.
Along with his full-time role with Utah State University, Dr. Garcia provided ranch management succession planning counsel to ranch owners across the state. Michael Kruger, Dean of the College of Science & Engineering, says, “Matt’s extensive experience in student recruitment and fundraising and his strong desire to share his knowledge make him the ideal person to further advance TCU’s Ranch Management Program.”
The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show Professorship was established in the TCU Ranch Management Program in 1990 thanks to the generosity of this Fort Worth-based organization. Since 1985, the Southwest Exposition and Livestock Show has committed more than $100 million in contributions, educational grants, scholarships and auction proceeds benefitting Texas 4-H and FFA members.
Learn more about TCU’s Ranch Management Program.
