Dr. Mozart A. Fonseca, ScD, PhD, PAS
Associate Professor of Animal Science
Office: Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building, Room 331
Email: mfonseca@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-2552
Professional Profile
Dr. Fonseca serves as Associate Professor of Animal Science at West Texas A&M University, specializing in beef cattle nutrition and health. He joined WTAMU and the Feedlot Research Group in 2026 after serving as Associate Professor and Research Director at the Clayton Livestock Research Center, New Mexico State University, and Assistant and Associate Professor of Beef Cattle Production and Applied Modeling at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Dr. Fonseca earned his B.S. in Agronomy Engineering (2008) and M.S. in Animal Science (2010) from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Brazil. He completed a Ph.D. in Animal Science with exchange program at Texas A&M University program (2013), and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Health from the University of Nevada, Reno (2024). He completed his postdoctoral training was at Texas A&M University in mathematical nutrition modeling and bioenergetics (2016).
His academic career integrates quantitative nutrition, physiology, and environmental systems to improve beef cattle performance under dynamic and resource-limited production conditions. Dr. Fonseca’s work bridges mechanistic biology with applied production systems to support efficient, profitable, and environmentally responsible livestock operations.
Teaching and Related Service
Dr. Fonseca teaches and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in quantitative methods, animal nutrition, feed evaluation, ruminant nutrition, research methods, bioenergetics, growth and development. Currently he teaches advanced Ruminant Nutrition and Seminar. His teaching philosophy emphasizes quantitative reasoning, system-based thinking, and integration of nutrition, metabolism, and environmental constraints into decision-making for modern beef production systems.
He is a member of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), American Registry of Professional Animal Science (ARPAS), the Plains Nutrition Council (PNC), and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA). Dr. Fonseca regularly serves as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and federal grant panels, and collaborates extensively with USDA agencies, industry stakeholders, and producer organizations.
Research and Creative Activity
Dr. Fonseca’s research program focuses on feed characterization, understanding nutrient requirements and the quantitative dynamics of digestion, absorption, and metabolism in beef cattle, with emphasis on how these processes regulate tissue deposition, mobilization, and overall efficiency. His work uses structured mathematical and systems-based approaches to describe complex interactions among genes, gut function, whole-animal metabolism, and environmental stressors.