Alvaro García-Guerra, associate professor, cattle reproduction and production systems management, Department of Animal Sciences in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, has been awarded a 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to Australia to research “Remote sensing of bull mounting to improve reproductive efficiency for beef ranchers.”
From January – July 2027, García-Guerra will work alongside Mark Trotter and his colleagues on the Precision Livestock Management team at the Central Queensland University Institute for Future Farming Systems to develop and validate wearable sensor technologies (accelerometers and GPS) to remotely monitor bull mounting behavior. This technology will enable continuous assessment of reproductive performance and help collect data to improve efficiency in beef cattle production systems.
“My goal for the Fulbright experience is to advance research on precision livestock technologies by refining sensor-based approaches for monitoring bull reproductive performance in real-world production systems. I aim to strengthen international collaboration with leading researchers in Australia, generate impactful data to support more efficient and sustainable beef production, and engage directly with producers to ensure practical application of this technology,” García-Guerra explained. “Additionally, I seek to broaden my global perspective on beef production systems and integrate this knowledge into my research, teaching and extension efforts at Ohio State.”
García-Guerra’s Fulbright project is grounded in a longstanding collaboration between Ohio State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Central Queensland University, one that was established by James Kinder. García-Guerra and Trotter have been collaborating since Trotter came to Ohio State to carry out a Visting Fulbright Scholar project in 2019.
“Professor Trotter is an expert in sensors and management techniques that enable livestock producers to increase production and efficiency. Seven years of collaborating has resulted in several projects, multiple publications and an exchange of graduate students. We are confident that this project will strengthen our institutional collaboration and advance the development of methods to monitor bull reproductive performance, addressing a critical gap in the beef industry in the United States and Australia,” García-Guerra noted.
García-Guerra’s research interests focus on two main areas regarding cattle reproduction. Investigating strategies that improve reproductive efficiency, primarily in beef cattle, and further understanding the causes and mechanisms involved in pregnancy loss in cattle. He and Rafael Domingues manage the Ohio State Reproductive Physiology Lab that focuses on reproductive physiology of ruminants, primarily cattle.
Fulbright
The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by the Institute of International Education and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
For more information about the Fulbright Scholar Program contact Joanna Kukielka-Blaser. View a complete list of Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program recipients.