David Lust

Dr. David Lust serves as Department Head and Professor of Animal Science within the Department of Agricultural Sciences at West Texas A&M University's Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. He joined the faculty in 1992 after teaching at the University of Georgia, where he also coached the livestock judging team.

His educational background includes a B.S. in Agricultural Education from Texas Tech University (1985), an M.S. in Animal Science from Michigan State University (1989), and a Ph.D. in Systems Agriculture from West Texas A&M University (2008). He teaches undergraduate courses in animal breeding, livestock management, live animal/carcass evaluation, and livestock judging while providing extensive freshman advising.

Dr. Lust coordinates operations at the 2,300-acre Nance Ranch, which supports teaching, research in cow-herd and crop management, and community youth judging events. His research focuses on developing efficient alternative livestock and forage production systems through collaboration with animal and plant science faculty.

As Department Head, he oversees departmental operations while maintaining active teaching responsibilities. His academic leadership extends to ranch management coordination and student development initiatives within the agricultural sciences curriculum.