Employee Directory

Dr. Murray received his PhD from Cornell University and a BS from Michigan State University. His research program focuses on new approaches in high throughput field phenotyping (including unmanned aerial vehicles, i.e. drones), quantitative genetic discovery, gene to phene data analytics and applied maize (corn) breeding in Texas, as well as perenniality in maize and sorghum. He has released 9 maize lines, some having been licensed and being grown by Texas farmers, including proprietary hybrids for whiskey. A major focus and success of his program is graduate student training, chairing 33 committees and serving on another 32 committees. He has co-authored 80 peer reviewed articles, and served in leadership roles for the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) and the North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN). He is a recipient of both CSSA and NAPB early career research awards, a fellow of CSSA and was twice named a Blavatnik Young Life Sciences finalist. In 2016-2017 he served as the Senior Advisor of Agricultural Systems in the Office of the Chief Scientist at USDA. He founded and serves as Editor of The Plant Phenome Journal, an ASA and CSSA publication.

• Ph.D., Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 2008
• B. S., Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 2001
• Crop Science exchange, Wageningen Agricultural University, Netherlands, 2000

Selected Synergistic Activities:

• Incoming President Elect. Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), 2021 (President 2023)
• Chair. Exec. Committee. Agronomic Science Foundation, ASA- CSSA-SSSA. 2019 - 2020
• Founder and Editor, The Plant Phenome Journal, an ASA, CSSA publication. 2017- present
• Executive Committee, North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN). 2018- 2019
• Grant panels: ARPA-e, NSF-PGRP, USDA-DOE, USDA-NIFA; ad hoc: NSF-BREAD, FFAR
• Run an applied public corn breeding program focused on improving aflatoxin resistance, yield, stress resistance, and exotic introgression across the State of Texas. Developing and releasing new germplasm, inbred lines, populations and hybrid combinations.

Selected Awards:

• Blavatnik Young Life Scientist Finalist, 2019, 2020
• Fellow, Crop Science Society of America, 2018
• Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Interdisciplinary Research, Texas A&M, 2018
• Crop Science Society of America, Young Crop Scientist Award, 2014
• National Association of Plant Breeders Early Career Award, 2013
• Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, 1998

Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o2U40BEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao