Seth C. Murray

Professional Summary

Specialty: Phenomics, Quantitative Genetics, and Corn Breeding

Research
Dr. Murray’s research interests focus on improving the productivity, sustainability (economic and environmental) and quality of agricultural production through scientific research and development; mostly in maize (corn, Zea mays L.). He is recognized as a global leader in plant phenotyping and phenomics, especially in temporal analysis of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS, also known as UAVs or drones). The approaches used to conduct this research include 1) high-throughput field phenotyping (UAS/drones, ground vehicles, NIRS), 2) development of novel phenomic approaches, 4) statistical modeling and novel analysis methods (including machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence), 5) molecular quantitative genetic discovery (including QTL mapping, GWAS) and genomic selection, 6) development of new breeding and genetics approaches (including use of computer simulations), and ultimately 7) applied maize field breeding (classical and molecular). Many of these involve close transdisciplinary collaborations with both colleagues and students. His primary traits of interest for discovering genetic variation and improvement in maize include grain yield, yield stability, southern adaptation, stress (aflatoxin resistance, drought tolerance), plant height, composition (colored grain, high grain antioxidants, low phosphorus), and perennialism (ability to regrow over years). He has also led research projects in coffee, corn for whiskey, cowpea, and sorghum (including perennial sorghum). He is an active member of the Genomes to Fields maize project (G2F, https://www.genomes2fields.org ); the Southeast Regional Aflatoxin Resistance Trial (SERAT); and CERCA: Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture project (https://www.maizegenetics.net/cerca), seeking to reduce nitrogen inputs and loss.
Graduate student training is deeply embedded in all of his research.

Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o2U40BEAAAAJ
ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2960-8226

Teaching
Since 2009, he has taught 174 graduate students in the final class for plant breeding and genetics Ph.D. students on “Molecular Quantitative Genetics in Plant Breeding”. This class covers both understanding of DNA markers in plant breeding (QTL, GWAS, genomic selection) and increasingly focuses on phenomic and high-throughput phenotyping approaches. Beginning in 2017 he conceived and taught the cultural discourse class “American Agriculture” to 18 undergraduate students, which has since grown to 152 students across 48 majors in 2024. This cultural discourse discussion course covers both history and current hot topics across U.S. agriculture and introduces undergraduates of all backgrounds to the opportunities and challenges of agriculture. In 2022 he conceived, developed and taught a new college leadership course “Scientific Career Success and Leadership” (SCSC 689 / AGLS 689 – 3 CR). This class seeks to help graduate students of all backgrounds and disciplines be more broadly aware of what it means to be a scientist, to help advance students soft skills, and to enable them to lead throughout their careers.
Dr. Murray especially enjoys supervising graduate students. He is a member of and has supervised students as Soil and Crop Sciences Graduate Faculty (Agronomy and Plant Breeding degrees), the interdisciplinary graduate programs in Genetics and Genomics (https://genetics.tamu.edu/) and the Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences program (https://meps.tamu.edu/). He has chaired or co-chaired 35 graduate students and served on another 46 students committees. His 27 completed M.S. and Ph.D. students are now employed across universities, industries and government.

Service
Dr. Murray has served in leadership roles for the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF, including as Chair), the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB), the North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN) and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA, 4900+ members); including being elected as the 2023 President of CSSA. He founded and served as the first Editor of The Plant Phenome Journal, an American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and CSSA publication. In 2016-2017 he served as the Senior Advisor of Agricultural Systems in the Office of the Chief Scientist at USDA. In 2015 he co-initiated and led an internal Texas A&M AgriLife Research project on Unmanned Aerial Systems for Precision Agriculture and High Throughput Field Phenotyping which grew to over 40 faculty across three colleges; transforming researchers capacity and interest from across diverse disciplines.

Administration
In 2023 Dr. Murray was selected as a Faculty Fellow in the Texas A&M Vice President of Research’s office to design and coordinate the inaugural Research Leadership Fellows program for outstanding early/mid career faculty across 13 Texas A&M University System colleges and schools. Previously, he was selected as the 2021 Fellow in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to lead three task forces including developing the new 2022-2027 strategic plan for the college, and reviewing graduate education for the college.

Awards
Teaching Award, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M 2025
AAAS Fellow, American Academy for the Advancement of Science, April 2024
Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Research, COALS, Texas A&M, 2024
Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Service, COALS,Texas A&M, 2022
Blavatnik Young Life Scientist Finalist, 2019, 2020
CSSA Fellow, Crop Science Society of America, 2018
Research Award, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M 2017
Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Interdisciplinary Research, COALS, Texas A&M, 2018
Appointed Eugene Butler Endowed Chair (last held by Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug), 2015
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

Support Staff and Students
Aaron DeSalvio | Cody Kettler | Corrie Hopkins | Fatma Ozair | Kayla Buenaventura | Mustafa Arik |