Adam Murray
Beef Cattle Extension Specialist, PRO-LIVESTOCK, Animal Science

Adam was born and raised in Loudoun County, Virginia, where he grew up showing beef cattle and hogs nationally through the 4-H and various breed associations. He still maintains a small herd of Angus cattle on his family’s farm that focuses on seedstock genetics but also markets show cattle and local freezer beef sales.
Adam continues to stay involved with youth agriculture programs through judging shows and helping 4-H’ers with their projects and is a passionate fan of the Virginia Tech Hokies, Texas A&M Aggies and Washington Commanders football teams.
Extension Focus
Adam's focus is to support beef cattle producers of various sizes through programming, research and facilitating market development, and to educate new and existing farmers about different cattle production and marketing strategies. He is interested in how cattle management throughout the entire lifecycle can influence carcass characteristics and the beef eating experience, and likes to tie in live cattle production with meat science wherever possible.
Education
Doctorate, Animal Science - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2024
Dissertation Title: Supplementation Strategies for Growing and Finishing Beef Cattle on Tall Fescue Pastures in the Southeast
- Future Professoriate Certificate - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2022
Master of Science, Animal Science with Meat Science and Food Safety Certificates - Texas A&M University, 2017
Thesis Title: Palatability Effects of Blade Tenderization on Beef Top Sirloin Steaks
- Bachelor of Science, Animal Science/Food Science - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2015
Recent Research
Journal Publications
Pancini, S., R. F. Cooke, A. P. Brandão, N. W. Dias, C. L. Timlin, P. L. P. Fontes, A. F. F. Sales, J. C. Wicks, A. Murray, R. S. Marques, K. G. Pohler, and V. R. G. Mercadante. 2020. Supplementing a yeast-derived product to feedlot cattle consuming monensin: Impacts on performance, physiological responses, and carcass characteristics. Livestock Science 232:103907. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2019.103907
Tindel, S. B., A. R. Murray, A. N. Arnold, D. B. Griffin, R. K. Miller, K. B. Gehring, and J. W. Savell. 2018. Consumer and Warner-Bratzler shear evaluations of steaks from blade tenderized, aged, or frozen sirloin subprimals. Meat and Muscle Biology 2(1):344-352. doi: 10.22175/mmb2018.05.0014
Abstracts
Murray, A. R., O. M. Claire, K. M. Payne, L. L. Wright, and T. B. Wilson. 2021. Effect of time of supplementation and supplement delivery method on performance and grazing behavior of backgrounded beef steers. Journal of Animal Science 99(Supplement_2):28-29.
doi: 10.1093/jas/skab096.051. Presented at 2021 ASAS-CSAS Meeting in Louisville, KY July 16, 2021
Murray, A. R., Moore, R. L., Moore, M. F., Massa, O. I., Greiner, S. P., Pent, G. J., Wilson, T. B. 2021. Effect of frame size and supplementation on performance and carcass characteristics of beef cattle finished on novel endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures. Presented at 2021 ASAS-CSAS Meeting in Louisville, KY July 15, 2021
T. A. Langford, K. N. Harding, A. R. Murray, C. A. Zumbaugh III, O. M. Claire, D. A. Fiske, G. J. Pent, T. B. Wilson, Effects of fescue cultivar on performance of beef cow/calf pairs grazed on summer stockpiled tall fescue pastures. Presented at 2020 ASAS Southern Section Meeting in Chattanooga, TN Jan. 25-28, 2020
C. A. Zumbaugh III, A. R. Murray, T. A. Langford, O. M. Claire, T. B. Wilson, Determining the feeding value of corn gluten feed relative to corn when supplemented to beef calves grazed on stockpiled tall fescue pastures. Presented at 2020 ASAS Southern Section Meeting in Chattanooga, TN Jan. 25-28, 2020
Stefania Pancini, R. F. Cooke, Alice Brandão, Nicholas Dias, Claire Timlin, Pedro Fontes, Alvaro Sales, Jordan Wicks, Adam Murray, Vitor Mercandante. Supplementing a yeast-derived product to feedlot cattle: Impacts on performance, physiological responses, and carcass characteristics. Presented at 2019 ASAS-CSAS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX July 8-11, 2019
Murray A. R. & Tindel S. B. & Arnold A. N. & Miller R. K. & Griffin D. B. & Gehring K. B. & Savell J. W. (2018) “Is Blade Tenderization Still Needed for Inherently Tender Top Sirloin Steaks?”, Meat and Muscle Biology 2(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.221751/rmc2018.069
Arnold A. N. & Tindel S. B. & Murray A. R. & Miller R. K. & Griffin D. B. & Gehring K. B. & Savell J. W., (2018) “Impact of Extended Aging Time and Freezing on Tenderness of Beef Top Sirloin Steaks”, Meat and Muscle Biology 2(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.221751/rmc2018.110
Tindel, S. B., A. R. Murray, A. N. Arnold, R. K. Miller, D. B. Griffin, K. B. Gehring, and J. W. Savell. 2018. Palatability and tenderness evaluation of beef top sirloin steaks from subprimals subjected to blade tenderization, postmortem aging or freezing treatments. In: Proc. 64th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Poster 3K276.
J. K. Smith, A. R. Murray, D. D. Harmon, M. D. Hanigan, S. P. Greiner, M. A. McCann. Phenotypic relationships between residual measurements of finishing feed efficiency and visceral organ mass of backgrounded beef steers. Presented at 2014 ADSA-ASAS-CSAS Joint Annual Meeting in Kansas City, MO in the Stocker and Feedlot section