Texas A&M meat science program adds three team members
New Department of Animal Science faculty, staff bring expertise in enhancing meat quality and value
Three new members joined the meat science program in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science on Aug. 1.
Jerrad Legako, Ph.D., is a new associate professor and holder of the Gary ’68 and Kay Smith Endowed Chair in Meat Science Excellence; Michael Chao, Ph.D., is a new associate professor; and Sage Boleman is the new manager of the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center.
“We are proud to welcome these new members to our meat science team,” said Clay Mathis, Ph.D., professor and department head. “They are experts in their fields and are going to continue to grow the legacy of the meat science program at Texas A&M. Their arrival enhances our department’s research and teaching capacity and directly supports our strategic initiative to amplify faculty excellence and impact.”
Legako’s research concentrates on meat quality
Legako earned his bachelor’s in biology and doctorate in animal science from Texas Tech University, and his master’s in food science from Oklahoma State University.
At Texas A&M, he began teaching Physiology and Biochemistry of Muscle as a Food course, and he will add other classes in spring 2026.
His research program will focus on meat quality and applied food safety.
“Specifically, I’m looking for opportunities to innovate in the area of preventing food waste, so packaging and novel preservation techniques or technologies that may help us limit loss of red meats during storage,” Legako said. “If you think about the inputs associated with animal agriculture, to lose that end product is really detrimental.”
His research program will also address consumer appraisals of how meat products look and taste. He also plans to partner with food safety faculty to identify management practices in processing facilities that will improve sanitation and reduce microbial loads on consumer products.
“Another area of research that’s been exciting is partnering with animal scientists who are looking at the production phase and how an animal encounters stress,” Legako said. “That impacts their muscle physiology and has the potential to have lasting impacts on the meat quality.”
Legako previously served as the associate chair of the Texas Tech Department of Animal and Food Sciences, as well as in various faculty positions at Texas Tech and at Utah State University.
He is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Society of Animal Sciences and the American Meat Science Association.
Chao is an accomplished meat scientist, educator
With 10 years of teaching and research experience at California State University-Chico and Kansas State University, Chao is an accomplished meat scientist and teacher whose goal is to impact the meat industry and students’ lives.
This first semester at Texas A&M, he will co-teach Farm Animal Biosystems and is developing a study abroad program to Taiwan, focusing on red meat exports. He will teach additional classes next spring.
Chao said his research program has and will continue to focus on enhancing the value of U.S. red meat products.
“I am also eager to expand this focus by collaborating across disciplines to address broader industry challenges,” he said. “In particular, I am interested in meat safety from a chemical perspective and in developing strategies to address labor shortages in the meat industry.”
Chao said that he sees strong potential for collaboration with faculty specializing in AI and robotics within Texas A&M’s world-renowned engineering program. This work would help advance automation in meat processing plants, ultimately improving industry sustainability.
He is a member of the Poultry Science Association, American Meat Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science.
Boleman takes over Rosenthal Meat Science Center management
Boleman assumed management of the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center upon the retirement of Ray Riley, including participating in slaughter, cutting, fabrication, curing, smoking and processing.
He has spent the past five and a half years as a student worker and graduate student worker at Rosenthal while earning his bachelor’s, master’s and now a doctorate in animal science with an emphasis on meat science and food safety.
“I know I still have a lot to learn, but I love Rosenthal, I love the building and I love teaching,” Boleman said. “It’s a privilege to now get to manage the center I’ve spent so long working at and helping in.”
Part of his duties is to assist graduate and undergraduate students in planning, scheduling and conducting teaching and research. He will also help Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists in conducting short courses, field days and result demonstrations that involve the center.
Boleman said he wants to partner with not just meat scientists but everyone in areas ranging from animal reproduction to nutrition, to facilitate agriculture.
“I want Rosenthal to be here as a resource for students and professors to serve as a teaching facility,” he said. “And one of my personal goals is to raise awareness of what we do here, not only from a teaching perspective, but what we offer to the thousands of students and faculty who walk by and may not know anything about us.”
