William J. Kenworthy earned a BS degree in Agronomy from Purdue University in 1970 and MS and PhD degrees in Plant Breeding and Genetics from North Carolina State University in 1972 and 1976, respectively. He joined the faculty of the University of Maryland as an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy in March 1976. In addition to teaching and advising graduate students, Dr. Kenworthy was responsible for the soybean breeding project. He was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 1981 and to professor in 1990. While on sabbatical in Australia in 1985, he studied the national CSIRO collection of native, wild perennial soybeans and participated in a collection trip into south Queensland. Dr. Kenworthy’s soybean breeding project has focused on selecting cultivars with resistance to cyst nematodes and other regional pests. He has incorporated genes to modify seed composition to enhance the nutritional value and feeding efficiency of soybean seed constituents in human and animal diets. He has developed and released seven cultivars; ‘Manokin’ is the most widely grown. He also serves as the director of the annual Maryland Soybean Variety Test. In 2006, Dr. Kenworthy was appointed acting chair of the newly formed Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA) and chair in 2010. He has also negotiated and implemented partnerships and agreements for establishment of the Center for Plant Health and Biosecurity and revitalization of the Norton-Brown Herbarium.
