William J. Kenyon

Dr. William J. Kenyon is a Professor of Biology and Co-Director of the Microbiology Certificate Program at the University of West Georgia, housed within the Dr. Perry College of Mathematics, Computing, and Sciences. His academic journey includes a B.S. in Life Sciences (University of Missouri-Rolla, 1991) and a Ph.D. in Microbiology (University of Kansas, 1996). He has been a UWG faculty member since 2006, with prior postdoctoral research roles at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (1996–2000) and the University of South Alabama (2000–2006), where he also served as an NIH-AREA co-investigator and lecturer.

His research focuses on bacterial survival mechanisms under environmental stresses, particularly in Cellulomonas species and Salmonella enterica. Key areas include exopolysaccharide biochemistry (e.g., curdlan), stress-induced genetic/physiological adaptations, and biofilm dynamics. He has mentored over 100 students, many of whom co-authored publications or conference presentations.

Teaching spans over 20 biology courses, including foundational microbiology, bacterial genetics, and advanced medical microbiology. Recent courses (2021–2025) include Microbiology (BIOL-3310), Bacterial Pathogenesis (BIOL-4728/5728), and Bacterial Genetics (BIOL-4315/5315). He also oversees advanced undergraduate research (BIOL-4983) and senior seminars (BIOL-4984).

Research contributions span 30+ peer-reviewed articles, with recent work emphasizing curdlan’s industrial applications, Salmonella stress responses, and cellulose degradation mechanisms. His work has implications for biotechnology, food safety, and environmental microbiology.