Professor Kevin Smith is an Honorary Professor in the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He earned his Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1988, Master of Agricultural Science in 1994 with a thesis on the potential use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy in pasture plant breeding, and Doctor of Philosophy in 1999 from the University of Melbourne, focusing on the genetics and physiology of water-soluble carbohydrates in perennial ryegrass. His career began as a Plant Breeder at the Pastoral and Veterinary Institute, Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Hamilton, Victoria from 1989 to 1997, followed by roles as Senior Plant Breeder, Resource Manager - Plant Science, Statewide Leader Molecular Plant Breeding, and Deputy Research Director Biosciences at the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. He served as Managing Director of AbacusBio Pty Ltd from 2010 to 2013 and was appointed Professor of Agronomy at the University of Melbourne in 2012, also holding an adjunct Principal Research Fellow position at the Institute of Food and Environment from 2010 to 2013. Smith has extensive experience as a visiting scientist at institutions including CSIRO Plant Industry, Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in the UK, University of Wisconsin, and National Agricultural Research Centre in Japan.

Smith's research specializations include the development and implementation of molecular marker technologies for forage grasses, fungal grass endophytes, and forage legumes, with leadership in molecular breeding for crops such as strawberry, pear, potato, pulses, and wheat. He has overseen commercial releases of varieties including Dundas tall wheatgrass, Avalon perennial ryegrass, Bolton perennial ryegrass, AVH17 perennial ryegrass, AVH37 white clover, and Mink white clover. His work encompasses validation of molecular markers for traits like crown rust resistance, root morphology, photosynthetic efficiency, fructan content, and growth habits, as well as management of field evaluations for transgenic white clover, forage grasses, and the world's largest transgenic wheat evaluation program. Smith has authored 101 peer-reviewed journal articles, 11 book chapters, and over 500 conference papers. Notable publications include 'Variation in the Nutritive Characteristics of Modern Perennial Ryegrass Cultivars' (2022), 'Development and Validation of a Phenotyping Computational Pipeline' (2020), and 'Editorial—Annual and perennial forage legumes in dryland pasture systems' (2021). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Grass and Forage Science and Associate Editor for Crop and Pasture Science and Bioenergy Research. Recognized as a world leader in forage plant breeding, he has supervised PhD and Masters students, secured funding from Dairy Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, and others, and contributed to national committees on barley and pulse breeding.

Professional Email: kfsmith@unimelb.edu.au