New Brunswick, NJ — Dr. Karyn Malinowski, founding director of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University, received the 2023 Distinguished Service Award at the 2023 Equine Science Society Symposium in Grapevine, Texas, on June 9.

Presented to her during the Equine Science Society Symposium’s 2023 awards banquet, the award is the most prestigious honor that the Equine Science Society can bestow upon one of its members.

Dr. Karyn Malinowski poses with Dr. Joe Pagan, CEO of Kentucky Equine Research, Inc. and sponsor of the 2023 Distinguished Service Award. Kyle Hartmann photo.

The Distinguished Service Award in Equine Science recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of equine science. Award recipients must also have a record of significant accomplishments in teaching, research and extension or service as it relates to the advancement of the equine sciences and horse industry.

“Dr. Malinowski’s passion and dedication to the field of Equine Science, her passion for improving the care of the equine athlete, and her dedication to ensuring the viability of the New Jersey horse industry exemplifies the qualities of those receiving this award,” said Dr. Kenneth McKeever, Associate Director of Research at the Rutgers Equine Science Center. “Dr. Malinowski’s career is a model of excellence in all three parts of the Land Grant Mission, research, teaching, and outreach/service.”

Dr. Malinowski has served as a faculty member at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences since 1978 in various roles, including Extension Specialist in Equine Sciences, Animal Sciences Professor, Founding Director of the Equine Science Center, and the Director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Her research and extension programs concentrate on improving the equine athlete’s well-being and quality of life while ensuring the equine industry’s vitality and viability, both statewide and nationally.

After having the opportunity to drive the famous Niatross, she was bitten by the bug and spent several summers learning how to drive harness horses. In 2001, Dr. Malinowski acquired her first Standardbred racehorse, Could Be Magic, who carried her to victory in her amateur debut in 2003 at Freehold Raceway.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award from the Equine Science Society,” said Dr. Malinowski. “It has been my extreme pleasure to have worked for over four decades with top-notch young people and horses!”

Rutgers Equine Scientist elevated to the rank of Fellow of the Equine Science Society

Dr. Kenneth Harrington McKeever, FACSM, FAPS, Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers University, and Associate Director of Research at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, was elevated to the rank of Fellow of the Equine Science Society during the 2023 Equine Science Society Symposium awards banquet.

Dr. Kenneth Harrington McKeever (left) poses with Dr. Joe Pagan, CEO of Kentucky Equine Research, Inc. (right), after receiving a plaque commemorating his elevation to the status of Fellow of the Equine Science Society. Kyle Hartmann photo.

The rank of Fellow of the Equine Science Society is an elite member status reserved to recognize distinguished service to the horse industry and to the Equine Science Society over the member’s many years of service.

“Dr. McKeever epitomizes what a Fellow of the Equine Science Society should represent in his long-standing contributions to the equine science field, which are vast; having truly changed the world of equestrian sports and its integrity, including horse racing,” said Dr. Karyn Malinowski, Founding Director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center. “I know of no other equine scientist who is more deserving of being named a Fellow by the Equine Science Society than Dr. Ken McKeever; he is truly extraordinary and will continue to give back to our profession for years to come.”

On a basic level Dr. McKeever’s research has focused on comparative exercise and cardiovascular physiology with a particular interest in the effects of aging on the integration of the cardiovascular, renal, and endocrine systems in the control of blood pressure, blood volume and fluid and electrolyte balance. On an applied level, his research has focused on the effects of performance enhancing practices on the physiological responses of the equine athlete.

These studies are just part of the more than 200 book chapters, journal articles and proceedings papers, and more than 60 abstracts that have advanced the understanding of the athletic horse.

“I am humbly honored to receive this award from the Equine Science Society,” said Dr. McKeever, “and thank those who nominated me and all the colleagues, students, and horses who have contributed to our efforts to improve the welfare of the equine athlete.”

Dr. McKeever’s other accomplishments include: President of the Equine Science Society, fulfilling his two-year role as the leader of the organization this past Thursday, as well as serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Comparative Exercise Physiology, as a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and as a Fellow of the American Physiological Society.

In his spare time, Dr. McKeever plays water polo goalie at the local, national, and international level, and is also an amateur genealogist and historian.