NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.

– The United States Harness Writer’s Association (USHWA) honored
Rutgers University faculty member and director of the Equine Science
Center, Karyn Malinowski of Manville, NJ, with the LeeAnne Pooler Unsung
Hero Award.  The award was presented during the USHWA’s annual Dan
Patch Awards Dinner held on February 12, in Orlando, Florida.

“Karyn
richly deserves this recognition because she has devoted her
professional life to equine leadership and is recognized nationally as
among the most effective educators and advocates of the well-being of
horses as well as the equine industry,” said Robert M. Goodman,
executive dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Rutgers.

“Horse
racing and the equine industry are essential to the well-being of New
Jersey in many ways and I couldn’t imagine any greater cause in which to
dedicate myself,” said Malinowski. “To be receiving this award as a
testament to the effort I’ve invested in preserving a lifelong passion
of mine is a pleasant surprise and I am truly humbled and honored.”

The
Unsung Hero award is given annually to a member of the harness racing
community who may otherwise go unrecognized for his or her selfless
achievements. Malinowski continually demonstrates her dedication to
harness racing by promoting rational and relevant discussion about the
current state of the industry and its future in New Jersey and beyond. 
Through her scientific research and numerous outreach initiatives, she
has become a prominent leader in bringing awareness to the significance
of the racing industry which was threatened with extinction until the
recent decisions to privatize the Meadowlands and Monmouth racetracks
were made.

Malinowski’s
research and extension programs focus on improving the well-being and
the quality of life of the equine athlete while ensuring the vitality
and viability of the equine industry, both statewide and nationally. A
life-long resident of Manville, Malinowski is passionate about horses
and the New Jersey horse industry and has been a strong voice for the
horse racing and breeding industry.  She assumed the lead role in
conceptualizing and building the equine science program at Rutgers
University and has long been active in cultivating funding for research
and extension programs from a variety of sources to sustain the Equine
Science Center at Rutgers.

In
addition to winning this coveted Unsung Hero award, Malinowski has
received several prestigious awards including the Visionary Award in
2011 from the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement;
Horseperson of the Year in 2009; Outstanding Woman of Somerset County in
2009; the Rutgers Graduate School Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007;
and the Outstanding Equine Educator Award from the Equine Nutrition and
Physiology Society in 2001.

About Rutgers Equine Science Center

The
Equine Science Center is a unit of the New Jersey Agricultural
Experiment Station at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.  Its
mission is better horse care through research and education in order to
advance the well-being and performance of horses and the equine
industry.  Its vision is to be recognized throughout New Jersey as well
as nationally and internationally for its achievements in identifying
issues in the horse industry, finding solutions through science-based
inquiry, providing answers to the horse industry and to horse owners,
and influencing public policy to ensure the viability of the horse
industry.

 For more information about the Equine Science Center, visit esc.rutgers.edu or call 848-932-9419.