Anderson, IN – The Harness Horse Youth Foundation is pleased to announce Karyn Malinowski, Ph.D as its newest Service To Youth honoree. “Dr. Malinowski’s passion for harness racing and dedication to educating youth through her work at Rutgers is unmatched. She and HHYF have collaborated for years so her selection as this year’s recipient was an obvious choice and perhaps a bit overdue,” Allison Conte, HHYF President stated.
In hearing of her award, Dr. Malinowski enthusiastically replied “young people are the future of the horse industry and anytime we invest in engaging them in our industry is a positive investment of our future. Harness racing is something that youth can actually have hands on experience with, plus it is extremely thrilling and exciting.”
Dr. Karyn Malinowski, an accomplished equine scientist, is the Founding Director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES).
She has served as a faculty member at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences since 1978 in various roles. These include: as an Extension Specialist in Equine Sciences, Animal Sciences Professor, Founding Director of the Equine Science Center, and Director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Her research and extension programs concentrate on improving the well-being and quality of life of the equine athlete while ensuring the vitality and viability of the equine industry, both statewide and nationally.
Malinowski is the recipient of many awards, including the American Society of Animal Science – Equine Science Society Equine Award, 2012, the United States Harness Writers Association – Unsung Hero Award, 2012, Governor’s Trophy for Horse Person of the Year, 2010, and the Marjorie Van Ness Award from the American Horse Council, 2001. In 1995, she became only the second woman in fifty years to receive the New York Farmers Club Award, which was given by the prestigious and venerable Northeastern Agricultural Society to her for her contributions to agriculture.
Dr. Malinowski is a strong advocate for youth as reflected in her extension project entitled, “Careers in the Green Industry: Youth Sow Seeds for Their Future,” which involved horses and adjudicated youth, and has served as a model for similar programs around the globe. She also led the effort in developing the “Horse Industry Handbook” during her presidency of the American Youth Horse Council. The handbook is used by young people around the world as they study proper horse care and management.
Presentation of Dr. Malinowski’s award will take place later this summer at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Harness Horse Youth Foundation is a charitable 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing young people and their families educational opportunities with harness horses in order to foster the next generation of participants and fans. The Foundation has been making a difference in young people’s lives since 1976; its programs include interactive learning experiences with racehorses as well as offering scholarships and creating and distributing educational materials relating to harness racing.
