James F. Dougherty. Photo: courtesy of Rutgers-New Brunswick Honors College website.

The Class of 2026 inductees into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni have excelled in a varied range of fields—obstetrics and gynecology, addiction prevention and treatment, veterinary medicine, football and entrepreneurship, and government and insurance industry leadership—but they all share a uniquely Scarlet bond: A significant, unwavering devotion to supporting the university where they began their journeys.

James F. Dougherty RC’74, GSNB’75 is one of five outstanding graduates selected by the Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) Board of Directors and will be inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni at a ceremony in April.

Dougherty earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at Rutgers College and a master’s degree in animal science at Rutgers–New Brunswick. He is a retired veterinarian who has generously supported the university. Cofounder of Metropolitan Veterinary Associates in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he was awarded the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served on many Rutgers committees and is vice chair of the Board of Governors.

Introduced in 1987, the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni’s first class of inductees included Paul Robeson and two Nobel Prize winners—economist Milton Friedman and scientist Selman Waksman. Since then, more than 250 alumni have been inducted, including five former New Jersey governors, Emmy Award-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Carli Lloyd, a professional soccer star who led the U.S. team to two Olympic gold medals. 

The 2026 awardees also include Eric LeGrand SAS’14, James H. Rhodes CCAS’94, Creighton Drury RC’92, and Gloria A. Bachmann NCAS’70, RWJMS’72.

Read more at the full article which first appeared on the Rutgers University Foundation website.

  

The Rutgers Animal Welfare Judging Team with their awards at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences campus. L-R: Jacob Bazer, Courtney McCarroll, Coach Dr. Taylor Ross, Aditri Singh, and Sakhee Daga.

The Animal Welfare Judging & Assessment Competition (AWJAC) is a national, intercollegiate event that challenges students to evaluate the welfare of diverse animal species using science-based criteria. Competitors assess real-world management scenarios, score facilities, and deliver oral reasons defending their decisions. This year’s contest, hosted at Texas A&M University, featured one of the largest turnouts, to date.

After months of work, the Rutgers team of animal sciences undergraduates earned exceptional results, placing first overall in the Live Assessment and third overall as a team in the undergraduate senior division. The team handily won the Live Assessment by more than 15 points.

Rutgers receiving the Top Team in the Undergraduate Senior division award. Pictured from left to right are AVMA’s Dr. Gail Golab and Rutgers team members, Jacob Bazer, Aditri Singh, Sakhee Daga and Courtney McCarroll. Photo credit: Taylor Ross

This fall marked Rutgers’ second time attending the Fall Live, in-person contest, having first begun competing in Spring 2024. Despite being a relatively new program, Rutgers has consistently placed alongside — and often above — universities that have been competing for decades. The team looks forward to continuing to push the potential of this growing program.

Individually, Aditri Singh placed 10th overall, also earning the highest score in the entire competition in the pet gerbil scenario, followed by Jacob Bazer in 28th, Sakhee Daga in 33rd, and Courtney McCarroll in 37th, with all four team members finishing in the top half of a highly competitive division.

This year, competitors evaluated three species categories: gaboon vipers in zoos, dressage horses, and pet gerbils, in addition to an in-person live assessment of tilapia aquaculture. Preparation for the competition began early in the semester and involved intensive team practices focused on species-specific welfare science, facility analysis, ethical frameworks, and repeated oral reasons drills.

Students also took field trips to real-life facilities, attended guest lectures from industry and academic professionals, and reviewed current research to ground their evaluations in evidence-based welfare principles. During the competition weekend, students also participated in a formal networking event and attended keynote presentations from leading animal welfare scientists, further enriching their learning experience.

The team extends its appreciation to the facilities that hosted them during their preparation, the professionals who provided guest instruction, the generous donors and the Department of Animal Sciences who support their travel and training. Teaching instructor Taylor Ross served as team coach and her guidance was instrumental to this year’s success. The team is looking ahead to the Spring contest with enthusiasm and continued dedication to advancing animal welfare knowledge, scholarship and leadership within the program.

  

It’s not just all academics. The MSP Scholars also learned about the history and culture of Belize. Courtney Chin explores the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins (200-900 CE), an archaeological site in the western part of the country atop a high ridge overlooking the Mopan River.

In September 2024, the Rutgers Department of Animal Sciences, with Professor Aparna Zama as principal investigator, received a five-year, $250,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) grant for the Rutgers University Veterinary Learning and Preparation program (RU-VETLEAP).

RU-VETLEAP is designed to increase the number of Rutgers Animal Science students applying to and accepted into Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programs and those entering careers in USDA mission-critical areas of food, agriculture, and human and animal health. Known as MSP Scholars, five students, all on the preveterinary medicine and research track, were selected to receive the scholarship: Courtney Chin, Cierra Edwards, Kylie Labbe, Santiago Mesa Botero and Kailah Pyron.

Kailah Pyron prepares to go cave tubing at Caves Branch to explore the huge caverns and tunnels that run through the Mayan Mountains.

In addition to academic assistance, mentorship, research training, and professional development, the RU-VETLEAP program also provides a one-time $4,000 special experiential learning (SEL) award to each scholar that can be used to fund such activities as apprenticeships, internships, externships, and study abroad programs relevant to their major. SEL covers living expenses, travel expenses, additional tuition, and/or a cash stipend.

Four out of the five MSP Scholars were able to participate in Summer 2025’s Center for Engaged Learning Abroad (CELA) Belize program, which offers students a firsthand look at local issues affecting conservation, animal health, and ecology, and their impact on global events. In the Large Animal Veterinary Practice in the Tropics course, students gained working knowledge of the husbandry, and health issues confronting farm animals including horses, sheep, pigs, and cattle in Belize. In the Wildlife Health, Ecology & Conservation course, students work with zookeepers at the Belize Zoo to learn about the many factors that affect the management, conservation, habitat and health of wild animals.

Courtney Chin holds Maya, an orange-breasted hawk, at the Belize Raptor Center, a part of the Wildlife Health, Ecology & Conservation course.

The scholars who participated in the CELA Belize program share their experiences.  

Courtney Chin (Class of 2028) is part of the Veterinary Science Club (@ruvsc), Companion Animal Club (@rutgerscompanionanimal), and SEBS Governing Council (@sebsgovcouncil), where she served as one of the Animal Science Major Representatives. She hopes to explore different fields of veterinary medicine throughout her undergraduate years and attend veterinary school after graduation. “I thought it was great to get experience with different species of animals to explore a different area of animal science,” she says of her experience in the Wildlife Health, Ecology & Conservation section. “I had a lot of fun with the people in my group, and we did things such as necropsies, body scoring, camera trapping, and enrichment.”

Kylie Labbe holds a puppy that came to a clinic in the resort village of Placencia with its mother and littermates.

Kylie Labbe (Class of 2028) is in the Society of Animal Science (@rusocietyofanimalscience) and Veterinary Science Club. In the summer, she was “shadowing” at a local veterinary clinic and at a wildlife refuge, in addition to studying abroad in Belize. Her goal is to specialize in large animal veterinary medicine. CELA Belize “was a very immersive and rewarding experience, says Kylie. “It helped reaffirm my feelings towards large animal vet medicine and the fact that this is what I want to do. I learned how to vaccinate, give dewormer, proper handling techniques, suturing, and cat neutering.” 

Santiago Mesa Botero holds a green iguana that is part of an educational exhibit called the Green Iguana Conservation Project, where they rehabilitate iguanas and educate the public about the lives of these reptiles and the important role they play in the ecosystem.

Santiago Mesa Botero (Class of 2027) is active in the Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences club (MANRRS) (@rumanrrs) and the Colombian American Student Association (CASA) (@casa.rutgers). He has been involved on the Rutgers Farm (@rutgersfarm) as a federal work-study student and with the Rutgers Office for Research-CMR, where he has developed a strong interest in laboratory animal care and medicine. He aims to become a lab animal veterinarian. “During my study abroad trip in Belize, I learned about different cattle breeds that are typically used in tropical areas, such as Brahman and Brangus cattle, which are crosses between Brahman and Angus breeds,” Santiago recounts. “I was able to learn how to conduct a physical exam on horses and body condition score them. I had the opportunity to assist in a community clinic with the Humane Society and practiced anesthetic monitoring, suturing, and assisted in a flank ovariohysterectomy procedure.”

Kailah Pyron handles a boa constrictor that was rescued from a local village and taken to the Belize Raptor Center. The snake serves as an ambassador to educate the community about boas.

Kailah Pyron (Class of 2027) has served as a teaching assistant in Animal Reproduction and contributed to research in an endocrinology lab, gaining valuable experience in hormonal studies. She works as a veterinary assistant at a North Jersey veterinary hospital, and her ultimate goal is to become a veterinarian specializing in wildlife medicine. She participated in the Wildlife Health, Ecology & Conservation course. “Studying abroad really invigorated my passion for being a veterinarian and taught me a lot about what methods are used in the field to collect data on wild animals, as well as what it’s like to sustain those animals in a zoo,” says Kailah. “I also learned about the importance of sustaining ecosystems for wildlife and the importance of educating the public on conservation efforts in order to be successful.”

The SEBS Office of Global Engagement played a pivotal role in making this immersive study abroad experience possible for RU-VETLEAP Scholars. By facilitating access to international programs like CELA Belize, the Office connects students with unique, hands-on learning opportunities that expand their perspectives and deepen their understanding of global challenges in animal and wildlife health. Through faculty partnerships and tailored advising, the Office of Global Engagement empowers SEBS students to broaden their academic journeys beyond the classroom, preparing them to become globally minded professionals and leaders in their fields.

According to Zama, “the MSP scholars had a wonderful time in Belize and have truly broadened their perspectives on different areas of veterinary science that is going to be instrumental for their future successful veterinary school applications. We are truly grateful for the continued support from USDA-NIFA as these students complete their Bachelor of Science degrees. These scholars will fulfill the mission of USDA by becoming the next generation of veterinarians that join the food and agricultural workforce.”

  

Karyn Malinowski, triple Rutgers graduate and professor of Animal Sciences, has retired after 47 years of service.

Karyn Malinowski, equine sciences extension specialist and professor, retired on June 30, after 47 years at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. She is a triple alumna of Rutgers, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in animal sciences and a doctoral degree in zoology. At the time of her work towards her doctoral degree, the Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences Program did not even exist.

She joined the faculty in 1978 as the first female Equine Extension Specialist in the United States. Wearing many hats over the years, she served as a Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, the Associate Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, and Founding Director of the Equine Science Center. From 2002 to 2008, she was the also the Director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Malinowski’s research and extension programs concentrated 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.

“Dr. Karyn Malinowski has been a pioneering force in Equine Extension—not only within the state of New Jersey, but across the region and the country. Her contributions have elevated the field, opened doors for women in Extension, and strengthened the partnership between academia and the equine industry,” said Carey Williams, equine extension specialist and professor in the Department of Animal Sciences. “Her legacy is defined by excellence, innovation, and service, and the reach of her work is reflected in the many individuals and institutions she has influenced.”

Malinowski’s research on recombinant equine growth hormone provided cutting edge insights into the treatment of geriatric horses; and her research on the effects of aging have resulted in a large body of information on the care of the older equine athlete.         

Karyn Malinowski working with students at the Ryders Lane Best Management Practices Demonstration Horse Farm at Rutgers.

Her love of teaching and training is evident by the numerous mentees that she has advised over the years. Mentoring countless undergraduate and graduate students and serving as the major professor to three postdoctoral associates, two doctoral and three master’s students, Malinowski’s legacy lives on in the work of the next generation of equine scientists.

Malinowski took on the mantle of building the equine science program at Rutgers, leading the industry effort that resulted in Cook College and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station receiving $1.2 million for Strategic Initiatives in 1992 from the NJ state legislature. The equine science program received $300,000 per year, for multiple years, in no small part due to her advocacy for equine science, animal science, and the success and dependability of Rutgers’ research and extension activities.

“Dr. Malinowski has dedicated herself to better horse care through research and education. Her decades of tireless efforts to ensure the viability of the New Jersey equine industry has had a major impact on public policy in the state and nationally,” said Kenneth McKeever, professor of equine exercise physiology in the Department of Animal Sciences. “Her career is a model of excellence in all three parts of the land-grant mission: research, teaching, and outreach/service.”

Malinowski is also responsible for the Lord Nelson joining Rutgers, one of the first horses brought to campus to be used by the RUPD’s mounted patrol unit. Lord Nelson went on to become the horse used for the Rutgers Football Games, and then eventually “retired” from the university, to only be brought back as the mascot of the ever successful “Equine Science 4 KIDS!” program.

In her retirement, Malinowski plans to stay engaged with the equine industry, and after taking a well-deserved break no one would be surprised if she appeared for guest lectures or consulting, always willing to share her lifetime of experience and knowledge.

  

Professor Carey Williams was awarded the 2025 Outstanding Educator Award by the Equine Science Society on June 6 in Fort Collins, CO. Photo: Courtesy of Carey Williams.

Announcement by Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director.

Dear SEBS/NJAES Community,

Effective September 1, Carey Williams, Extension Specialist in Animal Sciences, will serve as Interim Director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center. 

William’s research area is equine nutrition, with specific focus on how nutrition affects the performance of the equine athlete, and how pasture content affects horse metabolism of soluble carbohydrates and the gut microbiome.

As an extension specialist, she facilitates and coordinates educational programs for the equine industry in New Jesey, as well as programs in whole farm management.

Williams is an active teacher in the Department of Animal Sciences and regularly teaches Equine Nutrition and Comparative Mammalian Anatomy and oversees the equine section of the experiential learning course, Animal Handling, Fitting, and Exhibition. 

As the interim director, William will work closely with the Dean/Director of Research, Josh Kohut, the chair of the Department of Animal Sciences Nicholas Bello, and the administrative leadership of SEBS/NJAES.

Please join me in congratulating Carey Williams on this new leadership role.

  

Professor Carey Williams was awarded the 2025 Outstanding Educator Award by the Equine Science Society on June 6 in Fort Collins, CO. Photo: Courtesy of Carey Williams.

Carey Williams, equine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and associate director for extension at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, has been honored with the “Outstanding Educator Award” by the Equine Science Society.

Presented on June 6 at the conclusion of the society’s three-day biennial symposium in Fort Collins, CO, the award recognizes “an individual who has demonstrated excellence in the area of equine education, either to students or in the horse industry.”

“Being recognized by my major society that I have been a member of since my first year as a graduate student more than 20 years ago means so much! As I look at all the previous recipients of this award, I feel deeply honored to be among the ranks of the esteemed colleagues whom I’ve admired over the years,” said Williams.

In addition to her outstanding teaching of equine science at Rutgers and her dedication to students, Williams is extensively involved in outreach programs for youth and adults, nationally and internationally.

Her signature undergraduate course, “Comparative Mammalian Anatomy,” is a popular 3-credit and upper-level Animal Science elective course that she developed more than 15 years ago, and which features hands-on lab classes. She also teaches “Equine Nutrition,” available as an online course to Rutgers undergraduate students but also reaching horse owners and enthusiasts globally through the Rutgers NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education. This innovative, online format includes a two-tiered registration system to accommodate different learning preferences and has resulted in record enrollment.

Williams also consistently instructs or co-teaches other undergraduate courses, like “Animal Evaluation and Selection” and the horse section of “Animal Handling and Fitting.” Her student evaluations are consistently among the best, with high scores for teaching enthusiasm and content effectiveness.

She is also a dedicated mentor to graduate students, serving as the Graduate Program Director for Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences since 2023 and helping establish a popular 4+1 non-thesis master’s program. She has advised several master’s and doctoral students, and mentored numerous undergraduate research students, many of whom have gone on to achieve career success.

Carey Williams teaching students from LaGuardia Community College in the inaugural USDA NIFA NEXTGEN Animal Science Discovery Program’s (ANSCId) Summer Experiential Learning Program (SELP) and Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program hosted in July 2024 by the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Photo: Courtesy of OPOC.

Nationally, Williams has demonstrated success in extension activities. She hosts or co-hosts annual state and regional programs for adults and youth, including the Annual Horse Management Seminar. Her involvement in the Junior Animal Science Symposium reaches a significant youth audience. Since 2021 she has organized the Virtual Horse Management Seminar Series, which has attracted hundreds of in-person attendees worldwide, and the widely popular “Evening of Wine and Equine,” an educational equine seminar series hosted at local wineries.

She is a strong contributor to Extension Horses, Inc., a nationally recognized and award-winning extension outreach initiative led by professionals from national land-grant universities dedicated to bringing research-based information to the public. Her extension programs effectively use a combination of in-person presentations, distance education, webinars, podcasts, fact sheets, peer-reviewed journal articles and popular press, to effectively reach her audiences.

  

Rutgers alumnus Matthew Edson (third from right), Founding Dean of Rowan University School of Veterinary Medicine, meets with early admit students to New Jersey first veterinary school, which welcomes its first matriculating class this fall. Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Edson.

The announcement in 2022 that Matthew Edson, Rutgers animal sciences graduate, would be the Founding Dean of the Rowan University School of Veterinary Medicine delighted his former Rutgers professors. New facilities at the school, including a specialty/referral hospital that will be open to the public, will be complete late summer 2025, and ready to welcome the school’s first cohort of 41 New Jersey residents and 34 out-of-state students.

Carol Bagnell, professor and then chair of the Department of Animal Sciences at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), taught Matthew as an undergraduate, and was among the first to congratulate him on his appointment.

“We are very proud of you, as a 2007 graduate of our program, for providing the leadership for this very exciting initiative. It doesn’t seem too long ago that you were a student on the Cook-Douglass campus,” she wrote to Matthew. “It is very rewarding to see your success in establishing an award-winning veterinary practice and now leading this ground-breaking effort in veterinary medical education.”

Matthew Edson (CC’07), founding dean, Rowan University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Animal Science is the largest undergraduate major at SEBS and the possibilities of finding areas to partner with the Rowan University School of Veterinary Medicine was very much at the top of Bagnell’s mind and succeeding leadership of the SEBS Department of Animal Sciences. Matthew is in a position to facilitate such potential partnerships as the founding dean of the vet school, and he touches on this aspiration as he shared his journey as a Rutgers animal science undergraduate to his new leadership role in veterinary medicine in the state.

What drew you to Rutgers and the animal sciences program, in particular?
I was pretty sure I was on the path to veterinary school early on, so the strength of the animal science program and hands-on nature of the experiences offered at Rutgers were a big plus. With a lot to do on the farm at home, the proximity was important as well. I think one of the biggest drivers was the connection between the school and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. I had experienced elements of Rutgers through 4-H, which gave me a good impression of then Cook College, now SEBS.

Do any classes or experiences stand out as very impactful to your post-undergrad or career choices?
Taking the 3-day “Dairy Cattle Artificial Insemination” that the animal science department offered in conjunction with Genex, an organization that provides genetic and reproductive solutions to the dairy and beef cattle industry, was a great experience. It allowed us to apply some of the book knowledge we had learned to a real-life, clinical-type experience. I also really enjoyed “Principles of Integrative Physiology” with Dr. Henry John-Alder, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources.

Have you been back to campus since you graduated?
As an alumnus, I welcome any opportunity to share my journey in veterinary medicine and support of the students in the animal sciences program. I’ve been back on campus to speak to the pre-veterinary club a few years in a row and was also back once to judge state 4-H public presentations at Hickman Hall.

After graduating from Rutgers, you headed to the Midwest to get your degree in veterinary medicine. What was that transition like?
One of the reasons I picked Kansas State was the small town the school was in and because the folks I met there during interviews were so nice. Feeling “at home” in that respect made the transition much easier. Academically, veterinary school is certainly more demanding in some respects than undergraduate, mostly due to the volume of information and number of concurrent classes. I think the undergraduate program at Rutgers did a great job of preparing us for veterinary school. During the first year of vet school, many of the classes seemed like a review of much of the content from my program at Rutgers, which made adjusting much easier as it didn’t seem nearly as overwhelming having covered that material before.

Matthew Edson with wife Jenna, MSW graduate of Rutgers-Camden, and their dogs Frankie and Shadow.

How would you describe your journey to this point in your career?
It’s been an interesting path from Rutgers to vet school to private practice and back into academic veterinary medicine. Without the foundation from my time in the animal sciences program at Rutgers, I doubt I’d be in this position today. When I graduated from K-State, I already had plans to return home to start a practice in my hometown.  What started out as an ambulatory large animal practice (just me, my dog Cody, and a toolbox full of supplies driving my old pickup truck from farm to farm around South Jersey) has grown into a multi-location, multi-doctor, mixed animal practice. When I started to get involved with the vet school project at Rowan a couple years ago I didn’t do so thinking I’d be making a career change back into academia, but the opportunity to participate in the start of such a unique program that’s so needed in our state wasn’t something I could pass up.

When and how did you become involved in the process that led to the launch of the first school of veterinary medicine in New Jersey?
Several years ago, Rowan began to explore the idea of starting a veterinary school and reached out to the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA) for input. I was the NJVMA President at that time, so I was involved in those initial discussions. I’ve been able to develop a strong network of other veterinary professionals in NJ during my years in practice and my experience serving as a site visitor for the AVMA’s vet school accrediting body gave me insight on the need to establish and maintain a veterinary program, so I became more and more engaged in the project. I started as a consultant for Rowan during the feasibility study portion and after a year or so, it was decided that the project was truly moving forward. I was offered the Founding Dean position at that point and started in that role in June 2021.

Broadly, what were some of the challenges you and colleagues faced in bringing this vision to fruition?
There are endless challenges to starting a program of this scale and we’ll continue to have more as we progress. Most of the newer veterinary programs in the U.S. are distributive, meaning most of the student clinical training is provided at partner facilities outside of the school itself. We wanted to keep more of the clinical experiences in-house, which involves not only starting a school but starting a teaching hospital as well. We’re planning a hybrid program where the majority of the clinical experiences will be in our clinical facilities with our faculty with a smaller portion of the clinical experiences at outside clinical partner sites.  Keeping the cost of veterinary education affordable for students is challenging as well, but that’s something that’s always in our minds while planning every aspect of this program.

At the time, how did you view the impact of the founding of the first such school in the state?
For too long, New Jersey residents have had to compete for limited out-of-state seats and pay much more expensive out-of-state tuition rates in order to attend veterinary school. Student debt and a shortage of veterinary staff are both major issues in our profession right now.  Offering an in-state tuition option will help to reduce student debt for graduates and keep those new doctors in New Jersey when they finish their program. I think this will be a great addition for our state, both from an educational standpoint and for the clinical resources and research opportunities it will provide.

You’ve now been in the role of founding dean for several years, what are some of the early milestones and impact that you’ve observed?

The opportunity to build a new veterinary program from scratch has been the experience of a lifetime.  We’re very lucky to have an excellent team of staff and faculty here that have put in a tremendous amount of work getting the program off the ground.  In October 2024, the school received accreditor approval to admit our first class, which will begin classes this fall. We’ve starting equine and large animal clinical services throughout southern NJ, have been providing spay/neuter services for local shelter animals, and began outreach clinic services for low-income individuals and their pets in Camden.  Our STEM education center for preschool through high school students is starting operations in Mount Laurel and we’re looking forward to beginning clinical services in our hospital and welcoming New Jersey’s first class of veterinary students this fall.  It’s certainly been a busy, yet very exciting time.

Can you share broadly what’s planned for graduates who wish to enroll?
DVM students in our program should expect an integrated program in which we emphasize clinical and professional skills education from the start of the program.  We’re very focused on ensuring we prepare competent and confident new veterinarians at graduation, with equal attention given to their ability to practice clinically, their ability to communicate with clients and colleagues, and other skills including practice management and regulatory knowledge. We offer a wide range of elective courses for students to pursue individual interests including wildlife medicine, practice management, honeybee medicine, emergency/critical care, and many more.  Accelerated degree programs such as a joint DVM/MBA with Rowan’s Rohrer College of Business are available, including an accelerated program for those who have already completed a DVM degree. The application for next year’s entering class is already available through VMCAS, so we encourage anyone who is interested to apply. Admissions requirement information is available at our website at www.rowan.edu/svm for those who are interested in finding out more.

  

Henry Bignell was recognized at SEBS Baccalaureate in May with the 2025 “Dr. Barbara Munson Goff Teacher of the Year” award. Photo: OPOC.

Henry Bignell, teaching instructor in the Department of Animal Sciences, was named the 2025 Teacher of the Year by the Rutgers Chapter of the Fraternity of Alpha Zeta, the national honor and service fraternity for agriculture and environmental studies.

The award was named in memory of Barbara Munson Goff, former director of the Cook General Honors Program and an Alpha Zeta alumna, who was an extraordinary teacher and mentor at the school. The annual award reflects the high standards of teaching exemplified by Dr. Goff and the qualities of leadership, character, and service that are synonymous with the ideals of the fraternity.

Henry Bignell is recognized as the 2025 ‘Teacher of the Year’ at SEBS Convocation by Brian Schilling, director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. SEBS Executive Dean, Laura Lawson, is at right.

Bignell teaches five Animal Science courses to more than 500 students each academic year and oversees and coordinates the Animal Nutrition Laboratory sections, where he mentors Graduate Teaching Assistants. He’s passionate about providing students with experiential learning opportunities and prizes being the instructor of the Academic Mentoring class for first-generation students and serving as a first-year and transfer student advisor for Animal Science students.

Bignell loves his students – and it shows. Alpha Zeta students have highlighted his impact on their SEBS education, and these quotes from students highlight why he was selected for this particular teaching honor, which earned him recognition at both SEBS Baccalaureate and Convocation.

“Professor Bignell is the kind of professor every student wishes they could have every year. He genuinely wants the best for his students and constantly goes above and beyond to help them, whether he’s offering academic guidance as an advisor or giving emotional advice like a father. His dedication, warmth, and unwavering commitment to his students make him truly deserving of this title.” Sabrina Kim

“Professor Bignell was an amazing professor right from the start. He’s engaging in class and gives so many opportunities for students to succeed. He’s approachable both in and outside of class, I’m so happy I started Rutgers at the same time as Professor Bignell, I don’t think my Rutgers experience would have been the same without him.” Jackie LaChow

“Professor Bignell always goes above and beyond to make connections with his students. I had him for “Intro to Animal Science,” and even though there were 200+ students in the class, he remembered me when I had him again two years later. He takes a genuine interest in students’ goals and always pushes us to be our best.” Kelsey Iuliano

Bignell humbly credits his growth and success to his departmental colleagues, especially his grad school advisor, mentor, and friend, Professor Carol Bagnell.

Prior to his teaching role in the Department of Animal Sciences, Bignell had an 8-year tenure as a Cooperative Extension Agent at the University of Florida, Cornell University, and Rutgers. But, by far, his most fulfilling roles are teaching undergraduate students and mentoring graduate students.

  

Noran Jean Nealon (SEBS’13) with her cat, Jellybean.

Fourteen years after her first teaching experience as an undergraduate student at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Nora Jean Nealon (SEBS’13) finds herself just as passionate about and fulfilled by teaching in her current role as an assistant professor in Microbiology at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University.

Her journey to what she considers an enriching career as a teacher began at SEBS. “As someone keenly interested in a biomedical career, I was looking for a school that would allow me to participate in research, early and often. Additionally, as a student particularly excited about life sciences, SEBS and its diversity of majors and undergraduate STEM resources felt like the perfect fit for exploring these options further.”

Another important factor influencing her enrolling at SEBS was being able to participate in the undergraduate General Honors Program. “When I was a student, this was a small program, taking about 20-25 students per year, and we took several courses together. This created a small community within the larger SEBS community, which was nice coming into a large college and a very different environment than where I grew up in Monmouth County, close to the Jersey Shore.”

Nora Jean Nealon, center, with SEBS classmates Kerri Close and Kateria Mankiewicz. Photo: courtesy of Nora Jean Nealon.

The SEBS honors program ignited a passion in Nora Jean for teaching and mentoring.

“In my junior and senior years, I student-taught in honors seminars for first-year students, which made me realize how amazing and rewarding being an instructor and support system for new students could be, especially given what a huge transition it is jumping from high school to a large university.”

A first-generation college student, Nora Jean graduated as a triple major in Animal Science, Biological Sciences, and Nutrition, and a double minor in Endocrine physiology and Health and Companion Animal Science, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average.

In addition to that rigorous academic load, Nora Jean worked nearly full-time for a large part of her undergraduate years. One of her jobs was at a local veterinary hospital as an assistant to gain experience for veterinary school.

“I started volunteering at hospitals and clinics as a teenager and I worked my way up to be a veterinary assistant. This confirmed for me that I wanted to work with companion animals (dogs and cats). Other classes at Rutgers, that let me work with livestock (sheep, goats, cows, pigs) and research opportunities that let me work with mice and rats also furthered my interests in veterinary medicine.”

Nora Jean still found time to participate in extracurricular activities at Rutgers. “I was involved in the creation of the Companion Animal Club in 2011, which I founded with several of my classmates, Pauline Chen (MD), Yung Yung Chan (DVM), Rebecca Aguilar (DVM), Sandra Ministro (BS, Animal Sciences, Kateria Mankiewicz (MS, specialist in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection), Jenny Kim (DVM’25), Brandi Hartman (BS, Animal Sciences), Courtney Zinna (DVM), Christopher Lam (DVM) and Santiago Bustamante (DVM).”

Since she graduated from SEBS in 2013, the Companion Animal Club at Rutgers has grown to include student handlers who raise service dogs on campus for local organizations and is one of the largest clubs at the university. “I’m really proud to see a small idea that I had as a teenager take off and make a big impact on the university and larger community, and to the many club officers, who came after me, that took this initial vision and expanded it into the impressive club it is today.”

After graduation, Nora Jean took a gap year to save up for veterinary school applications and travel costs for interviews. “I continued to work as a veterinary assistant, and I also took on a teaching role at Rutgers in the SEBS General Honors Program, where I was a co-instructor in honors seminars. I combined this appointment with my tutoring role at the Rutgers Learning Center, where I continued to teach chemistry and biochemistry to groups of students.”

She then embarked a competitive, seven-year DVM/Ph.D. program at Colorado State University, followed by a postdoctoral fellow and licensed small animal veterinarian at The Ohio State University.

Nora Jean Nealon worked on a farm to gain hands-on experience to become a vet. Photo; courtesy of Nora Jean Nealon.

Like many of her New Jersey peers interested in becoming veterinarians, Nora Jean had to go out-of-state for vet school as there was no such option in-state at the time. The Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University, the first in-state veterinary school, is a “game-changer for qualified and deserving pre-veterinary and pre-graduate school students all over New Jersey, which may not have had the financial means to undertake an out of state veterinary degree or may not have been able to complete their degree out of state for many other reasons,” said Nora Jean. “Getting to teach and shape the future of veterinary and graduate students is a privilege.”

She always saw herself in academia and recalls her mother saying that, as a kid, she used to say she wanted to be “a microbiology professor and also a veterinarian.” She finds it both funny and impressive that she ended up doing exactly that. “Little did I know, I’d someday combine these interests into a faculty position focused on research and teaching in these two areas.”

Her Rutgers experience was the bridge to the career and the professional life she’s always had in mind. “SEBS provided me with a rigorous and robust training in many areas of life science, which were critical for my success in both graduate school and veterinary school, and now as a scientist and small animal veterinarian. I still use so much of what I learned as an undergraduate student today in my career.”

She fervently believes that the personal growth that comes from going to college has also helped her professionally. “My SEBS journey taught me important lessons in time management, effective communication, collaboration, setting healthy boundaries, and prioritizing wellness and mental health.”

She credits her ability to participate in undergraduate research as instrumental in her development as a scientist, allowing her to be accepted into a great Ph.D. training program and leading to a postdoctoral position and now, ultimately, a role as a faculty member at Rowan University. “The endless opportunities at SEBS for students to explore careers in teaching, through tutoring, working as teaching assistants, and getting to help faculty design courses, has helped to shape me into the educator I am today.”

  

Mike Westendorf, Professor of Animal Sciences, has retired after 31 years at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

Dr. Mike Westendorf, Animal Sciences Extension Specialist and Professor, retired on January 1, 2025, after 31 years at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

Dr. Westendorf grew up on a small dairy farm in Idaho before studying animal science at the University of Idaho as an undergraduate, then earning his PhD at the University of Kentucky in Animal Science and Ruminant Nutrition. It was in graduate school where he met his wife, Daphne, who is from the east coast, which eventually brought him to New Jersey. He came to Rutgers in 1993 as an Assistant Extension Specialist after a stint in Washington, D.C. working as a Congressional Science Fellow.

In addition to his work with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Westendorf has researched food and byproduct residues as animal feeds, and animal waste management and utilization.  His career has allowed him to work directly with farmers across New Jersey, developing technical support programs and finding productive and innovative ways to manage their farms.  Dr. Westendorf also had a teaching appointment where he taught upper-level courses in animal production and management.

“Farmers are the salt of the earth,” said Westendorf. “I’ve always had a background in agriculture myself, coming from a farm and studying animal science all the way through my career.  I’m interested in providing solutions for the issues that farmers deal with. That’s what gravitated me to extension services and to work directly with farmers.”

Much of his work has been in collaboration with faculty and staff at Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the State Department of Agriculture, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the NJ Farm Bureau.

“The thing I enjoyed most of all was working directly with farmers and students. I’ve taught courses since I arrived at Rutgers and I’ve made many visits to farms with students,” said Westendorf. “I enjoyed being able to interact with students and further their education and ability to think and learn about agriculture.”

In his retirement, Westendorf plans to do what he’s always enjoyed – reading and writing – primarily his family history, and regional travel to New England and other locations on the east coast.

His advice for future students, animal science or otherwise: “First, get a variety of experiences other than purely academic. Second, find something you enjoy and can commit yourself to.  This will broaden your horizon and increase your effectiveness in everything you do.”