Michael “Mick” Peterson, Ph.D., is the Director of the Racetrack Safety Program and a professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky. He also serves as the executive director of an independent nonprofit: Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory. Dr. Peterson’s research links traditional understandings of engineering mechanics and materials to the biomechanics of animals. His research emphasis is on the manner in which dynamic response can be used to characterize materials. He has worked on a range of equine and animal biomechanics topics, including the impact of exercise on bone density, the development of biomechanical models, the durability of cetacean epidermis, the dynamic response of the equine forelimb, cetacean acoustic responses, marine hydroacoustics, and the kinematics of equine gait on treadmills and tracks. His passion is understanding Thoroughbred racing and equestrian sport surfaces.