AATCC Presents Awards for Textile Research, Education, Invention, and More
RTP, NC, October 27, 2022 – The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) presented several awards at the recent AATCC Textile Discovery Summit in Charlotte, NC, USA. The awards recognize achievement and service across all aspects of the textile community.
To learn more about each award, view past winners, or nominate a future recipient, visit www.aatcc.org/awards.
J.W. Weaver Paper of the Year
Michael Santiago Cintron, Terri Von Hoven, Doug J. Hinchliffe, and Rebecca Hron are the recipients of the J. William Weaver Paper of the Year Award for their paper “Examination of Cotton Maturity and Maturity Distribution Using an Infrared Focal Plane Array Imaging System,” published in the 2021 AATCC Journal of Research.
The authors are all employed at the Southern Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS in New Orleans, LA, USA. Cintron is a research chemist and has been with the USDA since 2008. Von Hoven is a mechanical engineer, Hinchliffe is a lead scientist/molecular biologist, and Hron is a research chemist.
The AATCC Publications Committee presents the J. William Weaver Paper of the Year Award to the author or authors of the best peer reviewed paper published in AATCC Journal of Research each year. Even before it began publishing its own journal, AATCC had a long-standing tradition of friendly rivalry among authors. From 1925 to 1933, awards were presented for the best AATCC conference papers published by American Dyestuff Reporter. From 1940 to 1996, an Intersectional Paper Competition winner was chosen each year. In January 1969, AATCC began publishing Textile Chemist and Colorist and in February 1979, an annual award was established to honor the best paper published in that journal.
TCR Service Award
AATCC recognized Heather Elliot and Matthew Hardwick as the 2022 recipients of the AATCC Technical Committee on Research (TCR) Service Award! Elliot is a product integrity manager at Smartwool. She is recognized for her continuous service and leadership of the RA100 Global Sustainability Test Methods Research Committee and for spearheading the committee’s first test method, AATCC TM212 Test Method for Fiber Fragment Release During Home Laundering, which provides a standardized method for quantifying fiber fragment shedding to combat aquatic pollution.
Hardwick is president and CEO of ResInnova Laboratories. He is recognized for his continuous service and leadership of the RA31 Antimicrobial Activity Research Committee, which led to critical updates of AATCC TM100 Test Method for Antibacterial Finishes on Textile Materials: Assessment of, and most recently, a new standard in the area of odor measurement with TM211 Test Method for the Reduction of Bacterial Odor on Antibacterial Treated Textiles in 2021.
The Technical Committee on Research Service Award was established in 2008 to recognize those members who have contributed greatly to the AATCC organization in a technical capacity.
AATCC Future Leader Awards
The Future Leaders Award recognizes promising young professionals in the fields of textiles, apparel, and related material sciences, provides acknowledgement and recognition to enhance their careers, engages these young professionals in the work of the Association, and brings their insights and needs to the forefront. These young professionals are the future of our industry and the future leaders of AATCC.
Yihong Li is a senior technical manager at Microban International and has been with Microban since 2019. She joined AATCC in 2017 and is a member of the Chemical Applications Interest Groups, the RA31 Antimicrobial Activity Test Methods Committee and the RA60 AATCC Home Laundering Technology Test Methods Committee.
Jenna Eason is a senior applications development scientist with Eastman Chemical. Eason joined AATCC in 2020 and currently serves as an AATCC student mentor and a member of the Concept 2 Consumer Interest Group
Sarah Plautz has been working at W.L. Gore & Associates for the nine years, where she has experienced close collaboration with textile mills and manufacturing, textile testing, textile development, and college recruiting. Currently, she is the Vice Chair of the AATCC Delaware Valley Section and has been active in this section since 2017. Plautz joined AATCC in 2018 and is a member of the Materials Interest Group and C6 Membership Committee.
Malinda Scheff is a material supplier quality manager at Patagonia, where she manages a team responsible for ensuring all Patagonia materials are tested according to standards from development through production. Scheff has been a member of AATCC since 2016 and is active in several research committees as well as the Rising Professionals Interest Group.
AATCC Education Award
In recognition of her contributions to the educational and training activities of AATCC, Ann C. Laidlaw was honored with the AATCC Education Award. Laidlaw has been involved in the Association’s educational workshops and symposia for more than 20 years and has taught at more than 40 workshops and symposia on topics involving color science, chemistry, and finishing. She participated on steering committees to develop program content, and served as program chair, moderator, and presenter at numerous AATCC workshops, symposia, and international conferences. From 1996 through 2019, Laidlaw was involved in at least one teaching event per year and, for several years, participated as an instructor in the AATCC Color Management Workshops. Laidlaw also co-authored books and served on multiple committees for AATCC.
Laidlaw was the mastermind behind the Textile Bowl that was held during AATCC International Conferences. She created the questions, organized the college student teams, and emceed several of these popular events. Her questions challenged students and members alike! Appropriately, she accepted her award with a quiz—inviting attendees to name the color phenomenon exhibited by the print on her dress (it was simultaneous contrast).
Student Chapter Faculty Advisor Award
Bryan Ormond was honored for his active leadership, participation, and support of the AATCC Student Chapter at North Carolina State University (NCSU), Wilson College of Textiles, as this year’s recipient of the AATCC Faculty Advisor Award. He has served as faculty advisor of the AATCC student chapter at NCSU since he became an Assistant Professor in 2018. Ormond joined AATCC while an undergraduate student at NCSU in 2006. In 2007, while completing his undergraduate degree, he was recognized with the AATCC Outstanding College Graduate of the Year Award. Ormond brought several students to the Summit, encouraging a new generation of textile professionals and award winners.
Goldstein Student Paper Competition
The first-place winner of the 2022 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition is Faisel Abedin, a PhD candidate at North Carolina State University. Abedin’s paper and oral presentation were titled, “Skin-Textiles Interactions and Thermal Management for Activewear: Influence of Fiber Types and Dynamic Environment Conditions.” The second-place winner was Mohammad Iftekharul Alam of Central Michigan University. His work was “Effect of Different Finishing Methods on the Thermal Comfort of Uniform Work-Shirts.”
The competition is held under the auspices of the AATCC Education Advisory Board and named for Herman and Myrtle Goldstein who provided an endowment to fun the competition and various other student activities.
Millson Award for Invention
AATCC recognized John Crocker and Rick Stanford as the 2021 recipients of the Henry E. Millson Award for Invention. The Millson Award recognizes inventions that are outstanding contributions to textile technology. Crocker and Stanford developed a standardized washing machine for testing textiles to multiple AATCC standards.
Chapin Award
In recognition of his outstanding service to the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, AATCC named Gang Sun the 2021 recipient of the Harold C. Chapin Award.
Olney Medal
Yiqi Yang is the 2021 recipient of the AATCC Olney Medal for outstanding achievement in textile science. Yang is being recognized for his work on the research and development of sustainable, greener textiles. Yang’s contributions to textile science include the development of new biobased fibers and textile chemicals from agricultural wastes and co-products, and cleaner productions in coloration and finishing. His work on protein fibers from chicken feathers was a highlight of the Summit educational sessions.
