Posted March 19, 2020

 

By Devin Steele (DSteele@eTextileCommunications.com)

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. – As the AATCC prepares for its 100th anniversary next year, its president, Kerry King, highlighted some of the exciting things happening in the association.

 

“Corporate membership is the highest it’s been in more than 15 years,” she said during an Awards Luncheon, part of AATCC’s annual International Conference (IC) here last week.

 

She added that the AATCC Foundation’s 100 for 100 Campaign is focused on endowing at least $100,000 in annual scholarships in time to celebrate AATCC’s centennial, she added.

 

“Just $100 from each individual member could get us there!,” stressed King, senior vice president of Research & Development at Spoonflower, Inc., Durham, N.C.

 

The annual conference, held under the theme, “Going Green in Greenville,” took place just as the coronavirus crisis was reaching unprecedented levels of anxiety in the U.S., and several would-be attendees opted not to attend for various reasons related to the pandemic, according to AATCC Executive Director Diana Wyman. But a good number of people registered at the door to help overall numbers, which were comparably good to recent years, she added. But handshakes and hugs were few and far between among conferees, who opted for other means of greeting one another.

 

Two days of educational sessions included three tracks: Navigating the Sustainability Landscape, Engineering Textiles for Technology and Innovation and The New Science of Comfort and Wellness.

 

In reviewing the past year, King reported that the AATCC’s RA111 research committee published two of the very first global standards for e-textiles and has more in the pipeline. She added that the RA100 committee is cooperating with numerous international groups to develop a test method for evaluating the release of fiber fragments (often called “microfibers”) during laundering.

Additionally, plans for new educational opportunities are well underway, including events covering color management, textile testing and digital printing.

 

During the luncheon, AATCC leaders conferred several awards. Among winners was Kenneth Greeson, manager of Textile Chemistry Research at Cotton Incorporated, who captured the AATCC Olney Medal. He was recognized for his work in durable press finishing of cotton. He has spent many years working with durable press chemistry – in particular, resin and cross-linking chemistry – and has made several significant advancements in cotton durable press technology.

 

Most recently, Greeson was awarded a utility patent for his work on the formulation of a non-formaldehyde durable press finish for cotton, known as Purepress. This technology combines smoothness with enhanced strength, tear and abrasion resistance, as compared to the traditional DMDHEU finish. The Purepress finish has comparable whiteness, enhanced strength, no shade change, and no odor; it also requires a lower cure temperature than the traditional DMDHEU resin finish.

 

Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal Award recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science. The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll and an honorarium.

 

Also, in recognition of her outstanding service to the AATCC, Debra F. Chronicle received the association’s Harold C. Chapin Award for her dedicated service and outreach – locally, nationally and internationally. She joined AATCC in 1980 as a member of the Rhode Island Section and has served the association in numerous capacities ever since.

 

The Chapin Award was established in 1958 in honor of Harold C. Chapin, professor of chemistry at Lowell Textile School, who served as national secretary of AATCC for nearly 25 years. The association presented Chronicle with a large, hand-lettered scroll.

 

AATCC, with a number of active student chapters around the world, presented its first Faculty Advisor Award to Dr. Usha Chowdhary, professor in the Department of Fashion, Interior Design and Merchandising at Central Michigan University. Chowdhary, an AATCC member since 2004, has been teaching textiles since becoming an assistant professor in 1974. She has advised many graduate and undergraduate students and encouraged scholarly and creative activities.

 

The association also honored six individuals chosen by three interest groups for its Future Leaders Award recognizing young professionals in the field of textiles, apparel and related material sciences. Winners included:

 

• Katelyn Lee of Cotton Incorporated and Bryan Ormond of N.C. State University from the Chemical Applications Interest Group;

• Ashley Handley of UL and Heather Johnson of American & Efird from the Concept2Consumer Interest Group; and

• Tyler Pickett and Morgan Schanski, both of adidas, from the Materials Interest Group.

 

Also, Dr. Amit Madhu and Dr. J.N. Chakroborty, who were not able to attend, received the J.W. Weaver Paper of the Year Award. Their winning paper, “Bio-Bleaching of Cotton with H2O2 Generated from Native and Immobilized Glucose Oxidase,” was published in the AATCC Journal of Research.

 

AATCC also honored Steve Simonson with its TCR Service Award for his longtime leadership and support of the RA106 UV Protective Textiles Committee. Later Cotton Incorporated’s Renuka Dhandapori, a judge in the Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Student Paper Competition, announced the four winners.

 

Before closing, King thanked attendees, staff and sponsors.

 

“I want to specially thank the countless members who give unselfishly of their time by volunteering to work on our many committees, provide leadership to our sections, interest groups and students and tirelessly promote AATCC to their networks around the world,” she said. “Our volunteers are the most essential part of our association and you are very much appreciated.”

 

King then called Sandy Johnson of Color Solutions International to present a special award to longtime AATCC employee Peggy Pickett, who recently announced she is retiring in April. Johnson shared several warm stories and anecdotes about Pickett, AATCC’s Education Director, before presenting her with a gift from Tiffany & Co.