• a new peer review online, AATCC Journal of Research, which he called a “mammoth undertaking;”

• an AATCC mobile app for iPhone and Android;

• a new local section, the New York Metro Section; and

• a new student intern website to help match interested students with companies.

 

In the education arena, AATCC representatives attended a number of international and stateside industry events and conducted several symposia, he reported.

 

“We also continue to build upon our series of webinars and, with our board’s approval, will now also offer infomercial webinars sponsored by interested companies,” Hauser said. “These infomercials will be technical presentations that can contain company-specific information.”

 

In the education arena, AATCC representatives attended a number of international and stateside industry events and conducted several symposia, he reported.

 

“We also continue to build upon our series of webinars and, with our board’s approval, will now also offer infomercial webinars sponsored by interested companies,” Hauser said. “These infomercials will be technical presentations that can contain company-specific information.”

 

In the technical area, led by AATCC Technical Director Lou Protonentis and assisted by prior board member Alfred So of Shanghai, a new lot of Blue Wool L2 was developed.
 

The association also continued the next phase in the development of a new Laboratory Certification Program regarding AATCC and ASTM test methods, planned for launch in 2015, Hauser said. Additionally, the year-old Best Practices in Visual Assessment Using AATCC Gray Scales, has grown well, as has the six Proficiency Testing Programs and the UV Calibration Fabric Program, Hauser said.

 

“We continue to evaluate new international trainers and currently have 30 trainers conducting International Test Method Training courses for us on AATCC and ASTM test methods,” Hauser said. “We are now working even more closely with ASTM, determining how to better leverage our technical offerings to the global community as we partner to maintain the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO/TC38-Textiles.”

 

Also, AATCC is finalizing work with the College of Textiles at N.C. State to add key AATCC test methods to the internet-based Textile Fundamentals Series, to assist in the immediate accessibility of test method training, he said.

 

The C2C Student Design Competition, funded by the Herman and Myrtle Goldstein Endowment, is underway, Hauser added. The theme of this year’s competition is “Boardwalk,” and students will showcase their talent in textile design by creating a cohesive swimwear collection for 18-30 year-old males and/or females.

 

Hauser also reported that the AATCC Foundation’s Board of Directors were pleased with the number of strong research proposals received for this year’s AATCC Foundation Student Research Grant Program. This year, six awards were offered to students at four schools: Cornell University, the University of Georgia, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Texas-Austin.

 

“We are very pleased to support the quality of textile research being performed by these students,” he said.

 

He also noted that five scholarship programs will provide awards ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 to students studying textile sciences, textile engineering, polymers, chemical engineering or textile design, depending on each scholarship’s criteria.

 

“For the 2013-14 academic school year alone, the AATCC Foundation awarded a total of $45,860 in scholarship and grant funds,” Hauser said.

 

This year, the AATCC Technical Center will celebrate 50 years at its current location in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Outside of the RTP headquarters, AATCC was the third commercial group to locate to the park in the early 1960s.