#Associations

2022-10-20

Gang Sun receives 2021 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. The award was presented at the recent AATCC Textile Discovery Summit in Charlotte, NC., USA. His achievements for AATCC are outstanding.

AATCC Involvement

A member of the Association since 1995, Sun has been active in AATCC as an educational speaker and paper presenter. He has also been very involved with AATCC publications and has authored numerous peer reviewed papers published in AATCC Journal of Research, AATCC Review, and their predecessors. One of his papers received the 2006 J. W. Weaver Paper of the Year Award. Sun also contributed a chapter in the AATCC publication, Analytical Methods for a Textile Laboratory, 4th Edition.

In 2017, Sun joined the AATCC Publications Committee. He has been a part of AATCC Journal of Research since its inception in 2014, first as a dedicated Associate Editor, and as the Editor in Chief since 2019. Under his leadership, journal submissions increased and have been cited frequently, strengthening the value and rank of the Journal among textile research publications. Not only has he overseen the standard issues of AATCC Journal of Research, Sun also oversaw three special issues created in conjunction with national and international conferences.

As an academician, Sun has trained and introduced AATCC to countless textile professionals. Sun’s promotion of AATCC to students and colleagues nationally and internationally has led to the recognition of AATCC and its publications as valued, credible resources for textile professionals. He was the 2016 recipient of the Olney M Medal for outstanding achievement in textile science and presented this year’s Medal during the Textile Discovery Summit awards luncheon.

Professional Accomplishments

Sun is a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He received his BS and MS degrees in Materials Science and Fiber Engineering at Donghua University. Ten years after this, he completed his PhD in Chemistry at Auburn University, and in 1995, began his career as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis. Sun has published more than 320 peer reviewed articles, co-written 24 book chapters; and has 18 US patents, with five provisional patent applications pending.

Chapin Award

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.

To see past recipients, or to nominate a future recipient, visit:

www.aatcc.org/chapin.

AATCC announces 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition winners

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) recognized the winners of the 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition. Founded in 1982 to give student members the chance to conduct and present original research, the competition was renamed in 1994 in honor of Herman and Myrtle Goldstein, following their US$60,000 endowment. Their gift is a lasting remembrance of their dedication to young people in the textile industry.

New funding available for textile research

The AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grant Program provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing textile-related projects. Students may submit proposals now for funding to be awarded January 2026. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be considered.

Meadow Grove Research joins ITMF as Corporate Member

Meadow Grove Research is a commodity research firm specializing in supply, demand, and trade analysis in cotton and other soft commodities. Providing clarity to the complex nature of the global fiber supply chain is one of its most formidable services. The firm thrives on customer engagement and providing the best framework for critical decisions.

Sustainability: European industry calls on EU to keep Single-Use Plastics Directive unchanged

A broad coalition of European industry associations, including EDANA, Euratex and Plastics Europe, has urged EU institutions to maintain the current legal framework of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). In a joint statement, the organisations argue that reopening the Directive at this stage would create legal uncertainty, increase regulatory complexity and undermine investment, while its implementation across the European Union is still incomplete.

Textile machinery: Italian technology charts the course for revival

Operating in a scenario characterized by geopolitical instability, slowing industrial investments, and new protectionist pressures. This is the main challenge for the Italian textile machinery industry that emerged during the General Assembly of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), held today in Milan at the Shareholders’ Hall of Palazzo Edison.

New skills for a circular textile economy

Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is developing three practical training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has now been developed and validated together with industry representatives. The module provides participants with knowledge of regulatory requirements, material sorting and the preparation of textile waste for recycling.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.