[pageLogInLogOut]

#Associations

AATCC announces the TCR Service Award Recipient

AATCC is pleased to recognize Louann Spirito as the recipient of the AATCC Technical Committee on Research (TCR) Service Award for 2021! She is being recognized for her leadership and support on the M14 Face Covering Monograph.

Spirito joined AATCC in 2001. She is a voting member Appearance Retention Test Methods Committee since 2003, Evaluation of Materials & Products for End Use Performance since 2011, and UV Protective Textiles Test Methods Committee since 2015. She was appointed to serve on the Joint AATCC/ASTM D13 in 2017 and will serve through 2021.

Louann Spirito © 2021 AATCC
Louann Spirito © 2021 AATCC


Spirito was appointed to the Executive Committee on Research in 2005 and served through 2007, and again from 2017 through 2020. From 2017 through 2018, she was elected to serve as the chair of the Concept 2 Consumer® (C2C) Interest Group; she was reappointed to this position in 2019 and served through 2020.  As chair of the C2C Interest Group, she served on the AATCC Board of Directors. She also served on the Membership Committee, Publications Committee, Committee on Conferences, the Education Advisory Board, and the Technical Committee on Research from 2017 through 2018.

Spirito received a BS in Textile Science from the University of Rhode Island in 1976. She has been with SGS North America Inc. since 2001 and currently serves as US & Canada Softlines Business Head. Prior to this, she worked from 1981 through 1997 at Associated Merchandising Corporation as a Product Evaluation Specialist, and from 1997 through 2001 at Frederick Atkins Inc., where she advanced from Manager of Quality Assurance to Divisional Vice President of Quality Assurance.




Spirito is a frequent presenter at industry seminars and conducts training workshops for apparel and footwear testing. She has contributed a chapter on Textile Testing to Birnbaum’s Global Guide to Material Sourcing by David Birnbaum, as well as various articles on textiles and testing. In 2008, Spirito was named to the University of Rhode Island Textiles Fashion, Merchandising and Design Wall of Fame.

The Award

The Technical Committee on Research (TCR) Service Award was established in 2008 to recognize those members who have contributed greatly to the AATCC organization in a technical capacity. Senior members of the Association with at least five years of continuous membership in AATCC, who have contributed outstanding technical service to the Association through activity in a research committee, are eligible. Selection is by unanimous choice of the TCR Service Award Committee composed of the current chair, vice chair, and secretary of the Technical Committee on Research (TCR), as well as the chair of the Executive Committee on Research (ECR). The Award consists of a plaque and an honorarium. This award was presented to Louann during the Textile Discovery Summit Awards Luncheon at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina on November 18, 2021.

To see a full list of past recipients, visit: 

https://aatcc.org/tcr/


More News from American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists

#Associations

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.

#Research & Development

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.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

AATCC’s Circularity Conference approaches as organization continues 2025 Sustainable Textile Event series

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) announces that registration is closing soon for its highly anticipated Circularity Conference, continuing this year’s sustainability event series that has delivered significant value to industry professionals.

#Associations

AATCC Textile Standards adopted by Colombian and Sri Lankan Governments

AATCC test methods and procedures are international standards, meeting the criteria set forth by the World Trade Organization and used around the globe. The standards gain additional recognition through Memoranda of Understanding with Colombia and Sri Lanka.

More News on Associations

#Associations

European Business Coalition welcomes provisional application of EU–Mercosur Agreement and calls for Swift and full implementation

With the European Commission’s decision to provisionally apply the EU–Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement, a process spanning more than 25 years now moves decisively into its implementation phase.

#Associations

EDANA joins industry coalition urging a strong internal market legal basis for the New Circular Economy Act

EDANA has joined 67 European industry associations in a joint industry statement calling on the European Commission and co-legislators to anchor the forthcoming New Circular Economy Act (CEA) in the Internal Market legal basis (Article 114 TFEU).

#Associations

EDANA warns of consequences of misclassification of PET spunbond imports

EDANA would like to remind its members and industry stakeholders of the legal requirement to comply with the EU rules on customs classification when importing nonwovens from third countries outside the EU. In this regard, it was recently discovered that there appears to be a high level of customs misclassification occurring in our industry. This could have dangerous and costly consequences for importers.

#Associations

Engineering depth and diversity for composites

Airbond is the latest member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to receive recognition for contributions to the composites industry. The engineering firm based in Pontypool, South Wales, has just received the Make UK Energy and Sustainability Award for its Lattice 3D Printing project.

Latest News

#INDEX 2026

EDANA unveils nominees for INDEX™26 Awards: Highlighting the next generation of nonwoven excellence

EDANA is proud to unveil the highly anticipated nominees for the INDEX™26 Awards, the nonwoven industry’s highest accolade for technical and sustainable excellence. Out of a record-breaking field of entries, these finalists represent the cutting edge of material science—from bio-based hygiene fibers and PFAS-free protective textiles to revolutionary water-filtration machinery. Each nominee has been selected by a jury of industry experts for their ability to solve critical global challenges, including the transition to a circular economy and the pursuit of enhanced consumer performance.

#Raw Materials

Lenzing Group positions bio‑based materials as a strategic asset for Europe’s economic security

The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, hosted a high‑level roundtable in Brussels to discuss how bio‑based materials can strengthen Europe’s economic security and support the shift toward a fossil‑free future. Organized in cooperation with Euractiv, the event brought together representatives of the European Commission, the UK Mission to the EU, academia, civil society, and industry.

#Natural Fibers

Beyond Cotton: Natural Fibres in the Spotlight at the Bremen Cotton Conference - Branded by DNFI

Climate targets, fragile supply chains, and rising regulatory requirements are fundamentally changing the perspective of the textile industry - the focus is increasingly shifting toward the base material. Not only cotton, but natural fibres are gaining significant importance: they stand out not only because of their outstanding functional properties, but also because they make a valuable contribution to the bioeconomy and responsible product development.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Coats to showcase innovative reinforcement and filler materials for leather goods and accessories at APLF 2026

Coats, a world-class Tier 2 manufacturer and trusted partner for the apparel and footwear industries, will be promoting four advanced materials from its ‘Lifestyle Solutions’ portfolio at APLF 2026 in Hong Kong in March. Each innovation has been specifically engineered to help luxury and premium brands elevate the craft, durability, sustainability and creative expression required in the manufacturing of handbags, purses, and other high-end designer accessories.

TOP