AATCC honors Ian Hardin

AATCC will honor University of Georgia professor Ian Russell Hardin with the Olney Medal for outstanding achievements in the field of textile chemistry. Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry. The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll, and an honorarium.

Hardin’s research has focused on developing environmentally friendly alternatives such as enzymes to replace conventional chemicals used in textile processing. In addition to improving the cleanup of textile effluents and improving water quality, the results of Hardin’s research should save energy and reduce costs for textile manufacturers.

He will receive the Olney Medal at an awards luncheon at noon on Thursday, March 24, at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, S. C., U.S.A., during AATCC’s international conference. He will also deliver the traditional Olney Medal address, “The Organic Ties Between Biology and Textile Chemistry: Fungi, Enzymes, and Green Chemistry,” at the conference that morning.