2018 AATCC Student Chapter Award Recipients

Every year, the  American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) student chapters name a graduating senior to be recognized for academic achievement and contribution to the chapter, school, and society. This year AATCC presented each chapter award recipient with a certificate, a copy of the 2017 AATCC Technical Manual, and a copy of the book Color Vision and Technology. Awardees also receive one year of free Membership in AATCC as they start their careers.

University of Delaware

The Student Chapter Award at the University of Delaware (UD) goes to Taylor Pearlstein. As a Dean’s Scholar at UD, Pearlstein developed and proposed her own academic course of study based on her specific interests in textiles, art, fashion, science, and anthropology. Less than 5% of all undergraduates at UD receive the status of Dean’s Scholar. Pearlstein has conducted research at the Winterthur Museum’s Scientific Research and Analysis Lab, studying fabrics from the eighteenth-century to analyze textile dyes using a variety of methods. She has also completed research at UD’s Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab, creating garments for individuals in physical therapy—and her research team currently has a provisional patent. Pearlstein was nominated as a 2016 UD Woman of Promise. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society and was nominated by UD to apply for the Marshall and Fulbright Scholarships. Following graduation, she will enter the Masters in Cultural Heritage Studies at the University College of London in the UK. Pearlstein has actively served her school and the student chapter of AATCC. She is a Blue Hen Ambassador, which involves giving tours to prospective students and speaking on panels about the Honors Program. She has also performed in a variety of dance and theatre groups for the local community and volunteered with UD’s Historic Costume and Textiles Collection for the past four years. She has taught elementary school students at the Salvation Army in their Fantastic Friday’s education programs. Pearlstein has also been a leader in the UD AATCC Student Chapter. When she first joined the AATCC Student Chapter, she held the office of parliamentarian, and helped to launch the “Fashioning Innovation Program,” which connected science and innovation in textiles. She is now the president of the AATCC Student Chapter and has worked to improve the chapter’s programming, such as a workshop on 3D printing, and to expand the outreach of the organization to individuals in other STEM majors, such as engineering and chemistry.