‘Through his more than 30 years of dedicated research, teaching, visiting lectures, and numerous presentations at leather industry events and publications in leading journals, Professor Covington has had a lasting impact on our basic understanding of the leather making process. He is especially well known and respected by leading leather scientists around the world for his insights and contributions towards a better understanding of the basic mechanisms of tannage. Professor Covington has also given of his time to various professional leather organisations and served as president of the IULTCS in 1995-7. He has also made valuable contributions to the SLTC and has served on other leather industry committees and commissions’, the executive committee commented.
The IULTCS Merit Award for Excellence in the Leather Industry will be awarded to Professor Covington at the 30th IULTCS Congress in Beijing, to be held on the 11th – 14th October 2009.
Professor Covington follows Dr Robert Sykes, who was the first winner of this biannual award. The award was established in 2004 and is the highest recognition of excellence made by the IULTCS. The IULTCS secretary, Dr Campbell Page, commented that four exceptional nominees were put forward for consideration in 2009 and it is unfortunate that the IULTCS Executive Committee can only select one. He said further that he hopes to see the names of some of this year’s candidates who did not win the award put forward by their associations once again.