Society News
Letter from the President
Dear Adhesion Society Members,
I hope you're enjoying the summer! I’m still energized from our February conference in New Orleans. Thanks to Chelsea Davis, Christopher So, and all our organizers, it was a fantastic event. We honored Anil Bhowmick with the 3M Excellence in Adhesion Science Award and Ngon Tran with the ASC Early Career Award. Plenary talks by Catherine Brinson, Jonathan Wilker, and Hans-Jurgen Butt sparked great discussions, and our career panel was well attended.
Looking ahead, 2026 Program Co-Chairs Christopher So and Michael Bartlett are planning an exciting meeting in Savannah, with a focus on bio adhesion and bioinspired adhesives. We’ll also celebrate the 2025 awardees: Kathryn Wahl (Excellence in Adhesion Science) and Kevin Golovin (Early Career Award).
Our committees are hard at work: Malinda Armstrong is enhancing our website, Heather Liddell is integrating sustainability into our programs, Bindu Krishnan is leading DEI efforts, and Grace Wan is organizing short courses—reach out if you’d like to contribute.
Don’t miss our September webinar featuring Anil Bhowmick, Ngon Tran, and Christopher So to get a glimpse at some world class research. Follow us on Twitter(X) and LinkedIn, and tag us in your posts to help promote advances in adhesion science.
Wishing you a productive rest of 2025. I look forward to seeing you in Savannah!
Please contact me if you have suggestions to advance the Adhesion Society or if you simply want to get involved at any level.
Nick Shephard
President, Adhesion Society
Senior Fellow, Dow Consumer Solutions
Member Spotlight
2025 Early Career Award (sponsored by Adhesive and Sealant Council)
Dr. Ngon Tran Awarded the Adhesion Society Early Career Award!
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Ngon Tran, a distinguished scientist at the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, has been honored with the prestigious Early Career Award by the Adhesion Society. This award recognizes Dr. Tran’s significant contributions to the field of adhesion science, particularly her innovative work on surface functionalization methods including clustered hydroxyl groups for improved hydrolysis resistance.
Dr. Tran’s multidisciplinary research strategies have led to collaborations that push the boundaries of our understanding of adhesion in high humidity and wet environments. Dr. Tran has rapidly established credibility across structural adhesive, composites, and adhesion promoter technologies. Her dedication to mentoring students and serving the broader scientific community, including numerous positions in the Adhesion Society, further exemplifies her commitment to excellence and leadership in her field.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ngon Tran on this well-deserved recognition and in celebrating her bright future in adhesion science.
2025 3M Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science to Dr. Anil Bhowmick
It is our great pleasure to announce Dr. Anil Bhowmick as the 2025 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science sponsored by 3M. This is the Society’s premier award for outstanding achievements in scientific research, contributions to the field, and longstanding impact with worldwide recognition. Dr. Bhowmick currently holds the position of Research Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston as well as the International Center for Polymers and Soft Matter. He is being primarily recognized for his outstanding and seminal contributions in the area of adhesion of rubbers and rubber-based composites.
Professor Bhowmick has made several seminal contributions to the filed of adhesion science and technology in such areas as interfacial bonding theory and bonding mechanisms for rubber to rubber joints, the chemistry of self-healing rubbers, synthesis of sustainable tackifiers for rubber applications and pressure sensitive adhesives, structure property relationships of block co-polymer adhesives, compatibilization of rubber polymers for adhesive utility, and surface engineering to improve adhesion to name just a few. He is an outstanding teacher who shares his wealth of practical experience and case studies in his lectures, and he is a tremendous mentor to so many in both industry and academia that have studied and collaborated with Dr. Bhowmick throughout his distinguished career. His impressive track record of scientific contributions, expansive legacy of impact, and his dedication to his field are truly incredible and he is extremely deserving of the 2025 Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science.
Newsletters
AS Newsletter - 2025 Edition