Atlanta, Georgia -January 18, 2000 - The Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) today signed an agreement to initiate the Van den Akker Prize for paper physics. The original goal to raise a $50,000 endowment to support the prize, was completed early this month. The endowment was raised primarily from Van den Akker's former students and colleagues. Dr. Johannes Archibald Van den Akker, who passed away last year, was a former senior research associate and chairman of the Department of Physics and Mathematics at the Institute of Paper Chemistry (IPC). To recognize the many contributions Dr. Van den Akker made to the field of paper physics and to the paper industry, the prize will be awarded annually through the TAPPI Paper Physics Committee. Dr. Van den Akker was a TAPPI Gold Medalist as well as a member of the TAPPI Paper Physics Committee for many years. Dr. James Ferris, President of IPST, said, "This is a fitting tribute to a fine man and an excellent researcher. Van continually moved forward the field of paper and fiber physics over his lifetime, and it is our hope that the Van den Akker Prize will inspire those working in paper physics to new breakthroughs in technology." For more information on the Van den Akker Prize for Paper Physics, please contact Dr. Charles Habeger at (404) 894-7534.

For more information contact David Bell at David.Bell@ipst.gatech.edu.