[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 18, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          REGARDING UC DAVIS AND THE NATIONAL TEXTILE CENTERS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DOUG OSE

                                   of

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 18, 2001

  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
supporting the effort on behalf of the University of California at 
Davis to be included as a member of the National Textile Center (NTC).
  Mr. Speaker, it is silly not to include UC Davis in the NTC. 
Currently, NTC has no member schools west of the Mississippi River. 
California is America's second leading producer of cotton as well as 
being a leading national manufacturer of apparel, grossing over $13 
billion annually. The NTC supports a consortium of research at six 
universities: Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, 
University of Philadelphia, and Dartmouth. To include UC Davis in this 
prestigious company will go a long way to advancing the safety, 
quality, and durability of clothing and textile products.
  UC Davis is the single largest employer in my district, and the 
faculty is recognized nationally and internationally for their research 
activities. The Division of Textiles and Clothing offers the most 
comprehensive textiles and clothing undergraduate major in the western 
United States, and no other western university can challenge the 
laboratory facilities and equipment. UC Davis utilizes the best in 
human resources, generates the best in physical product, and trains the 
best of the next generation. As an example, UC Davis is unique to the 
textile world in its study of fiber and polymer science. The production 
and use of fibers and polymers go beyond the forms of fabrics and 
plastics to high performance membranes, composites, and electronic and 
communication applications. These common-place, daily use substances 
are constantly being upgraded and improved by the staff and students at 
the Division of Textiles and Clothing.
  Social Science research at UC Davis addresses sociocultural meanings 
of textiles and apparel, fashion theory, and production-consumption 
issues related to gender and ethnicity. Collaborations between the 
physical and social sciences have resulted in a better understanding of 
the principles underlying the efficacy and acceptance of protective 
clothing. These discoveries have protected farm workers, health care 
providers, firefighters, and others. This valuable research can only 
enhance the NTC and accelerate the next generation of high quality 
textile product.
  I appreciate the committee's interest in UC Davis and the Division of 
Textiles and Clothing. The Chairman has been generous in engaging us in 
this colloquy, and I want to thank him personally for his efforts. I am 
anxious to work with the committee and my colleagues from California on 
this issue.

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