Joe’s Bio
Dr. Joe D. Cunning
Biographical Information
(His real name is Joe, not Joseph!)
Energy and vision capture the essence of Dr. Cunning’s career and his commitment to exploratory, long-range fiber research. In 1991, he formed Cunning & Associates, Ltd. a consulting firm serving the textile R&D community. He is in demand as an industry consultant and speaker. Dr. Cunning currently serves on the governing board of The Textile Institute and on the corporate advisory boards of Instrumar Ltd (Canada), SmartLife Technologies Ltd (UK) and Optimer Brands Inc (USA). He has served on advisory boards at the Textile Clothing/Technology Corporation (TC2), Institute of Textile Technology, TRI-Princeton and The Fiber Society.
In 2010 he was named to Companion Membership in the Textile Institute. He joined an exclusive club of 50 living persons who have had a significant influence on the textile industry. He has also served North Carolina State University as an Adjunct Professor. He was named 1997 Textile Leader of the Year by the North Carolina State University College of Textiles.
In 1992, the National Textile Center University Research Consortium (NTC) named Dr. Cunning to serve as the Center’s first Executive Director. He currently is an advisor to the NTC, having served 12 years as is Executive Director. The NTC is a clustered research consortium of eight universities: Auburn University, Clemson University, Cornell University, University of California (Davis), Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, Philadelphia University, University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth). To date, over $150 million has been invested by the federal government in this program.
Known for his knowledge of fiber research and manufacturing, he completed a highly successful career spanning 28 years with DuPont. At DuPont, Dr. Cunning headed the Pioneering Research Laboratory in Wilmington Delaware. His DuPont manufacturing experience includes worldwide responsibility for non-woven products, as well as polyester filament and staple fibers.
Dr. Cunning received his degrees in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University (Ph.D. 1965). He was awarded the Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering from Iowa State and serves on the Board of Governors of the Iowa State University Foundation.