Douglas W. Coffin, Ph.D., Named Recipient of TAPPI’s 2026 Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award the highest TAPPI honor recognizes lifelong scientific achievements.
TAPPI, the leading association for the pulp, paper, tissue, packaging and converting industry is pleased to announce that Douglas W. Coffin, Ph.D., has been named winner of the prestigious Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award. Dr. Coffin is a Professor in the Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is a globally recognized authority on the mechanics of fiber-based materials for research delving into the complexities of dimensional stability, creep, and the mechanical behavior of paper and board.
“Dr. Coffin’s work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of the mechanical behavior of paper and paperboard,” said TAPPI President and CEO Lawton C. Roberts. “His research has bridged the gap between fundamental science and practical application, providing insights that have influenced both academic research and industrial practice across the global pulp and paper industry. We are proud to recognize his remarkable contributions with the Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award.”
Dr. Coffin’s career is defined by a unique blend of high-level industrial experience and academic rigor. He began his professional journey as an engineer for the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics from 1989–1994, where he focused on structural analysis. He then transitioned to academia, serving on the faculty of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) from 1994–2002 before beginning his long-standing tenure at Miami University. He also spent a year as a guest researcher at STFI in Stockholm, Sweden from 1999–2000.
Dr. Coffin has played a significant role in educating and mentoring future engineers and scientists in the forest products sector. During his career at Miami University and earlier at IPST, he has worked with dozens of graduate and undergraduate students on research topics ranging from nanofibers and pulping to tissue durability and recycled fiber performance.
A TAPPI member since 1994, he joined the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board in 2018, serving as Editor in Chief from 2021 to 2023, and again from May 2024 to December 2025 following the passing of Peter Hart, Ph.D., to ensure the Journal’s momentum and ongoing initiatives were maintained.
He is a past chairman of the TAPPI Paper Physics Committee and continues to serve as the TAPPI representative to the Fundamental Research Committee of the Pulp and Paper Fundamental Research Society (PPFRS). Notably, he has served as the program secretary for the Fundamental Research Symposium in 2022 and 2026.
The award will be presented at TAPPICon®, April 26-29, 2026 – Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award
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