RICHARDSON, Texas (March 13, 2003) - Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president for research and graduate education at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), has been named to the Strategic Science Advisory Board of New Economy Strategies (NES).

NES is a Washington-based national consultancy firm with expertise in the regional development of technology clusters and assessments of the capacity for innovation among scientific and economic sectors. Past work includes studies of regions such as Greater Cleveland and Collin County, Texas, and Richardson, Texas. The firm also has completed the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute's 21st Century Life Science Road Map & Cluster Index, the Iowa Innovation Strategy for the Iowa Business Council, the Pittsburgh Bioventure, as well as the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative (SATAI) Network .

As a member of the newly formed board, Feng will be tasked with developing the content of national and regional forums hosted by the consultant firm.

"I am sure I am not exaggerating when I say that life science and bioeconomy are the intellectual and economic backbone of the 21st century," Feng said. "Therefore, I am delighted and honored to be invited to participate in New Economy Strategy in this capacity. This will give me additional connections to the bio-economy communities of the United States and around the globe."

"Da Hsuan's understanding of the scientific and technological trends both in the U.S. and abroad makes him a natural part of what we are trying to accomplish," said Richard Seline, founder and principal of NES. "He will be able to immediately contribute to the development of the national and regional forums that NES hosts from time to time."

Dr. Robert Rubin, Osborne professor of health sciences and technology and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is the other invitee to accept a position on the board.

Feng, a prominent theoretical physicist with notable achievements in the areas of international affairs, government service, business entrepreneurship and public education, was appointed UTD's first vice president for research and graduate education in November 2000. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Drew University and master's and Ph.D. degrees in theoretical nuclear physics from the University of Minnesota.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's Web site at http://www.utdallas.edu/.