RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 10, 2002) - Dr. Alan MacDiarmid, the 2000 Nobel Laureate in chemistry and occupant of the James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), will present the first lecture in the newly created Frank Huang Memorial Lecture Series, at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20, in the Galaxy Room of the Student Union on the UTD campus. MacDiarmid's lecture, entitled "From Plastics to Nanotechnology - Materials for the 21st Century," is free and open to the public.

        Huang was a student of MacDiarmid at the University of Pennsylvania, where MacDiarmid taught for many years and was the Blanchard Professor of Chemistry. Huang died of cancer in 2000 at the age of 29.

        "Frank was almost like a son to me," MacDiarmid said. "Scientifically, he had tremendous potential, and there is no question that he could have been one of the best. I consider it a great honor to be able to deliver the first lecture in this series named after him."

        "Huang was one of Alan's most promising Ph.D. students at Penn," said Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president for research and graduate education at UTD. "His academic career at Nanjing University was equally dazzling. I hope that this series will not only honor Huang's memory, but also strengthen scientific and cultural exchanges between China and the United States."

        The lecture series, jointly sponsored by the Nanjing University Alumni Association and UTD, will be held at UTD and will feature outstanding scientists and technologists from the United States and the Pacific Rim. The alumni association is a non-profit organization for graduates of Nanjing University and for individuals who have had an association with the university and are now living in the United States.

        MacDiarmid's lecture will be part of the events being held in conjunction with a visit by a delegation from Nanjing University, Huang's alma mater, to UTD this month.

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 7,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate 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 www.utdallas.edu.