Nanjing University, one of the top institutions of higher education in China, has named Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president for research and graduate education and professor of physics at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), an honorary member of its board of directors, the equivalent of a board of trustees at an American university.

Feng was already an honorary member of the faculty at Nanjing University and visited the institution in early July with a contingent from Richardson, including UTD faculty members Dr. Alan MacDiarmid and Dr. Ray Baughman and Zyvex Corporation CEO James Von Ehr. All four visitors participated in a workshop at the university on nanoscience and nanotechnology.

“It is an honor to be recognized in such a way by one of China’s top universities,” said Feng. “But more importantly, it is another indication of the growing reputation of UTD on the international stage as a leading institution of research and higher education.”

Nanjing University is ranked third among approximately 1,000 universities in China, according to an annual survey that compares a broad range of factors, including academic reputation and achievement, student performance and faculty and facility resources.

Feng is a theoretical physicist with notable achievements in the areas of international affairs, government service, business entrepreneurship and public education. 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.