RICHARDSON, Texas (Nov. 1, 2004) – They work in a realm that cannot be seen by the naked eye.  Nevertheless, scientists from Texas and beyond involved in the esoteric but promising field of nanotechnology will put their research on display for hundreds of colleagues to view at a two-day conference this month at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).

Organizers expect about 300 attendees at “SPRING ’04” – the second annual meeting of the Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotechnology, a consortium of six Texas universities and the United States Air Force Research Laboratory that was formed two and one-half years ago to position the state as a center for education, research and development in the cutting-edge science.  Member universities of SPRING include The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, UTD, The University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Brownsville and The University of Texas Pan American.

The event will take place Nov. 11-12 at the UTD Conference Center on the university’s campus in Richardson.

Nanotechnology enables the fabrication of material structures and devices having molecular dimensions and entirely new physical properties as a result of sizes smaller than the wavelength of light.  Still in its infancy, nanoscience has the potential to revolutionize such disparate fields as electronics, medicine, communications and manufacturing.

“SPRING ’04 will be an important opportunity to showcase the leading nanotechnology research being done by Texas universities,” said Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president for research and graduate education at UTD and a member of the SPRING executive committee.  “Researchers from across the partnership will be able to share ideas and chart new areas of inquiry in a field that has profound implications in the intellectual and economic landscapes of our state and our nation.”

The conference will feature several dozen speakers from SPRING member institutions, as well as two federal research organizations – the Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.  In addition, posters submitted by researchers and students will be displayed.

Since its founding early in 2002, SPRING has received significant amounts of funding from state and federal agencies, including approximately $26.5 million in defense appropriations requested by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.  The organization boasts a number of eminent scientists on its technical advisory committee, including two Nobel laureates – Dr. Alan MacDiarmid of UTD and Dr. Richard Smalley of Rice.

For additional information about SPRING ’04, please visit the web site http://www.utdallas.edu/research/tx-spring/index.html, or call Beth Keithly in the UTD Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Education at 972-883-4568.

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 14,000 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 www.utdallas.edu.