TULANE TALK

September 12, 2003

Good Morning:

I am pleased to announce that Yunfeng Lu, assistant professor of chemical engineering, is the first recipient of the Presidential Early Career Development Award. This award honors outstanding Tulane scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential in the early stages of their careers. As part of this honor Yunfeng will receive $20,000 per year for the next three years to further his work.

Since he arrived at Tulane in 2001, Yunfeng has secured more than $1 million in research grants and won several major awards. He has published widely in scientific journals and has applied for 17 patents, almost half of which have already been issued. Yunfeng also represents the very best of Tulane in the dedication and care he shows for his students. He is well-deserving of this honor, which is provided through the Lallage Feazel Wall Fund, an $18 million bequest Tulane received in 1999.

Maybe one day, some years from now, Yunfeng will teach some of the young students from Audubon Montessori we are currently hosting. About 40 pre-kindergarten students are attending classes at our Uptown Square facilities as they await the arrival of new classrooms at their school. We are delighted to host these little learners.

This week I spent several days in Chicago and Washington on national issues impacting higher education. These ranged from the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to intercollegiate athletics. The reauthorization issue is particularly important to our universities and is a high priority of the ACE. I will give you an update on these issues when I meet with the various university groups this fall.

Have a good weekend,