[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TO CONGRATULATE THE INDUCTION OF DR. LARRY HORNBECK OF TEXAS 
          INSTRUMENTS INTO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 2, 2007

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would like to 
recognize the induction of Dr. Larry Hornbeck of Texas Instruments into 
the National Academy of Engineering.
  Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest 
professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, recognizing 
important contributions to engineering theory and practice.
  Dr. Hornbeck invented the Digital Micromirror Device, or DMD, an 
optical semiconductor that is at the core of Texas Instruments' Digital 
Light Processing technology. His career at TI spans 34 years.
  Texas Instruments is in my District, and I am proud of the advances 
in computing that they have made and am also proud of their 
contributions and outreach to Dallas.
  The Federal Government, through its support of basic research, played 
a pivotal role in the creation of the DMD.
  The foundation of this technology was developed through the Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Security Agency 
research in the 1970s to assist with target detection and recognition. 
In 1989, DARPA provided funds to investigate the technology's 
application to high-definition TV.
  Today, DLP is the only American display technology. Each chip 
contains millions of tiny mirrors that move independently to display 
trillions of colors.
  TI's DLP business employs roughly 1,000 people in the Dallas area. 
The technology is now moving beyond projectors, television and cinema, 
into applications such as 3-D medical imaging--for example, allowing 
improved imaging of organs and better treatments for targeting tumors.
  The current and potential success of DMD technology illustrates the 
importance of federal investment in basic research to innovation.
  Congratulations to Dr. Hornbeck on his induction into the NAE. I am 
proud to highlight his work as an example of the importance of the 
engineering profession to the economy of Texas and the United States.

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