Tai Sophia Institute Names
Simon Mills to Board of Directors

Researcher, Practitioner and Scholar Has Long-Standing Ties to Institute

Laurel, MD, September 6, 2007 – The Board of Trustees of Tai Sophia Institute, a leading graduate educational institution located in Laurel, Maryland, has announced the election of Simon Mills to a three-year term as a member of the Board.

Mr. Mills has been associated with the Institute since first attending a conference on acupuncture sponsored by the Institute in 1981. He was the founder of the Institute’s Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine program and served as the program’s first Director from 2000 to 2006.

“Simon Mills is an integral international figure in the field of herbal medicine,” said Robert M. Duggan, president and co-founder of Tai Sophia Institute. “We are privileged to have him so closely involved in our mission, and to have his guidance and insight become part of the Institute’s governance.”

Currently, Mr. Mills is a Director of Plant Medicine CIC, a new international social enterprise corporation registered in England that is becoming a major educational and information resource for healthcare professionals and the general public. Tai Sophia Institute is a partner with Plant Medicine CIC, and the partnership benefits from the collaborative efforts of many Tai Sophia students and faculty members.

Now one of the world’s most respected practitioners of herbal medicine, Simon Mills graduated in medical sciences from Cambridge University, completed the four-year professional training program at the 140-year-old National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and has practiced as a medical herbalist since 1977. In 1987, he co-founded the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at the University of Exeter, considered to be the first university unit dedicated to studying therapeutic options outside the conventional medical curriculum. Since January 1997, he has served as secretary of the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP), the major European body working in collaboration with European medicines regulators to ensure quality, safety, and efficacy for herbal medicinal products.

Mr. Mills is President of the British Herbal Medicine Association, the primary representative body at government negotiations for the supply of herbal medicines in the UK. For eight years, he was President of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and later was named President of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy, a body of practitioners oriented toward a European orthodox professional and research agenda.

He has published widely in the scientific literature, including controlled clinical trials and other primary research, and lectures around the world. He has written many books, including two standard texts with Kerry Bone: The Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy (2000) and The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety (2005).

“We are privileged to have Simon continue his dedication to the Institute and the field of complementary medicine by joining the Tai Sophia Institute Board of Trustees,” said Duggan. “His experience, perspective and energy are very valuable to the entire Tai Sophia community.”

Tai Sophia’s graduate program in Herbal Medicine, which Mr. Mills founded, is now accepting enrollment for the fall term. The Institute will host an Open House for its graduate programs on Saturday, September 22.

ABOUT TAI SOPHIA INSTITUTE
Tai Sophia Institute, based in Laurel, Maryland, was named 2006 Business of the Year by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 1975 as a small healing arts clinic, the Institute has grown to become a preeminent academic institution for wellness-based education with current enrollment topping 375 students. Its nearly 1,000 alumni actively practice acupuncture, herbal medicine and other healing arts around the country. It was the first school in the country to have an accredited acupuncture program and the first school in the country to offer a Master’s degree in herbal medicine.

In addition to its degree programs the Institute provides a variety of wellness-based community education programs. The Institute’s faculty and staff donate more than 10,000 community service hours to a variety of projects and its health and wellness clinics provide 10,000 treatments a year. Faculty and staff also regularly speak to professional groups and area students on wellness-related topics.