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Richard A. Tapia
Noah Harding Professor
of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University
The symposium honors the significant contributions of Dr. Richard
A. Tapia, a mathematician and professor in the Department of
Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University in Houston,
Texas. He is internationally known for his research in computational
and mathematical sciences and is a national leader in education and
outreach programs. Dr. Tapia has authored or co-authored two books
and more than 80 mathematical research papers. His current positions
at Rice are Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied
Mathematics; Associate Director of Graduate Studies, Office of
Graduate Studies; and Director of the Center for Excellence and
Equity in Education.
Richard Tapia was born in Los Angeles to
parents who separately emigrated from Mexico as young teenagers in
search of educational opportunities for themselves and for future
generations. Richard was the first in his family to attend college,
earning his BA, MA, and PhD degrees in mathematics from the
University of California, Los Angeles. Due to his efforts, Rice
University has received national recognition for its educational
outreach programs and the Rice Computational and Applied Mathematics
Department has become a national leader in producing women and
underrepresented minority PhDs in the mathematical sciences. Some of
Dr. Tapia’s honors include: election to the National Academy of
Engineering (1992) for his seminal work in interior point methods;
the first recipient of the A. Nico Habermann Award from the
Computing Research Association (1994) for outstanding contribution
to aiding members of underrepresented groups within the computing
community; the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science,
Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Clinton
(1996); appointment by President Clinton to the National Science
Board (1996), the governing body of the National Science Foundation;
and the establishment of a lecture series to honor Dr. Tapia and
African American mathematician David Blackwell at Cornell University
(2000). Tapia also received the Hispanic Engineer of the Year Award
from Hispanic Engineer Magazine in 1996, and was inducted into the
Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference Hall of
Fame in 1997
"I feel a deep sense of gratitude that a
symposium addressing a matter of such national importance carries my
name. I want this symposium to serve as a symbol, and also as proof
that we, as members of underrepresented groups, can and must
contribute to science and technology at the highest levels." -
Richard Tapia
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