Richard A. Tapia

Education

• Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1967
• *Dissertation: "A Generalization of Newton's Method with an Application to the Euler–Lagrange Equation"
• *Advisors: Magnus Hestenes, Charles Tompkins
• M.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1966
• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1961

  University positions

• 2005–present: University Professor, Rice University
• 2005–present: Maxfield and Oshman Professor of Engineering, Rice University
• 2000–present: Adjunct Professor, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Houston
• 1999–present: Director, Center for Excellence and Equity in Education, Rice University
• 1991–2005: Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University
• 1989–present: Associate Director of Graduate Studies, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, Rice University
• 1989–2000:Director of Education and Outreach Programs, Center for Research on Parallel Computation, Rice University
• 1986–1988: Lecturer, Department of Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
• 1978–1983: Adjunct Professor, T.I.R.R., Baylor College of Medicine
• 1978–1983: Chair, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rice University
• 1976–present: Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Rice University
• 1972–1976: Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Rice University
• 1970–1972: Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Rice University
• 1968–1970: Assistant Professor, Army Mathematics Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison

  Honors and awards (selected)

• AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science, 2016.
• Vannevar Bush Award, 2014
• National Medal of Science, 2011.
• Hispanic Heritage Award in Math and Science, September 2009.
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession, Portland OR, July 2004.
• Community Service Award, University of California Los Angeles Alumni Association, Los Angeles, California, May 2004.
• Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology Magazine, "One of the 50 Most Important Hispanics in Technology and Business" April 2004.
• Distinguished Public Service Award, American Mathematical Society, Phoenix, Arizona, January 2004.
• Texas Science Hall of Fame Inductee, Institute of Texan Cultures, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, January 2002.
• Reginald H. Jones Distinguished Service Award, NACME, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, October 2001.
• Distinguished Scientist Award, Society for the Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science National Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, October 2000.
• 1999 Giants in Science Award, Quality Education for Minorities Network, Washington, D.C., February 1999.
• 1997 Lifetime Mentor Award, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 1998.
• Recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., September 1996.
• Appointed to the National Science Board by President Clinton, August 1996.
• National Academy of Engineering, February 1992.
• Was chosen to have a "Celebration of Diversity in Computing" named after him.
• The Blackwell-Tapia prize and conference are named for Tapia and David Blackwell.

  Other interests

• Drag racing, world record holder, 1968,1969,1970.