Richard A. Tapia


Richard Alfred Tapia is an American mathematician and University Professor at Rice University in Houston, Texas, the university's highest academic title. In 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Tapia with the Presidential Award for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Mentoring. In 2011, President Obama awarded Tapia the National Medal of Science. He is currently the Maxfield and Oshman Professor of Engineering; Associate Director of Graduate Studies, Office of Research and Graduate Studies; and Director of the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education at Rice University.
Tapia's mathematical research is centered on mathematical optimization and iterative methods for nonlinear problems, with his current work focused on algorithms for constrained optimization and interior point methods for linear and nonlinear programming.

Early life and education

Richard Alfred Tapia was born on March 25, 1939 in San Francisco, California to parents, Amado and Magda Tapia, who both emigrated to the United States from Mexico. He and his twin brother were the oldest of five siblings, with two younger brothers and sister. His father worked for Japanese-American horticulturists in southern California.
Tapia received his BA in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1961. He then earned his M.A. in mathematics, also from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1966. In 1967, he received his PhD from University of California, Los Angeles, in mathematics with the dissertation: "A Generalization of Newton's Method with an Application to the Euler–Lagrange Equation" under advisors Magnus Hestenes and Charles Tompkins.
Tapia also holds honorary doctorates from Carnegie Mellon University and the Colorado School of Mines.

Career

Tapia is currently the University Professor at Rice University. His professional academic career began in 1968 when he accept an assistant professor position at the Mathematics Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After two years at the MRC, he moved to Rice University, where he remains to this day.

University positions

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

    External positions

  • 1978–1991: Editor, SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis
  • 1981–1996: Editor, Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications
  • 1989–1992: Member, SIAM Board of Trustees,
  • 1990–1991: Editor, SIAM Journal on Optimization
  • 1992–1994: Member, Mathematical Sciences Education Board, National Research Council
  • 1992: Member, National Academy of Engineering
  • 1996–2002: Member, National Science Board

    Publications

Tapia has published two books and authored or co-authored over 100 research papers in mathematics.
In 2022, Tapia published the book Losing the Precious Few: How America Fails to Educate its Minorities in Science and Engineering. The book examines the lack of representation of domestic minority groups in STEM fields, identifying key causes such as standardized testing, gaps in K-12 education, and racial biases. He emphasizes the importance of improving access to higher educationto address this disparity. The book offers insights for educators, students, and parents on fostering a more inclusive academic environment.
; Books

  • Awards and honors

In 1992, Tapia became the first Hispanic elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Tapia the Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. That same year, Clinton appointed Tapia to the National Science Board, where he served until 2002.
In 2001, the first ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference was held in Houston, Texas with 164 attendees. The annual conference has grown to include thousands of attendees.
From 2001 to 2004, Tapia chaired the National Research Council's Board of Higher Education and workforce.
In 2004, Tapia received the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession, in Portland, and Distinguished Public Service Award, American Mathematical Society, in Phoenix.
In 2009, he received Hispanic Heritage Award in Math and Science and he was chosen to have a "Celebration of Diversity in Computing" named after him.
In 2010, he was awarded the National Medal of Science for "For his pioneering and fundamental contributions in optimization theory and numerical analysis and for his dedication and sustained efforts in fostering diversity and excellence in mathematics and science education." He received the award at the White House from President Barack Obama on October 21, 2011.
In 2014, Tapia received the Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation for "his distinguished contributions to mathematics.... extraordinary leadership in increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in science and mathematics." Also, in 2014, Blackwell-Tapia prize and conference were named for Tapia and David Blackwell.
In 2016, Tapia received the American Association for the Advancement of Science Public Engagement with Science Award. The award recognized Tapia for his “remarkable career blending world-class scholarship, admirable mentoring and profound contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and public engagement.”
In 2021, he was name a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

Personal life

He married Jean Tapia and had 3 children, named Circee, Richard, and Becky.