National Hispanic Publication Awards Tapia Top Honor

CONTACT: Lia Unrau
PHONE: (713) 831-4793
E-MAIL: unrau@rice.edu

NATIONAL HISPANIC PUBLICATION AWARDS TAPIA TOP HONOR

Richard A. Tapia, Noah Harding Professor of
Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University, has been named
Engineer Of the Year by Hispanic Engineer Magazine.

Tapia is honored as the most accomplished engineer of 225 national nominees,
said Ray Mellado, chair of the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards
Conference (HENAAC).

Tapia is an expert in the field of computational and applied mathematics,
specializing in numerical optimization. The technique, which he helped develop,
creates mathematical models that allow companies to predict and optimize output.

In addition to his research, he was honored for his teaching excellence and
his work in encouraging students to pursue careers in science and engineering.
Tapia’s efforts have helped Rice’s computational and applied mathematics
department lead the nation in graduating women and minority Ph.Ds. He has
received numerous awards for his significant contributions to minority
education.

Tapia is also director of human resources and education for the Center for
Research on Parallel Computation (CRPC), a National Science Foundationfunded
Science and Technology Center headquartered at Rice. He directs the Spend a
Summer with a Scientist program, which brings minority students to campus during
the summer to assist a faculty member with research. He also established the
CRPC Mathematical and Computational Sciences Awareness Workshops, which teach
elementary and secondary teachers about opportunities in math and science for
minorities.

Under Tapia’s leadership, the CRPC has, in less than a decade, trained and
encouraged more than 600 students and 625 teachers in math, science and computer
science education and careers. These students and teachers have, in turn,
influenced thousands of other youth and educators, many underrepresented
minorities or women, primarily in the Houston community.

Tapia is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He formerly served
on the National Board of Directors of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos
and Native Americans in Sciences. On Aug. 2, President Clinton announced his
intent to nominate Tapia to the National Science Board. Tapia earned his Ph.D.
from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Tapia is the first academician to receive the Engineer of the Year award.
Hispanic Engineer Magazine has been honoring engineers for eight years. Winners
are determined by an independent selection committee comprised of
representatives from industry, government and academia.

“This prestigious and thoroughly well merited honor is indeed further
evidence of the high esteem in which Richard is held by his peers,” said Michael
Carroll, dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering. “I extend my
heartiest congratulations to Richard for being the first academician to ever
receive this award. As dean, I am very pleased with this additional distinction
for our school. And as Richard’s colleague and friend, I am truly delighted that
he has achieved this recognition and I look forward to celebrating with him at
the HENAAC Award Ceremony.”

Tapia will be honored at a banquet on Oct. 12 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in
Houston, Texas, at the HENAAC Awards Show Banquet. Rice will co-host the
conference. The goal of the awards is to inspire youth nationwide to pursue
careers in technology.

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