Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and University Professor, Rice University

Tapia is the founder of the Tapia Center at Rice University. For the past four decades, Professor Richard Tapia, a Rice University Professor, the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering, and a 2011 recipient of the National Medal of Science, has led Rice’s efforts to prepare underrepresented groups for success in STEM fields. Under his leadership, Rice has significantly increased the number of minority students and women receiving doctorates in STEM subjects, and Tapia has spoken to almost a quarter-million students and professionals about underrepresentation and diversity around the United States. In addition, the center has provided training and guidance to over 6,000 college students and 2,500 K-12 teachers since its inception. All students should have opportunities to achieve their dreams, and the Tapia Center was established to do so. Among his numerous other honors are the National Science Board’s Vannevar Bush Award and election to the National Academy of Engineering, the first Hispanic to receive these honors. He holds seven honorary doctorates and has given commencement addresses at six major universities. Two professional conferences have been named in his honor: the Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference and the Blackwell-Tapia Mathematics Conference. Tapia served on the National Science Board from 1996-2002. Because of his leadership Rice University is recognized as a national leader in the preparation of women and underrepresented minority doctoral degree recipients in science, engineering, and mathematics.