Richard Tapia, a National Medal of Science winner and University Professor at Rice University, will be honored for his five decades of service to the university in a celebration at 4 p.m. on April 3 at Rice’s Faculty Club. Tapia is known for his work in preparing women and underrepresented minorities for advanced degrees in science, engineering, and mathematics. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in 1996 and the National Medal of Science in 2011.
Tapia was the first Hispanic to receive the National Science Board’s Vannevar Bush Award and has been recognized for his public engagement with science by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1992 and served on the National Science Board from 1996 to 2002. At Rice University, Tapia has held various positions, including director of the Rice Graduate Education for Minorities and Empowering Leadership Alliance Programs and associate director of graduate studies.
He also founded the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education at Rice, which offers Tapia Camps for rising eighth-12th graders. These residential STEM camps provide students from all backgrounds with the opportunity to work on STEM projects and experience life as a Rice student for a week. For media inquiries about the upcoming celebration of Richard Tapia’s career, contact Amy McCaig, senior media relations specialist at Rice University.