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8/4/2004

CONTACT: Jade Boyd
PHONE: (713) 348-6778
E-MAIL: jadeboyd@rice.edu

Tapia receives SIAM Prize for Distinguished Service
Rice professor honored by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics has awarded Rice University's Richard Tapia with its prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession of Applied Mathematics. Established by SIAM in 1985, the prize recognizes applied mathematicians who have made distinguished contributions to the furtherance of applied mathematics on the national level.

Tapia is the Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics, associate director of graduate studies and director of Rice's Center for Excellence and Equity in Education. SIAM honored him for “his extensive and tireless work in mentoring and encouraging minority and female students in mathematics, science, and engineering, as well as for his many contributions to applied mathematics, particularly optimization.” He was presented with the award at the SIAM Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, July12-16, 2004.

“He has advised numerous undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students and has influenced countless others through personal contacts, lectures, and presentations to students from elementary school through graduate school,” the society said in a written announcement of the award. “We thank him for all of his contributions to the applied mathematics community and for helping to make SIAM a more inclusive organization.”

Tapia has received dozens of awards and has been an invited speaker at numerous schools and conferences on topics related to excellence in education for minorities and women.   Recent honors and awards include an Award for Distinguished Public Service from the American Mathematics Society in 2004 and a special event co-sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE-Computer Society in 2001 entitled "Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Symposium." In 1998, he received the Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1996, Tapia was one of the first recipients of the National Science Foundation's Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

Founded in 1952, SIAM supports and encourages the important industrial role that applied mathematics and computational science play in advancing science and technology. An active SIAM member, Tapia has served in many roles to improve the representation of women and minorities in SIAM. For example, he was member of the society's board of trustees from 1990-1992, co-chaired the group's annual meeting in 2000 and co-chaired the Second SIAM Conference on Optimization in 1987.

As a testament to Tapia's stature in science, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1992, appointed by President Clinton to the National Science Board in 1996, and named 1996 Hispanic Engineer of the Year by Hispanic Engineer Magazine. Within the past year, he was awarded honorary doctorates by both Carnegie Mellon University and the Colorado School of Mines.

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