Photo courtesy: American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Mathematician and Rice University Professor Richard Tapia (1939-2026).
Tapia’s family immigrated from Mexico to Los Angeles, where he was born and raised. Richard Tapia was the first in his family to attend college, earning his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics from UCLA.
“Richard was a world-renowned researcher and a devoted champion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education at every level and mentor to countless students throughout his extraordinarily impactful career.
His storied academic legacy includes being the first Hispanic person elected to the National Academy of Engineering, serving on the National Science Board from 1996 to 2002, and chairing the National Research Council’s Board on Higher Education and the Workforce.
In 2011, former President Barack Obama presented Richard with the National Medal of Science, the highest award a scientist or engineer can receive from the United States government. Richard co-authored more than 100 research papers and supervised more than 30 doctoral candidates.”
The Blackwell-Tapia Conference and Prize was named in honor of Dr. David Blackwell, the first African-American member of the National Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Richard Tapia, winner of the National Medal of Science in 2010. Both mathematicians were recognized as prominent figures who have inspired generations of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students and researchers in the mathematical sciences. Tapia’s impact will last for generations to come.
Read the full Rice University announcement here.
Read the Houston Chronicle article here.
Read the ACM eulogy here.
