Dear Rice community,
I am writing to share the sad news that Richard A. Tapia, a University Professor and the Maxfield-Oshman Chair in Engineering at Rice, died this week at the age of 88. 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.
Richard also authored the book “Losing the Precious Few: How America Fails to Educate Its Minorities in Science and Engineering,” in which he advocated for equitable access to higher education for underrepresented students.
Born in California to parents who emigrated from Mexico, Richard was the first in his family to attend university. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. One of his greatest passions was the Tapia STEM Camps, which have reached more than 1,600 rising eighth through 12th graders annually across the country.
Richard joined the Rice faculty in 1970 as an assistant professor of mathematical sciences, a department now known as computational applied mathematics and operations research. He was promoted to full professor in 1976 and served as department chair from 1978 to 1983.
Illya Hicks, professor and department chair of computational applied mathematics and operations research, remembered Richard as “not just a brilliant mathematician; he was a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion” for underrepresented students in STEM. I invite you to read more about his contributions to mathematics and education in Rice News.
Warm regards,
Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughs Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs