Richard Tapia to recieve Hispanic Heritage Award for Math and Science
September 29, 2009
Richard Tapia will receive the Hispanic Heritage Award for Math and Science for his achievements in mathematics and the community. He is among honorees from wide ranging areas who will be honored during the 23rd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards.
In addition to Tapia, the 2009 Hispanic Heritage Honorees include:
* Rock superstars Man� presented with the first "Green" Award
* Artist Romero Britto presented with the Humanitarian Award
* Animation Figure Dora the Explorer with the Education Award
* Boxer Oscar de la Hoya with the Sports Award
* Singer Olga Ta�on with the Arts Award
* Senator Robert Menendez with the Leadership Award
Tapia, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Rice University in Houston, Texas is internationally known for his research in the computational and mathematical sciences and is a national leader in education and outreach. He currently holds several positions at Rice including University Professor, Maxfield Oshman Professor in Engineering, Associate Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education. Tapia has been an active member of SIAM for many years, currently serving on the SIAM Diversity Advisory Committee and the SIAM Fellows Selection Committee. In addition to his community service, he has been a prolific researcher and educational advocate for many years.
SIAM is pleased to congratulate Dr. Tapia for being honored by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and for the tremendous honor he has received from outside the mathematical community.
The Hispanic Heritage Awards were created in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and the White House to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month. The event serves as a culmination of the year-round mission of HHF, which identifies, inspires, prepares and positions Latino leaders in the classroom, community and workforce.
See the complete press release and a complete listing of the 2009 Hispanic Heritage Honorees at http://tinyurl.com/HispanicHeritageAwardRelease.
