Dr. Richard A. Tapia is a mathematician and professor in the Department of Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research at Rice University. He is internationally recognized for his research in the computational and mathematical sciences and is a national leader in education and outreach. At Rice, he holds the titles of University Professor (only the tenth individual to receive this honor in the university’s 100-year history), Maxfield and Oshman Chair in Engineering, and Faculty Director of the Tapia Center.