Blackwell-Tapia Conference November 14-15, 2008

Organizers:
Ricardo Cortez (Tulane University)
William Massey (Princeton University)
Michael Minion (SAMSI and University of North Carolina)
Carolyn Morgan (Hampton University)
Cristina Villalobos (University of Texas Panamerican)

This is the fifth in a series of biannual conferences honoring David Blackwell and Richard Tapia, two seminal figures who inspired a generation of African-American, Native American and Latino/Latina students to pursue careers in mathematics. Carrying forward their work, this one and a half day conference will

• recognize and showcase mathematical excellence by minority researchers
• recognize and disseminate successful efforts to address under-representation
• inform students and mathematicians about career opportunities in mathematics, especially outside academia
• provide networking opportunities for mathematical researchers at all points in the higher education/career trajectory

The conference will include a mix of activities including scientific talks; poster presentations; a panel discussion of career opportunities in mathematics, and another panel on recruitment and retention of a diverse mathematics workforce; and ample opportunities for discussion and interaction.

The National Blackwell-Tapia Committee is pleased to announce that the 2008 Blackwell-Tapia Prize will be awarded to Dr. Juan C. Meza, Department Head and Senior Scientist for the High Performance Computing Research Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

This prize is awarded every second year in honor of the legacy of David H. Blackwell and Richard A. Tapia.

Dr. Meza has an exceptionally distinguished record as a mathematical scientist, an accomplished and effective head of a large department doing cutting-edge explorations in the computational sciences, computational mathematics, and future technologies, and a role model and active advocate for others from groups under-represented in the mathematical sciences. As a mathematician, his current research focuses on nonlinear optimization with an emphasis on methods for parallel computing, and he has also worked on various scientific and engineering applications including scalable methods for nanoscience, power grid reliability, molecular conformation problems, optimal design of chemical vapor deposition furnaces, and semiconductor device modeling. He is a much sought after speaker, both nationally and internationally, on topics ranging from his own research, through major invited talks on the importance of diversity such as his presentation as the 2008 Marjorie Lee Browne Colloquium Speaker for the University of Michigan's Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, and advice important to young mathematicians-in-the-making such as his presentations to student groups on how they can be effective speakers and presenters themselves. His record of service to communities under-represented in mathematics includes chairing the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) Human Resources Advisory Committee, co-chairing the annual Diversity Day workshops of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and many other activities too numerous to mention here; however, they regularly extend from serving on high-level advisory committees on diversity for major scientific organizations, through rolling up his own sleeves and working directly with early-career mathematics students from under-represented groups, as he did in the 2007 MSRI Undergraduate Program (MSRI-UP).

In addition to his other recognitions, Dr. Meza will also receive the 2008 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), to be presented on October 9 at the 2008 SACNAS National Conference in Salt Lake City.

Schedule

Friday, November 14, 2008
Radisson Hotel RTP

Saturday, November 15, 2008
Radisson Hotel RTP