This biennial conference and prize honors two seminal figures who inspired a generation of African American, Latino/Latina, and Native American students to pursue careers in mathematics—David H. Blackwell, the first African-American member of the National Academy of Science, and Richard A. Tapia, winner of the National Medal of Science in 2010.

The conference:

• recognizes and showcases mathematical excellence by minority researchers, with specific attention to include those raised in the U.S. who have been historically excluded in the mathematical sciences and those that share and reflect their experiences;
• recognizes and disseminates successful efforts to address underrepresentation;
• informs students and mathematicians about career opportunities in mathematics; and
• provides networking opportunities from mathematical researchers at all stages of higher education and career trajectory.

Blackwell-Tapia Prize

The Blackwell-Tapia Prize recognizes a mathematician who has served as a role model for mathematical scientists and students from underrepresented minority groups or has contributed in other significant ways to addressing the problem of underrepresentation of minorities in mathematics.

The 2024 recipient of the Blackwell-Tapia Prize is Dr. Illya Hicks, Professor and Department Chair of Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research at Rice University.