Sometimes it All Adds Up: Math Professor’s Journey from the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House

Minority “Underrepresentation endangers the mind of a nation not the health of various STEM fields”. In this podcast, host, Dr. Frank A. Gomez, sits down with National Medal of Science awardee and Computational & Applied Mathematics University Professor, Dr. Richard A. Tapia, to discuss his incredible life journey, his mathematics contributions, and his amazing work in influencing and inspiring underrepresented minority and female students in science and math.

“When I argue with the math department I don’t say that bringing in blacks, browns, and women are going to improve the quality of mathematics. Mathematics is in good shape and it is going to keep going. On the other hand, not having a STEM workforce in Silicon Valley that has the flavor of black and brown, now that does hurt the nation. With 18% brown and 13% black, that’s a large group of people and if they are not in the backbone of this country, which is science and technology, then the country will be weakened”. 

Episode Credits

Produced, edited, and mixed by Monica Alarcon

Hosted by Dr. Frank A. Gomez

Music licensed by Premium Beat