By Raji Natarajan
Special to Rice News
Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing has named Karen Lozano as the director of the Tapia Center for Empowerment through STEM Education. Lozano, chair and trustee professor of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, succeeds the center’s late founder, Richard A. Tapia, a pioneering mathematician and National Medal of Science recipient. Established in 1995, the center helps students build the skills, confidence and sense of belonging they need to pursue higher education and careers in STEM fields.
“Professor Tapia understood that excellence and opportunity are not competing values. They are inseparable,” said Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering and Computing and professor of computer science. “Karen shares that conviction. She has built an extraordinary career as a scholar and engineer while opening doors for students who too often have not seen a place for themselves in STEM. Her leadership of the Tapia Center brings together her commitment to academic excellence, her experience as a mentor and educator and her deep understanding of the transformative power of opportunity. I can think of no better person to carry professor Tapia’s vision forward.”
A world-renowned engineer and materials scientist, Lozano’s pioneering work in composite materials and nanofiber manufacturing has advanced the design and scalable production of lightweight, high-performance materials. Her research has translated fundamental discoveries in materials science into innovative technologies for applications spanning health care, energy, environmental protection and advanced manufacturing. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Inventors and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is also a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. For more than 25 years, Lozano has created state-of-the-art research programs and opportunities for educational and socioeconomic mobility, mentoring hundreds of students who have gone on to successful careers in industry, academia and government laboratories.
“On behalf of the Tapia Center’s advisory board, I am deeply honored to welcome professor Karen Lozano as the new director of the Tapia Center,” chairperson Nicolas Medina said. “She brings the passion, vision and experience needed to build upon professor Richard Tapia’s legacy of inspiring and empowering future generations of students from all walks of life to pursue rewarding careers in engineering and computing.”
Lozano grew up in a working-class family in Mexico, became a first-generation college student and was the only woman in her graduating class at the Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico. Her commitment to mentoring students and broadening access to opportunity stems from the challenges she experienced early in her own educational journey.
“Professor Tapia leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of excellence, mentorship, courage and service,” Lozano said. “I am deeply honored to follow in his footsteps because the mission of the Tapia Center is closely connected to my own life and career. I understand personally how one opportunity, one mentor or one moment of encouragement can change the trajectory of a student’s life. Much of my career has been dedicated to creating those opportunities and helping students recognize abilities and possibilities they may not yet see in themselves.”
To build on Tapia’s legacy, Lozano has outlined three primary strategic priorities for the center:
- Expand access to the center’s residential summer programs, where middle and high school students experience rigorous academics, mentorship, campus life and a strong sense of belonging.
- Develop programming and resources that educators can integrate into their K-12 classrooms and summer camps across the continent.
- Strengthen connections with corporate and technical partners to secure resources, technical expertise, mentorship and career exposure that extend beyond secondary education.
“My vision is to expand the center’s reach and create sustained pathways and support that help students discover their potential in engineering and computing,” Lozano said. “Ultimately, I want the center to not only inspire students for a few weeks but to remain part of their educational journeys as they become engineers, computing professionals and leaders of the future.”
As part of this initiative, Lozano plans to forge closer collaborations between the Tapia Center and Rice’s Center for Engineering Excellence Through Equity (CEEE). The centers will build on their long-standing work to expand opportunities for students through mentorship, outreach and professional development. As part of the collaboration, graduate students affiliated with CEEE will serve as mentors, speakers and role models in Tapia Center programs, including those that engage K-12 students, providing participants with opportunities to connect with engineers and researchers further along in their academic and professional journeys.
“Dr. Karen Lozano’s appointment is an inspiring win for Rice,” said Renata Ramos, senior associate dean of academic affairs at Rice’s Brown School of Engineering and Computing, and Cecilia H. Fernández, assistant director for CEEE. “We look forward to aligning our efforts with professor Lozano and the Tapia Center team to fulfill our shared mission: preparing responsible, compassionate and purpose-driven leaders who engineer solutions for social good.”
“Together, the two centers will create a continuum of mentorship and service, cultivate a sense of belonging and build students’ confidence,” Lozano added. “By engaging Rice faculty, graduate students, alumni and industry partners to serve as mentors and role models, I hope to open new opportunities and empower young people to pursue ambitious educational and career goals, a mission very close to professor Tapia’s heart.”