The Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMD-IT) announced that Jennifer Tour Chayes has been awarded the Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science, and Diversifying Computing.
Chayes is dean of the UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society and a professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, information, mathematics and statistics.
The Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award honors a scientist or engineer whose impact extends beyond scholarship to civic engagement, mentorship and broadening participation in computing. The CMD-IT announcement states that Chayes “exemplifies these values through her groundbreaking research and tireless commitment to inclusion in tech.”
“I’ve known and admired Richard Tapia for over 30 years, and it’s a tremendous honor to receive an award that bears his name,” said Chayes. “We must create opportunities for everyone to discover their strengths in STEM and computing.”
Chayes' scholarly contributions include more than 150 papers, 30 patents, and co-founding the field of graphons, which are widely used in machine learning for large-scale networks.
She is also a leading voice in advancing equity in computing and data science fields. “Perseverance matters more than talent. Just keep going. And mentor others – it gives you strength when you need it most,” Chayes advised. “Even if you don’t fully believe in yourself, act as if you do. Confidence will come.”
The award will be presented to Chayes at the 2025 Tapia Conference to be held September 10-12 in Dallas, Texas.
