Juan Meza Named One of Hispanic Business Magazine's "100 Influentials"

Juan Meza, head of the High Performance Computing Research Department in Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division, has been named to Hispanic Business magazine's annual list of 100 influential Hispanics. The list, published in the October issue, includes Hispanics who play leading roles in politics, business, science, information technology, health care, education, the media, and other areas. Meza and Puerto Rican astronaut Joseph Acaba are the only two scientists on this year's list.

In recognizing Meza, the magazine wrote: "With multiple degrees — in electrical engineering, as well as a Ph.D. in Computational Mathematics — Dr. Meza puts them to good use in his research focused on new directions in technology, as well as expertise in subjects many of us can barely comprehend: nanoscience, molecular conformation, chemical vapor deposition."

Meza is a Senior Scientist at Berkeley Lab. He previously served as a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. The list also includes Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.

Meza is a recognized leader in efforts to increase the diversity in science and mathematics, serving as a mentor, teacher and speaker at the national, state and local levels. In 2008, Meza was awarded the Blackwell-Tapia Prize, which recognizes a mathematical scientist who has contributed and continues to contribute significantly to research and who has served as a role model for mathematical scientists and students from under-represented minority groups or contributed in other significant ways to addressing the problem of the under-representation of minorities in mathematics. He was also named the 2008 SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) Distinguished Scientist Award, which recognizes scientific achievement, teaching, and mentorship of underrepresented minority students.