UNAM Awards Ricardo Torres Gaitán Chair to Aris Spanos

Through its Institute of Economic Research (IIEc), UNAM has awarded the 2025 Ricardo Torres Gaitán Chair to Aris Spanos of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in recognition of his contributions to inferential statistics methodology and econometric modeling.

During the ceremony, Miguel Armando López Leyva, UNAM’s Humanities Coordinator, emphasized that the Ricardo Torres Gaitán Chair was established to promote and advance economic research, particularly in economic development.

Representing President Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, López Leyva highlighted that Ricardo Torres Gaitán remains an influential figure for generations of Mexican economists. His legacy is deeply embedded in the university’s history, having served as director of the IIEc from 1950 to 1952 and later as head of the National School of Economics from 1953 to 1961. His research broke new ground in monetary policy, trade relations in Mexico and Latin America, economic crises, and unemployment.

López Leyva also noted that the 2025 Chair is awarded to Aris Spanos, who holds a PhD in econometrics from the London School of Economics and has specialized in epistemology, the philosophy of social sciences, and probability theory, among other fields.

IIEc Director Armando Sánchez Vargas stated that the ceremony represents significant academic recognition of Ricardo Torres Gaitán’s enduring contributions to the field of economics and to the university community. He added that naming the Chair in his honor reflects his lasting influence in academia.