USU Alumnus and Nobel Laureate Presents Free Lecture March 17

Lars Peter Hansen, recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics, will present the George S. Eccles Memorial Lecture in Economics, “Uncertainty in Economic Analysis and the Economic Analysis of Uncertainty,” Friday, March 17. The hour-long lecture begins at 11:15 a.m. in the L. Tom Perry Pavilion, on the fourth floor of Huntsman Hall, on the Utah State University campus. Everyone is invited.

Hansen was one of three Americans named a recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics. He is internationally known for his specialization in economic dynamics, using statistical methods applied to study linkages between financial markets and the macroeconomy.

“We are delighted to have Lars back on our campus, this time to address the topic of uncertainty,” said USU Jon M. Huntsman College of Business Dean Douglas Anderson. “A discussion on uncertainty fits perfectly with the intent of the Eccles Lecture, which is ‘to encourage the expansion of economic literacy.’”

After graduating from USU in 1974 with bachelor’s degrees in both mathematics and political science and a minor in economics, Hansen went on to earn a doctorate in economics from the University of Minnesota.
 
Since joining the University of Chicago in 1981, Hansen is now the David Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and Statistics and is the inaugural research director for the Becker-Friedman Institute.

Hansen’s work has garnered him several awards and honors, including the 2011 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Finance and Management. He received an honorary doctorate from USU in 2012. The latest Nobel honor has gained attention from around the world.

Hansen is son of the late R. Gaurth Hansen, renowned biochemist and former USU provost, and longtime USU supporter Anna Lou Rees Hansen, who resides in St. George, Utah.

Hansen’s lecture is made possible through a grant from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation. The Eccles Memorial Lecture first began at USU in 1974 and has brought renowned business leaders such as Peter Drucker, Alan Greenspan, Ross Perot, Jack Welch and several Nobel Laureates, including Gary Becker, James Buchanan, Milton Friedman and Vernon Smith.

For more information contact Dave Patel, association dean in the Huntsman School of Business at 435-757-4142 or dave.patel@usu.edu.

Contact: Dave Patel, 435-757-4142, dave.patel@usu.edu