Professor Ramsés Mena Chávez is a Professor of Statistics at the Institute of Applied Mathematics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)and a world leader in non-parametric Bayesian methods. A Bath alumnus, Professor Mena gained his PhD from our University of Bath in 2003 and has maintained close links since, primarily through the Bath-UNAM-CIMAT (BUC) mathematics research platform, of which he is an executive committee member. His research interests are focused in the areas of Bayesian Nonparametrics, Applied Stochastic Processes, Time Series Analysis, Species Sampling Models and Simulation Methods.
Hosted by Professor Andreas Kyprianou in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the Institute for Mathematical Innovation, his Global Chair has further expanded our University's strategic partnership with UNAM and developed new opportunities in statistical applied mathematics, informing policy on natural disaster management and leveraging industrial investment.
Supporting our doctoral training for industry-relevant research, Professor Mena is also a key partner for SAMBa, Bath's EPSRC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Statistical Applied Mathematics, and provides mentorship and support for doctoral students in mathematics, education and public policy in the field of statistics.
Activities at Bath
Since his appointment as a Global Chair in 2018/2019, Professor Ramsés Mena has visited Bath numerous times and continues his active engagement with our University. He has:
worked with the Bath team to develop an expansive joint project looking at disaster modelling together with industrial partner Willis Tower.
delivered a public lecture on Statistical Methods for Natural Disaster Risk Assessment, which discussed the importance of statistical and probabilistic methodologies for the risk assessment and financial management of natural disasters, especially in Mexico (30 November 2018).
leveraged his networks both within the UK and in Mexico to enable new staff visits and student exchange opportunities with UNAM and CIMAT.
contributed to SAMBa flagship activities, including Integrative Think Tank (ITT) workshops.
- SAMBa’s 9th IIT in 2019, for example, brought together students, academics and partners to explore the challenges of modelling and predicting natural disasters like hurricanes, volcano eruptions and drought, providing new research development, funding and doctoral training opportunities for industry-relevant and applied mathematics.
supported interdisciplinary working at Bath and created new links with colleagues at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), building on his expertise on natural disaster management in Mexico and his experience working with the Mexican government on national insurance initiatives.
continued research engagement with Bath in a joint Bath-UNAM project on New methods for physics-based models in catastrophe modelling for national disaster funding, with Dr Philippe Trinh, Prof. Paul Milewski and Prof. Andreas Kyprianou in the Department of Mathematical Sciences (Bath) and Prof. Antonio Capella Kort (UNAM), seed-funded by Bath's International Relations Office IRO-funded (since 2020).
