André Chagas was recently elected President of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Science Association (LARSA).

He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) and a valuable member of the University of Sao Paulo Regional and Urban Economics Lab (NEREUS). André has taken over different positions in the Brazilian section of RSAI, ABER, leading the organization in the biennial 2018-2019. According to the statement on his motivations for applying as LARSA president, he plans to resume next year the in-presence LARSA congress, after its interruption due to the pandemic. Among the challenges he will face in the next two years leading the Association, he will focus on the nurturing of recently created sections as well as the creation of new sections in Latin America following up initiatives from RSAI administrations in the region in countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. He will be engaged in further developing RSAI in Latin America and breathing more life into LARSA, with the support of well-established associations in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Finally, he plans to increase the membership and stimulate the participation of regional scientists from the region in RSAI activities, with special attention to young scholars, drawing on existing successful RSAI programs. We wish André all the best in his journey!