We are delighted to welcome Professor Ricardo Masini to GGAM!
Ricardo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at UC Davis. Before joining UC Davis, he served as a Researcher at Princeton University’s Center for Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML) and as an Affiliate Professor of Economics at the São Paulo School of Economics, Getulio Vargas Foundation (EESP‑FGV). His research spans mathematical statistics, theoretical econometrics, decision science, and the statistical foundations of machine learning.
As part of his research agenda, Ricardo has developed novel procedures for causal inference in a high-dimensional setup, which naturally arises in the context of big data applications. He is also interested in non/semi-parametric estimation and functional data analysis.
Ricardo is an enthusiastic and dedicated educator. He has taught a wide range of data‑science‑related courses—including statistics, probability, big data and machine learning techniques, Bayesian econometrics, and time series analysis—at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. His passion for teaching began early; he has been teaching in some form since high school.
Ricardo earned his Ph.D. in Economics (with honors) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC‑Rio) in 2016 and an M.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2011. He also holds an MBA (finance) from INSEAD (2008) and a B.Sc. in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (2002). Before entering academia, he worked in the aerospace industry, management consulting, and finance.
Outside of work, Ricardo is a computer programming enthusiast and a lifelong math lover. He enjoys heavy metal, TV series, movies, cooking, and a good IPA. Born and raised in Brazil, he is married to Vanessa Figaro and is the proud father of two daughters, Gabriela (2014) and Julia (2016), along with the family dog, Seu Jorge (2013).