Prof. Luc Anselin, University of Chicago, USA, is awarded the 2025 edition of the Jean Paelinck award!
The Jean Paelinck committee, made up of Roberta Capello (chair), Budy Resosudarmo (PRSCO), Eduardo Haddad (LARSA), Juan Ramon Cuadrado Roura (ERSA), and Kara Kockelman (NARSC), provided the following motivation:
Luc Anselin is awarded the 2025 Jean Paelinck Award. The commission recognises Luc's outstanding contribution to regional science, especially in the field of spatial econometrics methods and techniques. Luc has marked a truly innovative pathway in his research activities, pioneering the formal integration of spatial dependence into econometric models at a time when such approaches were still marginal. His seminal work laid the foundations for what is now a thriving field of spatial econometrics, setting methodological standards that have since been adopted across a wide range of disciplines, from regional science and economics to political science, epidemiology, and environmental studies. Luc’s scholarship has been instrumental in transforming how we conceptualize and measure spatial processes, particularly through his development of local indicators of spatial association (LISA) and his rigorous treatment of spatial lag and error models.
Luc’s influence extends well beyond academic publications. He has empowered generations of scholars and practitioners through the creation of accessible, open-source software platforms like SpaceStat, GeoDa, and PySAL. These tools have democratized spatial analysis and enabled users worldwide to apply cutting-edge techniques in spatial econometrics with transparency and rigor. His intellectual leadership has been matched by a deep commitment to community-building, serving as director of key research centers, mentoring young scholars, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Luc Anselin embodies the spirit of Jean Paelinck through his relentless pursuit of methodological clarity, his devotion to spatial analytical thinking, and his enduring impact on the scientific infrastructure of regional science.