Chemometrics, the art of quantifying and interpreting

For those of us who are not familiar with the 'hard sciences', visiting a chemical laboratory can be considered an experience as curious as it is enriching, and -during the visit- one learns about disciplines and techniques that one has never heard of.

In the laboratories of the Universidad del Azuay, UDA, we can observe teachers and students with their white coats, with the sole objective of developing analytical and experimental skills through observation.
Under the direction of Piercosimo Tripaldi, these laboratories carry out food analyzes, soil and mine studies, gold and silver determinations, among other processes worthy of being studied and analyzed.
“It's an encyclopedia in life!” Exclaim the students of Dr. Tripaldi, who thanks to his knowledge and scientific studies has been a fundamental piece for the students' learning for several generations.

Another of the key players in the laboratories of the UDA is the research professor Andrés Pérez, in charge of organizing research projects with the students, as well as guiding them to the completion of their thesis.
An investigation that stands out in these instances is chemometrics, the application of statistical techniques to chemical phenomena in order to interpret them.
This discipline can be applied to any science, including the Social Sciences.

"Any data can be quantifiable, which is why chemometrics opened a wide range of possibilities, and it has allowed us to work together with various areas of the University," said Pérez.
The UDA has been the pioneer in carrying out projects with this discipline, creating in 1992 the first School of Chemometrics in Ecuador and working in conjunction with chemometrics leaders worldwide, such as the Italian professor Roberto Todeschini and with the University of Milano- Bicocca.
Todeschini was appointed honorary professor by the University of Azuay, since he has worked on several chemometric projects, in management with Dr. Tripaldi.