$20 million gift from Antonio Gracias and family aims to advance faculty research and student innovation across economics, quantum science, and engineering

The University of Chicago has received a transformative $20 million gift from the Gracias Family Foundation, directed by UChicago Trustee Antonio Gracias, to advance faculty research and student innovation across economics, quantum science, and engineering.

The donation establishes the Gracias Family Center for Human Sciences and Wellbeing and the Gracias Family Research Fund, both housed within the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI), and endows three new professorships—two in economics and one in quantum science and engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME).

These positions mark the completion of 30 endowed professorships made possible through the university’s Wallman Fellows Initiative.

“This generous gift will empower our faculty and students to explore new frontiers of knowledge across a range of disciplines,” said UChicago President Paul Alivisatos, praising the Foundation’s commitment to intellectual and societal advancement.

The Gracias Center for Human Sciences and Wellbeing will expand on BFI’s innovative incubator model pioneered by the Kenneth C. Griffin Applied Economics Incubator, tackling major societal challenges through data-driven, scalable research.

“We will focus resources on one critical issue at a time,” said John List, BFI faculty director, “thus accelerating actionable solutions to the most pressing societal challenges.”

At PME, the endowed professorship in quantum science and engineering will support groundbreaking research in a field central to next-generation technology.

In addition, the Gracias Family Formula SAE Fund will enable students to design and build high-performance formula-style vehicles—promoting hands-on learning, creativity, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

“As a proud graduate of UChicago Law School, I’ve seen firsthand how its scholarship impacts the world,” said Antonio Gracias, founder, CEO, and CIO of Valor Equity Partners. “I’m honored that the Gracias Family Foundation can help empower the next generation of scholars and innovators.”

This landmark gift strengthens UChicago’s position as a global hub for cutting-edge inquiry and student excellence—bridging human sciences, economics, and engineering to shape a better, more innovative future.