Federico Santa María Technical University
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The Federico Santa María Technical University ( es, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, UTFSM, or simply Santa Maria University) is a Chilean university member of the Rector's Council, founded in 1926 in
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
. The university has campuses in Valparaiso, Viña del Mar,
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
(
Vitacura Vitacura is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is one of the most expensive and fashionable areas of Santiago. Inhabitants are primarily high income families. It belongs to the Northeastern zone o ...
and San Joaquín). The Federico Santa María Technical University is the alma mater of several prominent businessmen, engineers and Chilean scientists. Its students and alumni are known as "Sansanos". The UTFSM was the first Chilean university to confer a
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
in engineering in 1962 and the first higher-education institution in
Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
to confer this degree.http://www.bib.utfsm.cl/nuevositio/attachments/087_80%20a%C3%B1os%20de%20universidad.pdf Reseña Histórica – Biblioteca UTFSM The UTFSM university radio is the oldest campus radio in
Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
. The university admission is very competitive and, it is known for its rigorous study requirements, demanding study program. For the years 2011–2016, the UTFSM has an undergraduate
retention rate The term "retention rate" is used in a variety of fields, including marketing, investing, education, in the workplace and in clinical trials. Maintaining retention in each of these fields often results in a positive outcome for the overall organiz ...
of 82% by the first year of studies, and a 66% by the second year. Less than 1% of its students are international, and most of the available courses are imparted in Spanish. The graduation date is held on the 20th of December every year, since it commemorates the anniversary of the death of the founder, Federico Santa Maria Carrera, on the 20th of December 1925.


History

The university takes its name from
Federico Santa María Federico Santa María Carrera (c. August 15, 1845 - December 20, 1925) was a Chilean businessman and philanthropist. He was of Basque descent and member of the notable Carrera family. Federico Santa María was born in Valparaíso, the son of Jua ...
, a Chilean philanthropist that lived in France. He raised a huge fortune as a broker in the sugar market in Paris. Before his death, he donated all his fortune to create a university in
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, his hometown. Although the exact amount of his fortune is unknown, it is believed to have been around 27 billion dollars of today's
currency A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general ...
. While in Paris in 1920, in his testament, Santa María donated his fortune with the idea of building a high-standard technical and scientific institution. In his will, Santa María manifested that his desired executors contribute to material progress and expand Chile's cultural horizons; altruistic ideas which sought to facilitate entry into the academic life of outstanding compatriots dispossessed but without further requirement than merit, skills and high academic achievement. This institution would accept and prepare the best students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to gain technical and scientific knowledge that contribute to the progress of the country. The executors were chosen by Santa María to be Agustin Edwards Mac-Clure, Juan Brown Caces, Carlos van Buren and Andrew Geddes. Following his philosophy, on March 31, 1926, an institution was created to develop Santa María's legacy. In 1931, the School of Crafts and Arts and School of Engineering José Miguel Carrera was founded. In 1935, its name changed to Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. The condition imposed by
Federico Santa María Federico Santa María Carrera (c. August 15, 1845 - December 20, 1925) was a Chilean businessman and philanthropist. He was of Basque descent and member of the notable Carrera family. Federico Santa María was born in Valparaíso, the son of Jua ...
was that, during the first 10 years, the university must receive academics from the best schools of sciences and engineering. Following this imperative, the executor of this project,
Agustín Edwards Mac-Clure Agustín Edwards Mac-Clure (June 17, 1878 – June 18, 1941) was a Chilean lawyer, diplomat and businessman, and founder of the Santiago edition of ''El Mercurio'' newspaper. Early life Agustín Edwards was born in Santiago, the son of Agustín ...
, traveled to Germany where he contacted Karl Laudien, at the time rector of a technical school in the Western Pemerania region, and he became the first rector of the university. From that moment, the university received a strong German influence in its engineering education. Several German engineers and scientists arrived before and after the second world war from institutions such as
TU Berlin The Technical University of Berlin (official name both in English and german: link=no, Technische Universität Berlin, also known as TU Berlin and Berlin Institute of Technology) is a public research university located in Berlin, Germany. It wa ...
,
Berlin University Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...
, and
Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...
among other German institutions. They brought to the university cutting edge knowledge in physics, chemistry and engineering. For example, Arnold Keller, professor of the Physics department at UTFSM, was involved in the development of the V-1 rockets during the second world war, as part of the team of Wernher von Braun. Research in new areas to the country such as Solar Energy, or Chemistry of Natural Products were created, which delivered two Nacional Science Prize awards, Herbert Appel in 1970, and Juan Garbarino in 1998. In 1934, the Scientia magazine is published, becoming the voice for the university's academic work. In 1937, the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria Radio was created, becoming the first university radio broadcaster in Chile and Latin America, focused to broadcasting information and cultural programs. The radio still broadcasts to this day, in the AM: 1.450 and FM: 99,7 signals in the Valparaiso region. The radio also has an online signal. In 1939, the Alumni association was founded, known today as AEXA (Asociación de Ex-Alumnos). In 1960, the Graduate School was created, and its first director was Herbert Appel (1960-1964), offering the PhD study lines for chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering. In 1963 the university became the first higher-education institution in
Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
to confer a doctorate in engineering, in cooperation with the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
. In the 1960s the university started a strategy of national and international expansion. In 1966 the Technical campus " Viña del Mar" was founded. In 1972 the campus "Rey Balduino de Bélgica" in the southeast city of Concepción with orientation in technical-professional areas was founded. The project received strong financial support from Baudouin King. In 1964, the university grants for the first time a technical degree to a woman, the chemical technician Patricia Guzman. In 1965 Graciela Muñoz graduates as its first female engineer. The UTFSM was the first university of the 8 existing universities in Chile at the time to restart its operations on 15 October 1973, after the Military coup of 11 September 1973.


Campuses

The university has three campuses and two branch campuses (''sedes''): #Casa Central, main campus. Inaugurated in 1931 in
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
#Campus Vitacura, Inaugurated in 1995 in
Vitacura Vitacura is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is one of the most expensive and fashionable areas of Santiago. Inhabitants are primarily high income families. It belongs to the Northeastern zone o ...
,
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
, Chile. #Campus San Joaquín. Inaugurated in 2009 in San Joaquin,
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
, Chile. #Sede
José Miguel Carrera José Miguel Carrera Verdugo (; October 15, 1785 – September 4, 1821) was a Chilean general, formerly Spanish military, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most impo ...
, located in Viña del Mar. #Sede Rey Balduino de Bélgica, Inaugurated in 1972 in Talcahuano, Chile. While the campuses are focused on undergraduate, graduate and university academical activities, ''sedes'' are mainly dedicated to technical degrees. Additionally the UTFSM strated in 1996 a Campus located in
Guayaquil, Ecuador , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...
, from an agreement with the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manta, campus which closed in 2018, with the infrastructure being taken over by a newly created university, Universidad del Rio. Around 600 students in 2019 expect to be graduated by 2023, process which will lead to the definitive closure of UTFSM Activities in
Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
.


Main campus, Valparaíso

The main UTFSM campus (or ''Casa Central'') is located in
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, covering most of the front area of Los Placeres hill, on the grounds of the former Pudeto fort. The site faces the
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
coast and it is visible from many parts of the bay of
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
. The building was designed by
Josué Smith Solar Josué Smith Solar (December 8, 1867 – 1938) was a Chilean architect. Life and career Josué Smith Solar was born in San Nicolás, Chile, son of American engineer Silas Baldwin Smith and Chilean citizen Leonor Solar Ojeda. Smith Solar studi ...
, one of the most respected Chilean architects of the 20th century, and his son José Smith Miller. The American
Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style campus is considered one of the foremost works of Chilean architecture. The campus is also recognised for its beautiful gardening, with native and exotic species. In 2001, the illumination of the university frontis was renewed through a contest organised by the Chilean branch of
Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...
. The main campus has a gothic scholastic architecture with a privileged view to the Pacific Ocean. This campus includes more than 3 hectares of green areas making it the biggest urban park in Valparaiso, despite it being closed to the public. In 2008 it was chosen as one of the most remarkable national architectural works of the 20th century.


Branch campus Viña del Mar, "José Miguel Carrera"

In the 1960s, the university formulated an expansion plan. With financial assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the support of the
Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
, advice from Dunwoody Industrial Institute in the US, and a donation of land by Chile's Agricultural Development Institute INDAP (from the Spanish "Instituto de Desarrollo Agropecuario"), a fully furnished building was constructed in 1971 in Viña del Mar, and it was named the "
Jose Miguel Carrera Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean ...
" branch campus, following the testamentary vision of the university founder, the philanthropist
Federico Santa María Federico Santa María Carrera (c. August 15, 1845 - December 20, 1925) was a Chilean businessman and philanthropist. He was of Basque descent and member of the notable Carrera family. Federico Santa María was born in Valparaíso, the son of Jua ...
. This branch is located on the border between the communes of
Vina del Mar Vina may refer to: People * Émilie Vina (born 1982), French cross-country skier * Ionuț Vînă (born 1995), Romanian footballer * Vina Bovy (1900–1983), Belgian operatic soprano * Vina Mazumdar (1927–2013), Indian academic and feminist ...
and
Quilpué Quilpué is a city and capital of the Marga Marga Province in central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is part of the Greater Valparaíso metropolitan area. It is widely known as "City of the Sun" (''Ciudad del Sol'') and the urban part of it als ...
in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.


Branch campus Concepción, "Rey Baduino de Belgica"

By the mid-1960s, the university planned to install six schools in different parts of the country. In October 1965, the Kings of Belgium,
Baudouin I Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his dea ...
and Fabiola de Mora y Aragon visited the university headquarters in
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, were introduced to its educational project and as a result initiated conversations for the construction of a branch campus in the city of Concepción. Meanwhile, our country strengthens their contributions: the government facilitates the exchange of funds provided by Belgium; local businesses such as the San Pedro Sawmills, Cementos Bio Bio, Pacific Steel Company, Fanaloza, Inchalam, Pizarreño, Glasses Lirquén, among others, also contributed in its construction. Additionally, a donation of Archbishop of Concepción provided the land needed for the building construction. Its construction began in 1969. Academic activities started on April 26, 1971, offering the careers of Electronics, Electrical, Structural Mechanics, Maintenance Mechanics, and Chemistry. On February 14, 1972, the campus branch was inaugurated solemnly in the presence of the
President of Chile The president of Chile ( es, Presidente de Chile), officially known as the President of the Republic of Chile ( es, Presidente de la República de Chile), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is r ...
, Salvador Allende Gossens, and the university rector, Jaime Chiang Acosta.


Academic rankings and accreditation

The UTFSM has been historically perceived as one of the most prestigious engineering schools in the country and more recently, with the appearance of national and international rankings, has been placed among the top Universities in Chile and Latin America. The UTFSM has consistently been considered as one of the best engineering universities in Latin America, and appears regularly as a highly ranked university in many of the published world university rankings. * For 10 consecutive years, UTFSM has been ranked among the three best Universities in Chile in terms of quality perception given by more than 1000 important national business executives. * In 2012, the university was ranked 5 between 9,500 schools of engineering in the world according to their impact factor in the last 5 years (Microsoft Academics), as the latinoamerican university with the largest normalized impact factor, and as the first school of engineering in South America. * According to Times Higher Education Ranking UTFSM has been decreasing its ranking from being among the 251-275 best Universities in the World in 2015, to being between the 1201-1500 best universities. Its THE ranking for the UTFSM in latin america has decreased from #13 in 2016, to #49 in 2022. * In 2019, the UTFSM was ranked 2nd in Latin America in the Times Higher Education (THE) world ranking for Engineering and Technology. * US News has ranked the UTFSM as #64 in the Best Global Universities ranking, #15 in the Best Universities in Latin America ranking, and #3 in the Best Universities in Chile ranking .


Accreditations

* Chilean National Accreditation commission CNA: 6 years until December 2022


Organization


Directive council

The current president of the UTFSM Academic Council is Mr. Roberto Medina Cantariño. The following table summarizes the different presidents the UTFSM has had in its history.


Rector

The current
rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
is Professor Juan I. Yuz Eissmann, professor of electronic engineering at UTFSM was ratified as the new rector of the university for the period 2022-2026. Some notable events: * Two rectors died at the time of having the role, i.e., Armando Quezada in 1936, and Commander Juan Naylor in 1977. They were replaced by Interim Rectors until a new rector was chosen through a vote. * One rector have had to resign due to
protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
within the university,i.e., Carlos Cerutti in 1968. * Three "delegate" rectors were designated by a
military junta A military junta () is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in ...
. During the Military regime of
Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...
(1973-1990) the university rector was designated by the
military junta A military junta () is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in ...
instead of a normal voting process. Three "delegate rectors", retired military men, had this role during the period: Commander Juan Naylor (1973-1977), Vice-admiral Ismael Huerta (1977-1985) and Commander Arturo Niño de Zepeda (1985-1989). * Two of the rectors were siblings, i.e., Jaime Chiang Acosta (1968-1972), and Gustavo Chiang Acosta (1989-1993). * Jaime Chiang Acosta (1969-1972) was the first rector chosen through a voting process in the university community. * Jaime Chiang Acosta (1969-1972) was the first rector that was also a UTFSM alumnus, a Civil Chemical Engineering graduate (1952) with a PhD from the University of Louisiana. * Gustavo Chiang Acosta (1989-1993), a UTFSM civil mechanical engineer graduated in 1949, was also the first rector chosen by popular vote of the university community after the end of the Pinochet military regime. * A candidate for rector needs to obtain at least 60% of the votes in an election from the Full Board (Claustro Pleno, constituted of all academics at the university) to be elected directly, otherwise the decision remains with the Directive Board. This mechanism has been used in several elections, but the board usually confirms the voting mayority, such as in the case of Jose Rodriguez vs. Raul Steigmeyer in 2010, and in the case of Darcy Fuenzalida vs. Marcello Visconti in 2014. * During the election for rector in 1993, a tight election between
Manfred Max-Neef Artur Manfred Max Neef (; 26 October 1932 – 8 August 2019) was a Chilean economist of German descent. Max-Neef was born in Valparaíso, Chile. He started his career as a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley in the ea ...
and Adolfo Arata gave the former a 1 vote victory in the first election round, and a 2 vote victory during the second round. In this case the Directive Board chose to award the election to Adolfo Arata.


Academic departments

Due to the focused nature of the university, its organisation currently does not include different faculties, only different academic departments, which carry out research and graduate/undergraduate educational programs. Originally, faculties had been considered in the university organization, with the founding of the first three faculties in 1944, Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Faculties were subsequently abolished under Adolfo Arata's period as rector. Within the Chilean campus level, there are 17 different academic departments, though not all of them are in every campus location, and not all degree levels are offered at every location, as the following table shows: UTFSM is the only Chilean engineering school where sports is an obligatory course in the
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
during the first three semesters of all its study lines at its Valparaiso and Santiago Campuses. The university offers careers of
Commercial Pilot A commercial pilot licence (CPL) is a type of pilot licence that permits the holder to act as a pilot of an aircraft and be paid for their work. Different licenses are issued for the major aircraft categories: airplanes, airships, balloons, glid ...
and
Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is sim ...
in its Academia de Ciencias Aeronáutica

in a joint venture with Chilean airline
Lan Chile LATAM Airlines Chile (formerly LAN Airlines and LAN-Chile) is an airline based in Santiago, Chile, one of the founders of LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America's largest airline holding company. The main hub is Arturo Merino Benítez Internationa ...
.


Education

The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. The undergraduate degrees can be of 12 academic semesters (civil engineering), 10 semesters (engineering, pure sciences and architecture), 8 semesters (Applied Engineering) and 6 semesters (technical careers). The graduate degrees offered by this university are Masters (MSc.) and Doctorate (PhD). The Masters of Science degree requires 2 years of study, and the Doctorate degree requires 3 to 5 years of study. All graduate degrees require entrants to have a bachelor's degree.


Engineering degrees

The engineering degrees at UTFSM (and throughout Chile) are offered in different degrees of difficulty. *To differentiate it from the engineering studies of 10 semesters, the engineering degree has the suffix of ''Civil''. For example, the degree for 12 academic semesters in chemical engineering has the title of ''Ingeniero Civil Químico'', while the degree of 10 semesters has the title of ''Ingeniero Químico''.The following Bachelor Engineering degrees are granted by this university: ** Engineering ** Civil ** Environmental ** Electrical ** Electronics ** Computer Science ** Industrial ** Mathematics ** Mechanical ** Metallurgical ** Chemical ** Telematics ** Mining ** Business management ** Product design engineering ** Aircraft business engineering ** Manufacturing and industrial drawing engineering ** Occupational Health and Safety Engineering ** Mechanical processes and maintenance engineering (4 years) *The following Masters of Science are granted by this university: ** Civil Engineering ** Electrical Engineering ** Electronics ** Computer Engineering ** Mechanical ** Chemical Engineering ** Industrial Engineering ** Telematics Engineering ** Metallurgical Engineering ** Physics ** Chemistry ** Mathematics *The following
PhD Degrees PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. alb ...
are granted by this university: ** Biotechnology (Joint degree with the
Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso ( es, link=no, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso) (PUCV), also known as ''Universidad Católica de Valparaíso'' (UCV), is one of six Catholic universities in Chile and one of th ...
) ** Physics (Joint degree with the
Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso ( es, link=no, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso) (PUCV), also known as ''Universidad Católica de Valparaíso'' (UCV), is one of six Catholic universities in Chile and one of th ...
) ** Chemistry (2) ** Electronics Engineering ** Chemical Engineering ** Computer Science Engineering ** Mathematics (Joint degree with the
Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso ( es, link=no, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso) (PUCV), also known as ''Universidad Católica de Valparaíso'' (UCV), is one of six Catholic universities in Chile and one of th ...
and the University of Valparaíso) ** Mechanical Engineering


Chemical Engineering

The Chemical Engineering School at UTFSM was founded together with the foundation of the School of Engineers in 1935, being one of the oldest degrees offered by the university. The first Chilean and Latin American doctorate degree in chemical engineering was given to Walter Gaete Castro in 1962, with a cooperation between UTFSM and
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, USA. Nowadays, the chemical engineering department has the name of Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (''IQA'', in Spanish), where Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering degrees are offered. The research topics at IQA are: * Design of industrial processes * Environmental Engineering * Food Science and Bioprocesses * Minerals Processing * Automation and process control The Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering has 12 associate professors, 11 with PhD degrees (92%). The department offers the graduate programs of Master of Science and PhD in Chemical Engineering.


Mechanical Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering School at UTFSM was founded together with the foundation of the School of Engineers in 1935, being one of the oldest degrees offered by the university. Its first four mechanical engineers graduated in 1939. The mechanical engineering department was also among the first to offer a PhD program in 1964 (along with Chemical and Electrical Engineering Departments). The mechanical engineering department has the following research areas: *
Thermodynamics Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of th ...
* Energy and
Renewable energies Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
*
Process engineering Process engineering is the understanding and application of the fundamental principles and laws of nature that allow humans to transform raw material and energy into products that are useful to society, at an industrial level. By taking advantage ...
The department has 20 full-time professors (2016 data), 17 with PhD degrees (85%). Additional to the
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
s in mechanical engineering (BSc.), the department offers the graduate programs of
Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...
(BSc.) and
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
(PhD) in mechanical engineering. The department has also made substantive efforts to connect with its alumni
A comprehensive list of the graduates of the department can be found online


Graduate school

The UTFSM graduate school started its activities on the 1 August 1960, as a response to the increasing requirements for deeper and applied research in the country. The project was directed by Leroy Stutzman of the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, and doctors G.R. Fitterer and John F. Calver, who audited study programs and teaching methods for the project. The first director of the UTFSM graduate school was Herbert Appel, during the period 1960–1964. The school initially offered PhD study lines in chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering. The first UTFSM PhD graduate was Walter Gaete Castro, with a PhD degree in chemical engineering, becoming the first PhD graduate in Latin America.


Doctor Honoris Causa

The "Doctor Honoris Causa"
honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
is the highest distinction that UTFSM can bestow. Only seven people had been awarded this honor by UTFSM until 2022, when the university conferred the degree to alumna Lorena A. Barba. Previously, it was awarded to: * Georges Mikenberg in 2019, physicist, for his work in particle physics and support of the UTFSM participation in CERN research programs. * Raul Zurita in 2015, and first UTFSM alumnus to obtain it, for his successful career in literature * Wolfgang Riesenkönig in 2014, for his achievements advancements in computer science in Chile *
Michelle Bachelet Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
in 2007, president of Chile at the time * Frederik Hayek in 1977, Austrian economist * Francisco Cereceda in 1964, for his contribution to society and to the university as its former Rector *(Missing Honoris causa recipient)


Research

Since 2010 UTFSM has been awarded with nearly US$8 million for 76 research projects. Many of these projects involve national and international collaborations with prestigious institutions in Latin America (ANDES Laboratory Project, RIABIN Biotechnology Network), Europe (CERN, Max Planck Institut, Politecnico di Milano), and USA (MIT, SLAC), among others.


Cultural activities


University radio

The Federico Santa Maria University radio was created on the 7 April 1937, and it is the oldest university radio in Latin America. It can be heard on 1450 kHz in the AM spectrum, on 99.7 MHz in the FM spectrum, and online.


University Chamber Choir

The
Chamber Choir A chamber choir is a small or medium-sized choir of roughly 8 to 40 singers (occasionally called 'chamber singers'), typically singing classical or religious music in a concert setting. (This is distinct from e.g. a church choir, which sings in rel ...
of the Federico Santa María Technical University was founded on August 4, 1951, in its Valparaiso Campus. It is the second oldest choir in Chile with continuous activity. During the choir's over 60 years of existence, it has interpreted an extensive repertoire, including all manifestations of choral western music, from the Middle Ages to the present day. The choir's first performance was at the closing ceremony of the academic year in December 1951, in the Aula Magna, main hall of events in the "A" building of the university's Main
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
campus. Demosthenes Penna, engineering student of this campus, was its founder and first director until 1954. From March 1955, the choir was directed by Silvio Olate Valenzuela for over 28 years until March 1983. From 1983 to 1987, it was directed by Mauricio Pergelier Hernandez. For the next 23 years, from 1987 to 2010, the choir was conducted by Eduardo Silva Cerda. From 2010, the choir has been conducted by Felipe Molina Lavandera. The Guayaquil campus in Ecuador also has formed a Choir in 2015, directed by Charles Sampertegui.


Folklore ensemble "Alimapu"

The university has a long history of musical expression, in particular through its folkloric ensemble
Alimapu


Alumni

Different organizations, denominated AEXA (from the Spanish "Asociacion de EX Alumnos") have been created at several of the UTFSM campuses: * AEXA Valparaiso, established in 1939 * AEXA Santiago, established in 1941 * AEXA in the United States, established in 1995 These organization are created and managed by the alumni themselves, and coordinate their action with the university through th
UTFSM Alumni Network office


Notable alumni (by year of graduation)

*Homero Capona, first engineer graduated at the university, UTFSM electrical engineer (1939). *
Abelardo Quinteros Abelardo Quinteros (born 10 December 1923, Valparaiso) is a Chilean composer who is particularly known for his contributions to twelve-note composition and serialism. His most well known works include his award-winning ''Horizon carré, Cantos al ...
, composer particularly known for his contributions to  twelve-note composition and  serialism. UTFSM industrial design graduate (1941). *Carlos Ceruti Gardeazabal, the first Chilean to receive the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by an international institution:
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, USA. Founder council member of the Chilean school of engineers (1958), UTFSM rector (1958-1968). UTFSM mechanical engineer (1941). * Mario Luxoro Mariani, First Chilean to earn a PhD degree abroad. National Sciences prize in the year 2000. UTFSM chemical engineer (1948). He later went on to receive a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship and to earn a PhD at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
(MIT) in 1957. Subsequently, he became a professor at the Faculty of Medicine and dean of the Faculty of Science at the
University of Chile The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843.
in
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
, Chile. * Boris Rotman, First UTFSM alumnus to become professor in an
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...
University ( Brown University). He is recognized for performing the first single molecule experiment in biology, and received the
State of Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
Governor's award for Scientific Excellence. UTFSM chemical engineer (1948)
Max von Brand Kuhlmann
Vice president of the Chilean nuclear energy commission (1973-1981). UTFSM professor (1957-1984). UTFSM chemical engineer (1956). *Armin Kunstmann, He Studied
Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
At Federico Santa Maria Technical University, known as the founder and CEO of " Kunstmann" a well-known chilean beer brand originally produced in Valdivia, Chile.since 1997. * Sergio Contreras Navia, Bishop of Temuco (1978-2001) Directed the construction of the new Temuco Cathedral. UTFSM mechanical engineer (1957). He assisted to graduation dressed in cassock. *Miguel Kiwi, National Sciences Prize (2007). UTFSM mechanical engineer (1963) and later PhD in physics from the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
(1967).
Eugenio Villaseca
first child of a UTFSM graduate, to also graduate from this university. UTFSM Electrical Engineer (1963) and later PhD in electrical engineering from Arizona State University (1980).
Patricia Guzman
first woman to graduate from this university. UTFSM chemical technician (1964)

first woman to graduate as an engineer at this university. UTFSM chemical engineer (1965) * Raul Zurita, Civil Engineer, Poet, National Literature Prize (2000). UTFSM civil engineer (1967). He completed the study curriculum but did deliver a thesis or graduate.
Ivan Schmidt Andrade
physicist. He developed, in cooperation with Dr. Stanley Brodsky from Stanford University, the basic theoretical aspects to create anti-hydrogen atoms in the Laboratory. Based in this methods, Swiss scientists have created the first antimatter atom in the world. He is also member of the Chilean academy of sciences (2010). UTFSM electronics engineer (1968) and later PhD from Stanford University (1977). *Mario Pérez, astrophysicist. He studied electronic engineering between 1971 and 1976, after working at the European Souther Observatory, ESO in La Serena and
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
he moved to
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
to study astronomy at the
University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
, after that he moved to the US to continue his doctorate in astrophysics at the
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
in Provo, Utha, in 1988, his first port doctorate work was as a resident in the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, he also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He is now the Program Scientist for the Cosmic Origins Program, the Kepler/K2 mission and the Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) Program within the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters, Science Mission Directorate. He is also the Program Executive for several Exoplanet Programs such as the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI), W.M. Keck Observatory, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) and the NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research (NN-EXPLORE) partnership. * José Rodríguez Pérez, National Applied Sciences and Technology Prize 2014. UTFSM rector (2006–2014). UTFSM electrical engineer (1977) and later PhD at the
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
(1985). *Ricardo Meruane, Comedian, UTFSM Tooling Technician (1981). * Charles Menevau, Member of the Chilean academy of sciences (2006). UTFSM mechanical engineer (1985), and later PhD from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
(1989). Professor at th
Center for environmental and applied fluid mechanics
at the
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...
.


Notable faculty

*
Robert Frucht Robert Wertheimer Frucht (later known as Roberto Frucht) (9 August 1906 – 26 June 1997) was a German-Chilean mathematician; his research specialty was graph theory and the symmetries of graphs. Education and career In 1908, Frucht's family mo ...
, German-Chilean mathematician, known for developing the
Frucht's theorem Frucht's theorem is a theorem in algebraic graph theory conjectured by Dénes Kőnig in 1936 and proved by Robert Frucht in 1939. It states that every finite group is the group of symmetries of a finite undirected graph. More strongly, for any fi ...
, emeritus professor 1970. PhD from the
University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
, was a UTFSM professor (1948-1968). * Robert Breusch, mathematician. Breusch was known for his new proof of the prime number theorem and for the many solutions he provided to problems posed in the American Mathematical Monthly. PhD from the
University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
, was a UTFSM professor until 1939. * Herbert Appel, National Sciences Prize 1971. PhD from
Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...
, held different roles at the UTFSM chemical engineering department and graduate school (1937 -1981). *
Agustín Edwards Mac-Clure Agustín Edwards Mac-Clure (June 17, 1878 – June 18, 1941) was a Chilean lawyer, diplomat and businessman, and founder of the Santiago edition of ''El Mercurio'' newspaper. Early life Agustín Edwards was born in Santiago, the son of Agustín ...
, Executor of the will of Federico Santa María. President of the General Assembly of the
League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
, Interior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cult and Colonization and Plenipotentiary to Great Britain among other positions. * Francisco Cereceda Cisternas, state minister during both
Jorge Alessandri Jorge Eduardo Alessandri Rodríguez (; 19 May 1896 – 31 August 1986) was the 27th President of Chile from 1958 to 1964, and was the candidate of the Chilean right in the crucial presidential election of 1970, which he lost to Salvador All ...
and Carlos Ibañez del Campo governments. UTFSM rector (1936-1958). * Juan Garbarino, Natural Sciences National Prize (1998). UTFSM professor from 1981. Chemical Engineer PUC (1959) and later PhD from
University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...
(1966).


Notable Alumni in Politics

* Eduardo Esteffan, Governor of Copiapo Province 2012–2014, UTFSM civil engineer * Jorge Brito Hasbún, President of the Federation of Students of the Federico Santa María Technical University (FEUTFSM) and Chilean Deputy since 2018, UTFSM industrial engineer. * Gaston frene Saavedra Chandia, Chilean Deputy since 2018, UTFSM mechanical maintenance technician * Liliana Kusanovic, Governor of Magallanes and Antartica Province 2010–2011, UTFSM electronics engineer * Marino Penna, Chilean Deputy 1969–1973, UTFSM chemical engineer (1952) * Miodrag Marinović Solo de Zaldívar, Chilean Deputy 2010–2014, UTFSM Commercial engineer


References


External links


Official site

Alumni Association UTFSMAlumni Association News UTFSMAlumni Association TV Channel"From the Shade to the Light", book on the 80 years anniversary of the UTFSM
{{DEFAULTSORT:Federico Santa Maria Technical University Universities in Chile Universities and colleges established in 1929 Valparaíso Universities in Valparaíso Region Universities in Santiago Metropolitan Region 1929 establishments in Chile Technical universities and colleges