University of the Andes (Venezuela)

University of the Andes (Venezuela)
The University of the Andes (Spanish: Universidad de Los Andes, ULA) is the second-oldest university in Venezuela, whose main campus is located in the city of Mérida, Venezuela. ULA is the largest public university in the Venezuelan Andes, having one of the largest student bodies in the country.
History
ULA was initially established as a Catholic seminary on March 29, 1785 by the Bishop of Mérida, Friar Juan Ramos de Lora. De Lora called the newly founded house of studies "Real Colegio Seminario de San Buenaventura de Mérida", or Royal Seminary College of San Buenaventura of Mérida. The school was elevated to the status of Royal University of San Buenaventura of Mérida de los Caballeros on September 21, 1810, entitling it to confer junior and senior degrees in Philosophy, Medicine, Civil and Canonical (Catholic) Law, and Theology. Universidad de Los Andes maintained its affiliation with the Catholic Church until 1832, when the president of Venezuela, General José Antonio Páez, passed an act making it a secular institution.
Currently, Universidad de Los Andes operates two campuses in Mérida, with about a dozen faculties spread throughout the city, as well as two satellite campuses in the other Venezuelan Andean states of Tachira and Trujillo.
Academics
Universidad de Los Andes offers undergraduate programs in the arts, sciences, literature, and humanities, long and short programs, as well as courses, degrees, post-graduate professional, magisterial and doctoral programs, specializations, diplomas, etc.
Academic units
Faculty of Architecture and Design
School of Architecture
School of Industrial Design
Faculty of Arts
School of Performing Arts
School of Visual Arts and Graphic Design
School of Music
Faculty of Science
School of Physics
School of Mathematics
School of Biology
School of Chemistry
Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences
School of Business Administration
School of Accounting
School of Economics
School of Statistics
Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Science
School of Forestry
School of Geography and Renewable Resources
School of Forestry Engineering
Faculty of Judicial and Political Sciences
School of Political Sciences
School of Criminology
School of Law
Faculty de Pharmacy and Bioanalysis
School of Bioanalysis
School of Pharmacy
Faculty of Humanities and Education
School of Education
School of History
School of Modern Languages
School of Letters
School of Media
Faculty of Engineering
General Engineering School
School of Civil Engineering
School of Electrical Engineering
School of Geological Engineering
School of Mechanic Engineering
School of Chemical Engineering
School of Systems Engineering
Faculty of Medicine
School of Nursing
School of Medicine
School of Nutrition
Faculty of Dentistry
School of Dentistry
Admission
Admission to ULA is very competitive and generally mediated through the Venezuelan Oficina de Planeacion del Sector Universitario (OPSU - Office for Higher Education Planning), which oversees grades and standardized tests for all Venezuelan students enrolled in secondary education institutions. ULA lists some of the highest high school academic index (Indice Academico de la OPSU) requirements in Venezuela.
Research
ULA is one of the universities most actively engaged in research in Venezuela, consistently ranking among the top two or three universities in Venezuela across all disciplines. In 2009, ULA was ranked 37th out of the 437 Latin American universities and research institutes evaluated by the Ranking Iberoamericano de Instituciones de Investigacion.
Active graduate research groups include: Kinetics & Catalysis, Polymer Chemistry, Behavioral Physiology, Biotechnology, Enzimology, Parasitology, Cytology, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Analytical and Molecular Spectroscopy, Geophysics, Astrophysics, Condensed Matter Physics, Applied and Theoretical Physics, Magnetism of Solids, Urban Environmental Quality, Finance, Entrepreneurial Development, Agricultural Management, Criminology, Comparative Politics, Environmental Geopolitics, International Politics, Ethnography, Linguistics, Semiolinguistics, Phonetics, Gender Studies, Latin American Arts and Literature, Medieval Studies, etc.
Athletic and cultural activities
ULA also houses numerous varsity athletic teams, including chess, soccer, fencing, rhythmic gymnastics, tennis, basketball, swimming, and track and field and performing arts companies such as Ballet Estable de la ULA, Teatro (Theater) Estable de la ULA, Coral (Choir) Universitaria and Orfeon Universitario. However, ULA's athletic dominance has declined in the past decade.
The Orfeon Universitario Choir has toured Colombia, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. ULA also hosts annual ballet seasons, a chamber orchestra season and numerous theater and music festivals (classical, traditional music, jazz, chant, Christmas) open to the community.
ULA operates a local radio station, 107.7 ULA FM. It formerly operated ULA TV channel 22 before it was ordered closed in June 2017.
Rectors or University Authorities
Friar Juan Ramos De Lora (1782–1790)
Luis Dionisio Villamizar (1790–1791)
Fray Manuel Cándido De Torrijos (1791–1792)
Hipólito De Elías González (1792–1794)
Francisco Javier Irastorza (1794–1795)
Juan H. Hurtado De Mendoza (1795–1802)
Francisco Javier Irastorza (1802–1803)
Ramón Ignacio Méndez (1806–1810)
Buenaventura Arias (1810–1815)
Rafael Lasso De La Vega (1815–1822)
José De La Cruz Olivares (1822–1826)
Esteban Arias (1826–1830)
Ignacio Fernández Peña (1832–1834)
Sulpicio Frías (1834–1836)
Rafael Alvarado (1836–1838)
Agustín Chipía (1838–1843)
Eloy Paredes (1843)
Rafael Alvarado (1843–1845)
José Francisco Más y Rubí (1843–1852)
Eloy Paredes (1852–1855)
Ciriaco Piñeyro (1855–1858)
Pedro Juan Arellano (1858–1862)
Francisco Jugo (1862–1863)
Caracciolo Parra y Olmedo (1863–1866)
José Francisco Más y Rubí (1866–1869)
Pedro Monsalve (1869–1872)
Foción Febres-Cordero (1872–1875)
José De Jesús Dávila (1875–1881)
Gabriel Picón Febres (1881–1884)
Pedro De Jesús Godoy (1884–1886)
Domingo Hernández Bello (1886–1887)
Caracciolo Parra y Olmedo (1887–1900)
Pedro De Jesús Godoy (1900–1901)
Asisclo Bustamante (1901)
Nepomuceno Pagés Monsant (1902–1909)
Ramón Parra Picón (1909–1917)
Diego Carbonell (1917–1921)
Gonzalo Bernal (1921–1931)
Humberto Ruiz Fonseca (1932–1933)
Cristóbal Beníte (1933–1934)
Roberto Picón Lares (1934–1936)
Víctor Manuel Pérez Perozo (1936–1937)
Manuel Antonio Pulido Méndez (1937–1941)
Gabriel Picón Febres (Hijo) (1941–1942)
Humberto Ruiz Fonseca (1942–1944)
Pedro Pineda León (1944–1945)
Edgar Loynaz Páez (1945–1949)
Eloy Dávila Celis (1949–1951)
Renato Esteva Ríos (1951–1953)
Joaquín Mármol Luzardo (1953–1958)
Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez (1958–1972)
Ramón Vicente Casanova (1972–1976)
Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez (1976–1980)
José Mendoza Angulo (1980–1984)
Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez (1984–1988)
Néstor López Rodríguez (1988–1992)
Miguel Rodríguez Villenave (1992–1996)
Felipe Pachano Rivera (1996–2000)
Genry Vargas (2000–2004)
Léster Rodríguez Herrera (2004–2008)
Mario Bonucci Rossini (2008–)
Notable alumni
Marisol Aguilera, researcher, professor
Juan Astorga Junquera
See also
List of colonial universities in Latin America
University of the Andes Library Services
References
External links
ULA TV
Núcleo Universitario "Alberto Adriani", El Vigía
Núcleo Universitario "Rafael Rangel", Trujillo
Núcleo Universitario "Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez", Táchira
Galería de fotos de la Universidad de Los Andes
Portal wiki de la Universidad de Los Andes
Portal del Rectorado
Laboratorio de Demostraciones de Física (LABDEMFI)
Puerta a la mayoría de enlaces de la ULA
Proyecto Alma-Mater (obras de arte en la ULA)
Agendas del Consejo Universitario de la Universidad de Los Andes
Oficina de Prensa ULA
Centro de Atención al Usuario (CAU)
Universities in Venezuela
Educational institutions established in 1810
1810 establishments in the Spanish Empire
Buildings and structures in Mérida (state)
Buildings and structures in Mérida, Mérida