Violeta Acuña began her term as rector of the University of Playa Ancha for the period 2026-2030

15/10/2026
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The first woman democratically elected to lead the institution began her duties on October 13. In her first meeting with her team, she emphasized her commitment to the university's public and regional character and to the education of its students.

Professor Violeta Acuña Collado began her term as rector of the University of Playa Ancha (UPLA) on October 13, becoming the first woman democratically elected by the academic community to lead this institution for the period 2026-2030.

Upon assuming her duties, the rector held her first meeting with her team, after which she expressed her enthusiasm for this new phase. “We are very excited and deeply committed to taking our university to the top and positioning ourselves as a public, regional university, but one deeply committed to our students,” she stated.

Acuña added that "we have a community that is working intensely to recover our spaces, recover our places and, finally, to provide the best quality, teachers, researchers, in the development of knowledge and also in the training of future generations.". 

Career path in education and university management

Violeta Acuña, a professor of basic education at UPLA and a PhD from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy, belongs to the Faculty of Educational Sciences and has experience in academic management. Between 2019 and 2022, she served as the institution's academic vice-rector and, at the time of her election, was coordinator of the Master's Program in Adult Education and Training Processes, director of the Observatory of Education for Young People and Adults, and a university senator.

Acuña, who succeeded Rector Carlos González Morales, was elected on August 18 in a vote in which 421 of the 483 members of the academic community participated. She obtained 192 weighted votes, compared to the 153.75 votes received by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Alberto Madrid Letelier.

After learning the results, Acuña emphasized the sense of unity within her candidacy and the importance of cooperation in addressing institutional challenges. "If we have the spirit, the strength, the desire, the intelligence, and the cooperation of the entire community, I am sure we will succeed," she stated.

Text: CRUCH Communications | Source: UPLA Communications

Photo: UPLA Communications