Juan Carlos de la Llera is the new president of UC Chile

The Congregation for Catholic Education of the Holy See has approved Juan Carlos de la Llera Martin as president of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC Chile) for a five-year term from 2025 to 2030. The Vatican ratified the proposal made by the Archbishop of Santiago and Grand Chancellor of UC Chile, Cardinal Fernando Chomali, thus concluding the search and appointment process that began in September 2024.

The Cardinal's proposal came from a shortlist presented to him by the Search Committee of the university, which held over 160 meetings with individuals from various sectors of the UC Chile community. In addition to these meetings, conversations were held with external individuals, such as rectors and authorities from other institutions and alumni, resulting in a total participation of nearly 1,600 people. The shortlist also included academics Juan Larraín Correa and Roberto González Gutiérrez. The public disclosure of these three names is a criterion introduced for the first time in this search process.

"The Archbishop of Santiago and Grand Chancellor of UC Chile, Fernando Chomali, explained that it was a very orderly process, where all formalities were observed. 'After a long process, where the members of the Search Committee themselves were impressed by the quality and maturity of the university, they presented me with a shortlist, and it was my responsibility, in good conscience, after reviewing all the reports, to choose one person, one professor. It could have been any of the three, because all of them fully met the requirements—spiritual, professional, moral, intellectual, and academic skills—to be the president of the university.'"

“It could have been any of the three, because all of them fully met the requirements—spiritual, professional, moral, intellectual, and academic skills—to be the president of the university." – Fernando Chomali, Cardinal and Archbishop of Santiago

The new elected president, Juan Carlos de la Llera, spoke about this new challenge, expressing his hope that UC Chile will remain connected to the country and its needs: "The Catholic University has been my whole life; I have been here for 38 years, first as an academic working in my laboratory, publishing with many students, then as dean for 12 years, and now this tremendous recognition, which I accept with deep humility. Because I know how complex it is, I know what it means to manage a university, a faculty." He added: "What is needed here is for all of us to align so that this great institution continues to be as great as it is now. We will continue pushing this university to transform this precious country we have, which needs universities more than ever, and I think that is the core idea of this project: to connect UC Chile deeply with our country and with the world," he said.

"We will continue pushing this university to transform this precious country we have, which needs universities more than ever, and I think that is the core idea of this project: to connect UC Chile deeply with our country and also with the world."
– Juan Carlos de la Llera, new elected president of UC Chile

The tenure of the new president will extend until 2030, succeeding Dr. Ignacio Sánchez, who will step down on March 18 after three terms. "I would like to congratulate Professor Juan Carlos de la Llera, who will be the new president of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His name has been ratified by the Vatican following a rigorous and transparent search process that lasted several months, during which the university community, through its participation, shared valuable opinions and proposals that enriched the process and will serve as a roadmap for the new authorities," stated the outgoing academic leader.

UC Chile 2025-2030

"This is an extraordinarily challenging period for the university because it is extraordinarily challenging for Chile," stated Cardinal Chomali when asked what is expected of UC Chile and its new president in the coming years. He added: "At this moment, fundamental values of Chilean society are at stake, which are primarily related to the dignity of the human person in all aspects. The university is called to provide an answer from the gospel, from the social authority of the church, from academia, to contribute to the achievement of the common good of Chile. The university has always been attentive to what is happening in society with the aim of collaborating in a spirit of dialogue. I believe the university does this very well, and I have no doubt that the new president will continue in the path of Ignacio Sánchez," he stated.

"I am confident that this new cycle will be marked by substantial progress in our mission to contribute to the development of a more just, equitable, and supportive society. And, of course, I extend my willingness to collaborate in the tasks that the new president may deem appropriate." – Ignacio Sánchez, UC Chile president

The outgoing president, Ignacio Sánchez, stated that the academic and management career of de la Llera at the Faculty of Engineering has been key to the development of UC Chile and that, without a doubt, it will be crucial in the task he will undertake starting on March 18th. 

“The coming years will present significant challenges, both nationally and internationally, with our students, faculty, professionals, and administrative staff, and certainly with Chile. However, I have full confidence that under his leadership, UC Chile will continue to be a benchmark of academic excellence, public role, and institutional responsibility. I am sure that this new cycle will be marked by substantial progress in our mission to contribute to the development of a more just, equitable, and supportive society, and of course, I extend my willingness to collaborate in the tasks the new president may deem necessary,” he emphasized.

Juan Carlos de la Llera Martin

The career of the former dean of the Faculty of Engineering and current full professor, Juan Carlos de la Llera, goes far beyond Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The 63-year-old UC Chile engineering graduate and University of California Ph.D. is one of the most awarded Chilean professionals globally, receiving the highest recognition in his field in 2024.

His resume is extensive, but focused on a crucial area for Chile: seismic isolation. A technology that, according to Professor de la Llera himself, can mitigate up to ten times the effects of an earthquake and reduce structural deformation by 50%.

Graduating in 1985 from the UC Chile Faculty of Engineering, de la Llera continued his graduate studies, earning a Master of Science and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His research at both institutions led him to develop systems that are now present in various buildings in Santiago that withstood the 2010 earthquake without problems, such as the Titanium Tower, the UC Chile San Carlos de Apoquindo Clinic, the Military Hospital, and the Coronel Pier in southern Chile. These systems are also used in buildings in Japan, New Zealand, Italy, the United States, Greece, and Turkey.

Along with his research career, de la Llera has also played a fundamental role at Universidad Católica, serving as dean of the UC Chile Faculty of Engineering for three consecutive terms, a total of 12 years, from 2010 to 2022.

Thanks to these innovations, he has received awards such as the Endeavor Entrepreneur award worldwide in 2011, the Avonni Innovative Career Award Anacleto Angelini in 2017, and the Engineers’ Management Award from the Chilean Association of Engineers in 2022. However, it was in 2014 when he achieved the highest recognition in his field, after being invited to become a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering for his work in earthquake infrastructure solutions. This prestigious group includes distinguished figures for their contributions to technological knowledge, such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and has only included five Chileans in its 60-year history.

In addition to his research career, Juan Carlos de la Llera has also been a key figure at UC Chile, having served as the dean of the UC Faculty of Engineering for three consecutive terms, totaling 12 years from 2010 to 2022.

A fan of activities unrelated to engineering, such as tennis, music, cinema, and fishing, Juan Carlos de la Llera currently combines these interests with his work as a full professor in the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, as a researcher at CIGIDEN (Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management), and as a founding partner of SIRVE, a company that designs low-cost devices applicable to all types of buildings in seismic countries.