Dr. Jacqueline Sepúlveda has been elected the next rector of the University of Concepción, marking a major milestone for the institution. A renowned academic and doctor of natural sciences, Sepúlveda will serve as the first woman to hold the university's top leadership position since its founding in 1919.
Sepúlveda, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and director of the university's Innovation Academy, secured the victory in a second-round runoff, according to El Mostrador. She finished with 783 votes, defeating rival candidate Paulina Rincón, the university’s current vice-rector, who received 568 votes. El Mostrador reported that Sepúlveda, a chemical pharmacist who earned her doctorate at the University of Graz in Austria, succeeded on her third attempt at the rectorate, bolstered by endorsements from first-round candidates Carlos von Plessing and Jorge Fuentealba.
A historic shift for academic leadership
The election saw 1,382 total votes cast out of 1,497 eligible, according to El Mostrador. Supporters of the incoming rector highlighted her extensive background in natural sciences and her previous role as the university's first female vice-rector. As she prepares to assume her duties on May 14, Sepúlveda takes the helm of an institution with approximately 30,000 students and over 6,000 staff members, which also maintains diverse holdings including the Lotería de Concepción and various media outlets.
In her victory address, Sepúlveda emphasized unity, stating, "As of today, there are no candidacies; we are all the University of Concepción," according to El Mostrador. Her tenure is expected to focus on strengthening the university's international partnerships and expanding its scientific research output. She succeeds the administration of Carlos Saavedra, who is completing his second term, at a time when the university faces mounting pressure to balance traditional academic values with the demands of a modern, competitive educational landscape.
