The National University of La Plata completed the election of authorities in its 17 faculties and defined the map of deans who will lead each academic unit until 2030. The process left re-elections, continuities and historical events in different faculties.
The UNLP renewed the political map of its powers
The National University of La Plata (UNLP) concluded the electoral process in its 17 faculties and confirmed to the deans that they will assume the leadership of each academic unit until 2030in a key definition for the political and institutional assembly of the house of studies.
The elections closed a central stage within the university calendar and outlined the new internal balance of power for the next University Assembly, where the presidency of the institution will be defined.
One by one: who are the new deans of the UNLP
Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning — Gustavo Páez
Architect and teacher trained within the academic unit itself. He has experience in university co-government since his student days and experience in different institutional management teams. His profile combines teaching, academic administration and professional practice in architecture.
Faculty of Dentistry — Ezequiel Escudero Giachella
Dentist graduated from UNLP and professor of Microbiology and Parasitology. He has training in university management, a background in scientific research and experience in areas of extension and primary health care.
Faculty of Astronomical and Geophysical Sciences — Amalia Meza
Re-elected to continue leading one of the most strategic scientific faculties of the UNLP. Its management is associated with institutional continuity and the strengthening of research in astronomy and geophysics.
Faculty of Exact Sciences — Silvana Stewart
Doctor in Physics and principal researcher of CONICET at the La Plata Physics Institute. She served as vice dean and represents a continuity of management with a strong scientific-academic profile
Faculty of Engineering — Marcos Actis
Engineer with extensive institutional experience. He was dean in two previous periods, vice dean, academic secretary and institutional vice president of the UNLP. He is one of the figures with the greatest political weight within the university.
Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences — Gabriel Keil
Former vice dean of the academic unit. He was chosen as a continuation of the outgoing management after a disputed internal election and will take on the challenge of maintaining the political and institutional direction of the faculty.
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum — Sandra Torrusio
He assumes the deanship in a new stage for a faculty historically linked to research, scientific heritage and natural sciences. She was elected with a majority in the Board of Directors.
Faculty of Psychology — María Cristina Piro
Graduate and professor in Psychology from UNLP. He directs the Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research Laboratory and has experience in research on autism and child and adolescent psychopathology.
Faculty of Journalism and Social Communication — Ayelén Sidun
Re-elected for a second consecutive term. She is one of the leaders with the greatest political projection within the university structure and leads one of the faculties with the most political weight of the UNLP.
Faculty of Informatics — Marcelo Naiouf
Doctor in Exact Sciences, graduate in Computer Science and academic reference for LIDI. He directs research in high-performance computing, Big Data, robotics, and distributed systems.
Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences — Valeria Moreno
Doctor in Legal Sciences and professor of Private Law II. It became the first woman in history to take over as dean of Law at UNLP.
Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences — Hernán Sorgentini
Historian, teacher and researcher specialized in memory, genocides and state terrorism. He has almost three decades of academic and management career within the UNLP.
Faculty of Veterinary Sciences — Sara Williams
Veterinary doctor and doctor in Veterinary Sciences. Specialist in swine production and animal behavior. It will be the first woman to lead the faculty in more than 140 years.
Faculty of Social Work — José Scelsio
Social worker, university professor and former vice dean. His research focuses on the history of the profession and the processes of professionalization of Social Work.
Faculty of Economic Sciences — Martín López Armengol
Current president of the UNLP and former dean of that same faculty. He returns to the dean’s office after an extensive career in university management and strategic positions within the Rectorate.
Faculty of Medical Sciences — Gustavo Marín
Elected after a process crossed by internal tensions and lack of quorum in previous votes. His arrival marks the landing of a profile identified with Peronism in Medicine.
Faculty of Arts — Juan Pablo Fernández
Designer in Visual Communication, professor and former Secretary of Extension and Planning. He takes over to replace Daniel Belinche with unanimous support from all the cloisters.
Historical changes and political continuity at the university
The electoral process left relevant milestones within the institutional structure of the UNLP. Among them stands out the choice of Valeria Moreno as the first woman in history to lead the Law School and the appointment of Sara Williams as the first dean of Veterinary Medicine in more than a century.
At the same time, several faculties ratified already consolidated guidelines, which guarantees continuity in a large part of the management scheme that has been governing the university.
The next step: the election of the president of the UNLP
With the closing of the election of deans, the UNLP enters the final phase of its institutional schedule: the designation of the next university presidency.
The University Assembly must define the new highest authority of the institution in the coming days, in a scenario where Fernando Tauber appears as the only candidate to succeed Martin Lopez Armengolcurrent president of the house of studies and recently elected dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences.
The formation of the new map of deans will be decisive for the internal political balance with which the next stage of university government will be projected.
