The activity is promoted by the Coordination of the Pedagogy in Biology and Natural Sciences career, the Department of Biology ULS and the Allende-Conelli Foundation.

The Workshop “Prototypes of bacterial batteries for the teaching-learning of biology” will provide the tools for the design, construction and use of prototypes of bacterial batteries for the generation of electrical energy from waste materials.

The activity is organized by the Coordination of the Pedagogy in Biology and Natural Sciences degree, the Department of Biology ULS and the Allende-Conelli Foundation.

It is expected that in the workshop teachers will be able to understand the biological bases and potential uses of electricity generation by a particular group of bacteria and that, together with their high school students, they will be able to design learning related to microbiology in school contexts and according to the current curricular framework.

The activity will take place on Friday, April 27, between 15:30 p.m. and 18:30 p.m., in the Microbiology Laboratory of the Department of Biology of the University of La Serena (Andrés Bello Campus).

Those interested should send the registration application to: Dr. Lorgio Aguilera J. of the ULS Department of Biology, to the email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(DC: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Francisco López C., Career Coordinator).

Source: PMI FIP ULS1501 Press

Traditionally, the different generations of preceptors meet at the University of La Serena to remember their time at the former Normal School.

At only eleven years old, hundreds of girls from different parts of Chile began their application to be part of the La Serena Normal School, with the dream of training as primary school teachers. Once accepted, they would have to live together in what would be their home for six years, to learn subjects such as grammar, reading, hygiene, psychology, school administration, morality, among others, creating strong bonds of brotherhood with their peers.

In this context, annually different generations meet at the current Isabel Bongard Campus of the University of La Serena with the purpose of remembering all their experiences as “Normalists”, and on this occasion, it was the generation of '67 that celebrated its fifteenth anniversary as preceptors of education.

And as is tradition, the rooms of the study house were flooded with the joyful songs of the preceptors, whose voices reflected the affection and pride they feel for their training house. Susana Pacheco, from the generation of '61 and who is part of the choir created three years ago, said that knowing how to sing well was one of the requirements considered to be able to enter the School.

“The great pride I feel in being a preceptor is being able to have work in all instances, from very humble schools to well-resourced establishments. We had to work at a time when approximately 92% of the Chilean population was illiterate, and we were part of the projects that sought to reverse this situation. They sent us to the countryside to teach the syllabary to the most humble children in the country, we taught them to read and write, and that changed their lives. There are students who are now adults, who visit us with great affection remembering our work,” said Susana Pacheco, who wrote the book “Sowing alphabets. History, pedagogy and assistance in rural primary education, Coquimbo Region”, which captures the memories of many preceptors of the time.

Likewise, he expressed the differences that exist with the current type of training, in which in the past child care was prioritized along with school learning. “It seems that teachers these years have forgotten to teach the beauty of dreaming to children. The connection between you and me was the most important thing, because otherwise how do you get to know the students? They hired us for the position, not like it is done today, and that involved teaching them the school content, playing with them in the yard and giving breakfast, lunch and afternoon meals to the children, since it was the only thing they ate during the day. day. The great black box of today is that that closeness has been lost.”

The anniversary activities continued at the Municipal Theater of La Serena with an academic tribute ceremony for the 128th anniversary of the founding of the former Normal School, and culminated on Sunday with a recreational walk in the town of Punta de Choros .

Source: PMI FIP ULS1501 Press

The PACE ULS Accompaniment Program visited the parents of the Alberto Gallardo Lorca High School in Punitaqui, giving a motivational talk and artistic performances.

At the House of Culture in the town of Punitaqui, the Support and Effective Access to Higher Education Program (PACE) of the University of La Serena, within the framework of the Preparation for Secondary Education (PEM) area, collaborated in the realization of the Participatory Project (PP) of the Liceo Alberto Gallardo Lorca, whose main objective was to provide a motivational and vocational talk.

The talk, given by the outstanding tenor and professor of the house of higher education, Gonzalo Tomckowiack, was aimed at parents and guardians of the educational establishment, in order to provide tools so that they can provide the necessary support to their children at the time to choose your future job. In addition, the day considered the performance of the ULS District Tuna.

Regarding this activity, Isabel Amenábar, in charge of Liaison with the Environment, Extension and Monitoring of the PACE ULS Program, pointed out that “this day has been very positive and pleasant for the parents, taking into account that a large part of the activities that need to be developed, Through the program, there are activities with parents, therefore it is an opportunity for them to participate and soak up the program a little more, and also be more involved in the post-secondary trajectories of their children. "It has been a very entertaining day where we have been able to participate and share with them, so that we can make them more active actors of the PACE Program, it is very important that they understand what this program is and what it means for their children."

For Loreto Garrido, Coordinator of Preparation for Secondary Education (PEM) of PACE ULS, this day is an important milestone for the Program and can be replicated in other educational establishments. The professional stated: “I think it is an important challenge that could be achieved at the Alberto Gallardo Lorca High School, to have the parents meet almost in their entirety, since at the national level there is a decrease in parents committed to the students, in support them in their decisions. For this reason it was a special project, it is a very nice experience, highlighting their participation, commitment and hopefully we can replicate it in other places. Active participation, attending, dedicating a morning to this is super important, because it shows that they are worried about the future of their children.”  

Furthermore, regarding the fact of taking this type of talks to locations further away from the urban center, such as Punitaqui, the PEM Coordinator expressed that “it is a pride to be able to represent the University of La Serena and bring it here, bring the student group, They are also champions of their University, and that parents also know what their children can achieve, participating in this type of activities.”

Continuing with the explanation of the Participatory Project, Gonzalo Tomckowiack, expressed that “the students have to receive the support of their parents so that this process has good results for them, so that the children can develop well they need the support of their parents. And that was my job, to motivate them so that they can believe in their children and that when they want to do something that is perhaps different from what their parents would like, they understand that it is their life and their future that is being talked about. My talk has to do with removing prejudices about what success means in life, and demystifying that success is always accompanied by fame and money, but more than anything that when a person does what they like, they really "You can become a successful person."

Finally, Rosa Rojas, parent and president of the Center for Parents of the Liceo Alberto Gallardo Lorca, also gave her impressions of this talk: “I found it quite motivating and that is very good, because it attracted many more parents. The talk was precise, hitting the nail on the head regarding effort, perseverance, which is what we need to tell our children every day when they go to school and then when they leave fourth grade.”

What are Participatory Projects?

The Participatory Projects, promoted by the PACE Program, have the objective that students and the school community can articulate and carry out projects of their interest supported by the PACE ULS Program.

The person in charge of Liaison with the Environment, Extension and Monitoring of the PACE Program, University of La Serena, explained that “these projects are developed by the school community, who recognize an interest or need in their context and together they devote themselves to the task of launch an initiative to satisfy it. Their characteristic is that they are developed in collaboration between members of the community, generating a meeting and training space for both students and the other levels of the Educational Establishments (EE) and linking directly with our house of higher education.

For Viviana Romero, Executive Coordinator of the PACE ULS Program, PPs are an opportunity in which students can broaden their vision of the world. “Students have the possibility of carrying out projects of their interest supported by the PACE ULS Program and it is an opportunity for students to learn about other realities far from their daily context, which allows them to see the world with different eyes and understand that there are many other options in life after leaving high school, which is very important for the development of transversal skills, which go beyond those learned in a classroom,” he explained.

The PP Process begins with the socialization of the methodology, for this a series of meetings are held in each Educational Establishment (EE), in which, in addition to the students and teachers, representatives of the PACE ULS Program participate, and in the which students have the space to raise their concerns and possible ideas to work on.

Subsequently, diagnostic sessions were carried out, in which the students defined the problems they recognized in their school context, in order to concretize the ideas and begin the work on the projects under the guidance of teachers and part of the area team. of PEM from the University of La Serena. They then move on to an evaluation of the viability of these proposals and, finally, once the Participatory Projects are approved, the execution stage begins.

Source: Press PACE ULS Program

The aim is to organize volunteering that allows us to respond to Law No. 21.020 on responsible pet ownership.

With the aim of addressing the situation of community dogs present in the different university facilities located in La Serena, Coquimbo and Ovalle, authorities and students met to coordinate the formation of a volunteer group, which will allow them to comply with the new Law N°21.020 on responsible pet ownership.

Present at the activity were the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, the Vice Rector of Economic and Administrative Affairs, Eng. Waldo Valencia, the Director of Services, Mg. Marcos Sepúlveda, in addition to students organized in 'PERRULS', a group dependent on the Federation of Students (FEULS), which works for the care of animals.

Within the results of the meeting, after a detailed brainstorming, the first step was to coordinate the creation of a registry that would identify the number and condition of the dogs that currently reside in the university facilities, and that, due to the new Law, , in the opinion of those attending, should be considered community pets. This castro will allow determining the number of pets to which the identification chip must be incorporated, in addition to the support so that they can receive veterinary treatments and the respective food.

“It is a great responsibility, not unrelated to complications due to the nature of our institution as a state university, to be able to be in charge of pets according to the new law; However, there is enthusiasm and commitment on the part of the students organized in PERRULS, as well as some members of the university community, among whom I include myself. We hope to find the best way to address this issue,” emphasized the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés.

It should be noted that the purpose of Law No. 21.020 is to establish standards to determine the obligations and rights of those responsible for pets, protect animal health and well-being through responsible ownership, protect public health, and the safety of people. , the environment and protected natural areas, applying measures to control the population of pets or companion animals and regulating liability for damage to people and property that is a consequence of the actions of pets or companion animals.

This is a stair climber that will allow students to work with patients who have mobility difficulties.

This week, the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, delivered new equipment to the Kinesiology major consisting of a stair climber, a tool that will allow academics and students to work with patients who have mobility difficulties. to access the university facilities.

In this sense, the Director of the Kinesiology program, Dr. Alfredo Gary, stated that “this new equipment, which has been delivered by the Rector's Office, responds to two specific requirements: the first is related to the link with the community, allowing people and patients with disabilities or different abilities to be evaluated and cared for in the Kinesiology units within the framework of the professionalizing subject programs; Likewise, it will allow us to solve special situations of students of the institution, who, for various physical reasons, have not been able or cannot access the Kinesiology facilities and laboratories on a regular basis.”

For his part, the Rector of the ULS, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, pointed out that this delivery is part of the institutional development plan, which in recent years has implemented projects to incorporate universal accessibility conditions for people with disabilities. “We have been responding to the needs raised by the courses and also moving forward with the implementation of initiatives that allow the construction of a more inclusive community and, at the same time, that allows the comprehensive development of our students,” he expressed.

Added to this initiative is also the upcoming installation of the panoramic elevator for the Faculty of Engineering building, Ignacio Domeyko Campus, and the awarding of the project to Strengthen the Institutional Model of Comprehensive Support for students with disabilities at the University of La Serena, in a universal inclusion and accessibility framework ULS-1799, among others.

The ceremony included a keynote talk on the development of postgraduate courses in Biology in the Coquimbo Region, given by Dr. Raúl Moreno, who was recognized for his contribution to the promotion of scientific research and academic development at the ULS.

In the premises of the Department of Biology of the University of La Serena, the ceremony was held to begin the 2018 academic activities of the Doctorate in Applied Biology and Ecology (ULS-UCN-INIA-CEAZA), of the Doctorate in Sciences Biological Sciences Mention Ecology of Arid Zones (ULS) and the Master in Biological Sciences Mention Ecology of Arid Zones (ULS).

The activity was attended by the Rector of the ULS, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés; the Vice-Rector for Research and Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Eduardo Notte; the Secretary General, Mg. Sergio Zepeda the Dean(s) of Sciences, Dr. Héctor Reyes; the Director of the Department. of Biology, Dr. Rodomiro Osorio; academics, researchers, directors and students of postgraduate programs and representatives of the Universidad Católica del Norte (Coquimbo headquarters), among other guests.

“It is a pride as a university to teach these programs, because the impact they have for the region and the country is invaluable. As the University of La Serena, we are promoting a research and postgraduate development plan, which allows us to generate new alliances and, of course, strengthen the programs,” said Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, who congratulated the directors and professors of the doctorates and master's degrees, and valued the collaborative work with the UCN and other institutions, which allows us to “deliver quality education to postgraduate and undergraduate students, and stand out in the area of ​​research.”

In this sense, Dr. Francisco Squeo, from the Doctorate in Applied Biology and Ecology, indicated that this program, which was 10 years old, “is accredited for 5 years and we hope to increase that accreditation.” The Doctorate in Biological Sciences with a Major in the Ecology of Arid Zones (one of the institutional doctorates qualified as accreditable) and the Master in Biological Sciences with a Major in the Ecology of Arid Zones, are also accredited by the CNA.

The ceremony included the keynote talk: “The development of postgraduate courses in Biology in the Coquimbo Region: from its origins to the present day”, by Dr. Raúl Moreno, who served as academic, Director of Research and Academic Vice-Rector of the ULS and as the first Director of the Center for Studies Advancing in Arid Zones (CEAZA).

In his presentation, Dr. Moreno, teacher trainer of various generations of researchers and academics and member of the ULS Scientific Ethics Committee (community representative), gave a complete review of the situation of education and universities in the 60s. XNUMX, the coverage in education at that time and how this has progressed over the years, the implementation of various instances and the creation of a series of institutions that allowed the development of postgraduate degrees in the country, highlighting the role that The University of La Serena, the UCN and the CEAZA scientific center have had this in mind (see presentation in https://www.facebook.com/centrocientificoceaza/).

Recognition of his career

It was also the right moment to honor Dr. Raúl Moreno, in recognition of his notable contribution to the promotion of scientific research at the University of La Serena and to academic development in the Department of Biology of the ULS.

In addition, Dr. Francisco Squeo, representing the graduate programs, pointed out that it has been decided that the Postgraduate Room, located on the second floor of the Department of Biology, will be named after Dr. Raúl Moreno.