Five decades of fostering academic excellence and social sense.                                                                                     

La Salle University’s Faculty of Chemical Sciences celebrated its 50th anniversary. Throughout these decades it has worked on academic excellence through its program offerings and their continuous accreditation; on the humanistic approach to be an agent of social transformation; as well as on a plan of investment and technological renovation, which seeks to keep the institution at the forefront in the different fields of specialization.

What does it mean?

Throughout its history, the Faculty of Chemical Sciences has played a significant role in the transformation of society in several important aspects, from the formation of highly qualified Profesionales con Valor to address the technological and scientific challenges of the country; as well as in the generation of research to promote innovation and development focused on the sustainable development agenda.

A bit of history: In August 1973, with the objective of responding to the context and needs of the country, La Salle incorporated into its academic offerings the degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biology. Although these programs began in the then School of Engineering, three years later, they began to operate in their own academic unit: the School of Chemistry.

Related: Tendencias tecnológicas de las Ciencias Químicas en 2023

Due to its growth, the University established the school in the land located on the corner of Francisco Murguía and Tamaulipas; the programs increased to four Bachelor’s Degrees, one Specialty and four Master’s Degrees and worked on the Recognition of Official Validity of Studies and on the accreditations before external organizations.

A transcendental year in this history was in 2009, when the University’s Board of Governors

granted the elevation to the rank of Faculty of Chemical Sciences.

Likewise, to consolidate the project, we invested in technological infrastructure and consolidated the administrative organizational structure and the academic group. In 2020 we inaugurated a new building that currently houses the administrative offices and 15 classrooms for theoretical subjects. Subsequently, laboratory spaces were remodeled and expanded.

The Faculty also works in the generation of links with the chemical community of the country and collegiate organizations such as the Chemical Society of Mexico, the Mexican Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Mexican Pharmaceutical Association, among many others. On the other hand, we are continuously working to increase internationalization experiences with programs such as the semester exchange and academic and research stays abroad.

Research is an indispensable element for the training of students, which is why they are encouraged to participate in competitions and programs, such as the Training of Young Researchers, which includes participation in the Research, Development and Innovation Meeting, which has been held every six months since 2013.

Distinguished personalities: La Salle University’s Faculty of Chemical Sciences programs have graduated personalities such as Gabriel Cuevas, president of the Chemical Society of Mexico; Casandra Chaires Rosas, medical scientific liaison at Boehringer Ingelheim and who has dedicated her professional career to stem cell research; José Antonio Maza Larrea, executive director of the Pharmacopeia and Pharmacovigilance of COFEPRIS; Mario Ruiz Hermesdorf, general director of Banana One Ingredients; Alberto Hegewisch, medical director for the Latin American region of biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca; Jorge Alegría, winner of the Doctor Guillermo Soberón Acevedo Award for Institutional Development, granted by the General Health Council; Ana Lucía Balandrano Fernández, recognized as one of the Best Students of 2022 by the newspaper Reforma, among many more.

In numbers:

1973 – Year of incorporation of the Bachelor’s Degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Chemical Biologist.

2009 – Year in which the School of Chemistry acquired the rank of Faculty.

More than 3,500 graduates have emerged from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences throughout its 50 years.

4 Bachelor’s Degrees

1 Specialization

4 Master’s Degrees

8 current research projects in the Department of Chemical Sciences.

Outstanding projects: Currently, researchers attached to the Faculty of Chemical Sciences are working on the development of sustainable technologies that take advantage of solar energy for the treatment of emerging contaminants in water, the design of a healthy aging program to reduce health expenses, the bioprospecting of microorganisms as an alternative for the remediation of contaminated soils, among many others.

The Faculty of Chemical Sciences organized a series of activities to commemorate its 50th Anniversary, among them, the exhibition of the Monumental Periodic Table. Also, Mario Ruiz Hermesdorf, CEO of Banana One Ingredients, gave the Cátedra Prima Impact of technological and scientific advances in the Chemical Sciences; while Eusebio Juaristi Cosio, gave the Keynote Lecture Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 and Héctor Rasgado Flores was in charge of the concert The suite of the elements.