Juan Carlos de la Llera

President

Governs the University as its President. According to the norms established by the Holy See, he is named to a renewable five-year term by the competent ecclesiastical authority. 

Duties

The President governs and represents the University. He holds all the executive and administrative powers necessary to lead the University. He is named to the position by the competent ecclesiastical authority, according to the norms established by the Holy See.
Some of his responsibilities include:

• Proposing policies, activity programs, and general work plans for the University to the Leadership Council.
• Proposing the approval or modification of statutes and other regulations to the Leadership Council. 
• Proposing the annual budget to the Leadership Council.
• Convening and presiding over Leadership Council meetings.
• Periodically rendering an account of his work to the Leadership Council.
• Informing the Chancellor of any situation when necessary.
• Enacting regulations, decrees, resolutions, and instructions.
• Executing the Leadership Council's agreements.
• Managing and disposing of the University's assets.
• Representing the University before national and foreign officials. Represent it judicially and extrajudicially.
• Appointing academic officers and teaching and administrative staff when needed.
• Appointing and removing officers who hold a position of trust.
• Conferring academic degrees and professional titles.

All the tasks carried out by the President are detailed in the General Statutes of the University (in Spanish).

Career

Juan Carlos de la Llera is a Tenured Professor at the School of Engineering at UC Chile. A Civil Engineer from the same university, he earned a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in structural dynamics and seismic control. 

2010 he became Dean of the School of Engineering, serving three consecutive terms until 2022. In March 2025, he was appointed President of UC Chile, succeeding Dr. Ignacio Sánchez. 

His academic and research work has focused primarily on earthquake engineering and developing technologies to mitigate earthquake impacts on critical infrastructure. He has published numerous articles in scientific journals and has received national and international recognition for his applied innovations worldwide. 

Among his honors are the Endeavor Entrepreneur Award (2011), the Anacleto Angelini Avonni Award for Innovative Career (2017), and the Colegio de Ingenieros Management Award (2022). 

In 2024, he received the highest recognition in his field when the U.S. National Academy of Engineering invited him to join its ranks. This select group, which includes renowned figures such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to technological advancement. In its 60-year history, only five Chileans have been inducted. 

In higher education, he has contributed to various forums on advancing engineering education and innovation in training models. He is a Full Professor in the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, a researcher at CIGIDEN (Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management), and a founding partner of SIRVE. This company designs low-cost seismic devices for all types of construction in earthquake-prone countries. 

His hobbies include tennis, music, and fishing.