Fundación Universidad de las Américas, Puebla
Encyclopedia
Universidad de las Américas Puebla (commonly known as UDLAP, University of the Americas), is a private university in Mexico
. It is located in San Andrés Cholula, Puebla
, a suburb of Puebla
. The university is known for its programs in Arts
and Humanities
, Social sciences
, Science
and Engineering
, and Business
and Economics
. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America, as well as being one of the only seven universities in Latin America accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
. The UDLAP has also been very successful in Mexican collegiate sports; their teams are the Aztecas
.
. The institution initially offered Associate degrees in Arts and Sciences. In 1946 the Veterans Administration added the university to its list of "approved universities" which allowed veterans to study in the institution with financing from the United States' government. The Graduate School was created in 1947.
(SACS).
. Two more schools were created: the Institute of Technology (now the School of Engineering) in 1971 and the School of Economics and Business Sciences in 1978.
In 2006, 11 new Bachelors degrees and 9 Master Programs opened, including the innovative programs at the undergraduate degree on Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering
, and Culinary Arts. Launching was announced (for 2007) of academic programs in Health Sciences: Medicine
, Odontology and Nursing
. In 2011, the threatment plant of residual waters was inaugurated.
and the Harvard housing systems. The University has 4 residential colleges, named after some of the most important people in the history of the UDLAP. The name of the four colleges are: The Cain Murray, the Ray Lindley, the Ignacio Bernal and the José Gaos colleges.
Also, the Economics Department joined the Business School, which changed its name to School of Economic and Management Sciences. On March, 2006, the school changed again its name to its current form.
The researchers' work is reflected in scientific production. On average, during the last two years there were 364 works produced and to date there have been 330 publications, which include media articles, refereed articles, conference papers, book chapters and theses.
, the UDLAP was given the best grade of the universities in the Metropolitan area of Puebla
, above universities such as UPAEP, BUAP or the Ibero Puebla. It is also the fourth best private University in the country, and the ninth overall. The same study also shows that Employers placed the University in second place, only after Mexico's National University, the UNAM
, and that in the Teacher's evaluation, the Puebla University was placed in third place, after the UNAM and the ITAM
.
team ("fútbol americano" as it is called in Mexico, and should not be confused with the soccer team), is called "Aztecas
". They have won 3 championships in the National League called ONEFA. They currently play in the Premier League of the CONADEIP The University also hosts the third Spanish Real Madrid
youth soccer school overseas, and started activities on 7 February 2005. The UDLAP Men's basketball
team is the 2006 Puebla state champions.
Current school teams with participation in national tournaments include:
(federal Secretariat of Education), the Universidad de las Américas is also accredited by:
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It is located in San Andrés Cholula, Puebla
San Andrés Cholula, Puebla
San Andrés Cholula is a municipality located in the center west of the state of Puebla in the central highlands of Mexico, 122 km east of Mexico City and eight km west of Puebla . It is one of the two municipalities, along with San Pedro Cholula, that make up the modern city of Cholula or...
, a suburb of Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
. The university is known for its programs in Arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, Social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, and Business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America, as well as being one of the only seven universities in Latin America accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
. The UDLAP has also been very successful in Mexican collegiate sports; their teams are the Aztecas
Aztecas
Aztecas de la UDLAP is the name which receive the representative teams of the Mexican University, the Universidad de las Américas Puebla of which the most important and famous is a collegiate American football squad...
.
1940s
The Universidad de las Américas was founded in 1940 by Dr. Henry L. Cain and Dr. Paul V. Murray. Its original name was Mexico City CollegeMexico City College
Mexico City College was founded in 1940, as an English speaking junior college in Mexico City, Mexico.In 1946 the college switched to a 4 year Bachelor of Arts degree-awarding institution, then changed its name to University of the Americas in 1963 and in 1968 to Universidad de las Americas,...
. The institution initially offered Associate degrees in Arts and Sciences. In 1946 the Veterans Administration added the university to its list of "approved universities" which allowed veterans to study in the institution with financing from the United States' government. The Graduate School was created in 1947.
1950s
The university was accepted by the Texas Association of Colleges, as an overseas institution in 1951. In 1959 the university became a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS).
1960s
In 1963 the university changed its name to "University of the Americas". The institution was divided into three schools: Mexico City College, School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School. In 1967 the Mary Street Jenkins Foundation along with the International Development Agency provided the financial resources to build a new campus in the municipality of San Andres Cholula, Puebla. In 1968 the university decided to change its name to its Spanish translation "Universidad de las Américas".1970s
The Universidad de las Américas moved to its new campus in the city of Puebla, PueblaPuebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
. Two more schools were created: the Institute of Technology (now the School of Engineering) in 1971 and the School of Economics and Business Sciences in 1978.
1980s
The Institute of Advanced Studies was created in 1986 and in 1988 the School of Humanities and Social Sciences became two separate entities. In 1989 the School of Sciences was created.1990
New Science Laboratories were built, as well as a new building for the School of Humanities. In 1994 the school became connected with a network of voice and data. In 1997 the Library was remodeled and allowed students to "digitally access" it.2000s
New Chemical Engineering Laboratories were built. Two Doctoral programs (PhD) were created, one in Economics and the other in Computer Science. In 2002 the Institute of Public Politics was created as well as the Center of Regional Development. A new laboratory of Optical Communications was built for the Information and Automatization Technology Research Center. The CAIL, Language Learning and Research Complex (Conjunto para el Aprendizaje e Investigación en Lenguas) was finished in 2005. And the Football soccer school of the Real Madrid was established.In 2006, 11 new Bachelors degrees and 9 Master Programs opened, including the innovative programs at the undergraduate degree on Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, and Culinary Arts. Launching was announced (for 2007) of academic programs in Health Sciences: Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, Odontology and Nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
. In 2011, the threatment plant of residual waters was inaugurated.
Campus
The campus is made up of 38 buildings on 180 acres (728,000 m²), located 12 miles (19 km) west of Puebla's downtown, and less than 2 miles south of Cholula's downtown. The 38 buildings include 6 classroom buildings, 2 laboratory buildings, 3 on-campus dormitories, 1 off-campus dormitory, 2 soccer fields, 1 football field, 1 baseball field, 2 gymnasiums, tennis courts, 2 cafeterias, 1 library, 1 Student Center, 1 Auditorium, Offices and Professors' Housing. The campus was built on what was originally known as the Hacienda de Sta. Catarina Mártir.Housing
Unique to Mexico, the University of the Americas Puebla has a housing system very similar to those in the United States. Their antecedents being the YaleYALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
and the Harvard housing systems. The University has 4 residential colleges, named after some of the most important people in the history of the UDLAP. The name of the four colleges are: The Cain Murray, the Ray Lindley, the Ignacio Bernal and the José Gaos colleges.
Schools and departments
As of December 2005, the School of Social Sciences and the School of Art and Humanities combined, as did the School of Engineering and the School of Sciences, to form two new schools as part of an institutional plan to offer the students a broader education.Also, the Economics Department joined the Business School, which changed its name to School of Economic and Management Sciences. On March, 2006, the school changed again its name to its current form.
- School of Social Sciences (Escuela de Ciencias Sociales)
- School of Arts and Humanities (Escuela de Artes y Humanidades)
- School of Engineering (Escuela de Ingeniería)
- Science School (Escuela de Ciencias)
- Business and Economics School (Escuela de Negocios y Economía)
- School of Graduate Studies and Research
- Department of International Affairs (Departamento de Asuntos Internacionales)
Research
In Mexico, the Research in Universities is generally done at Public Universities or at research-specific institutions. However the UDLAP is noted for being one of the few Private Universities in the country to invest a reasonable amount of resources in investigation. Approximately 25% of the professors at the UDLAP are members of the National System of Investigators. These teachers impart several subjects at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, facilitating the students' involvement in research projects beginning in the first semesters.The researchers' work is reflected in scientific production. On average, during the last two years there were 364 works produced and to date there have been 330 publications, which include media articles, refereed articles, conference papers, book chapters and theses.
Rankings
As seen at the Annual study presented by the Mexican newspaper El UniversalEl Universal (Mexico City)
El Universal is a major Mexican newspaper.El Universal was founded by Félix Palavicini and Emilio Rabasa in October 1916, in the city of Santiago de Queretaro to cover the end of the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the new Mexican Constitution...
, the UDLAP was given the best grade of the universities in the Metropolitan area of Puebla
Metropolitan area of Puebla
The Metropolitan area of Puebla or Greater Puebla is the fourth largest agglomeration in Mexico with a population of 2.109 million. This agglomeration includes 10 municipalities of the state of Puebla, and 13 municipalities of the state of Tlaxcala...
, above universities such as UPAEP, BUAP or the Ibero Puebla. It is also the fourth best private University in the country, and the ninth overall. The same study also shows that Employers placed the University in second place, only after Mexico's National University, the UNAM
Unam
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...
, and that in the Teacher's evaluation, the Puebla University was placed in third place, after the UNAM and the ITAM
ITAM
ITAM may refer to:*Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, a private research university located in Mexico City, Mexico*IT asset management*Immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif...
.
Sports
Universidad de las Américas' footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team ("fútbol americano" as it is called in Mexico, and should not be confused with the soccer team), is called "Aztecas
Aztecas
Aztecas de la UDLAP is the name which receive the representative teams of the Mexican University, the Universidad de las Américas Puebla of which the most important and famous is a collegiate American football squad...
". They have won 3 championships in the National League called ONEFA. They currently play in the Premier League of the CONADEIP The University also hosts the third Spanish Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
youth soccer school overseas, and started activities on 7 February 2005. The UDLAP Men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team is the 2006 Puebla state champions.
Current school teams with participation in national tournaments include:
- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Soccer
- Indoor SoccerIndoor soccerIndoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- Track & Field
- Tae Kwon Do
- Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Affiliations
The Universidad de las Américas is affiliated to:- AMIGOS: Red Nacional de Cooperación Bibliotecaria
- AMPEI: Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional
- ANFEI: Asociación Nacional de Facultades y Escuelas de Ingeniería
- ANUIES: Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior
- CLARA: Cooperación Latino Americana de Redes Avanzadas College Board
- CONAHEC: Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration
- CUDI: Corporación Universitaria para el Desarrollo de Internet
- UNIVERSIA
- IPBS: International Partnership of Business SchoolsInternational Partnership of Business SchoolsThe International Partnership of Business Schools is a partnership of eight leading business schools throughout Europe and America. With over 1600 students the IPBS is the largest fully integrated university network in Europe. Every course consists of four years of studies, two of which are spent...
Accreditations
Besides being accredited by the Secretaría de Educación PúblicaSecretaría de Educación Pública
The Secretaría de Educación Pública is a Mexican federal government authority with Cabinet representation and responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of national educational policy and school standards in Mexico.Additionally, it has the following responsibilities:*Creation...
(federal Secretariat of Education), the Universidad de las Américas is also accredited by:
- SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
- FIMPES - Federación de Instituciones Mexicanas Particulares de Educación Superior
- CACEI - Consejo de Acreditación de la Enseñanza de la Ingeniería, A.C.
- CONAET - Consejo Nacional para la Calidad de la Educación Turística A. C.
University facts
- Total Faculty: 763 members, 44% are full-time, 25% belong to the National System of Researchers (SNI)
- Total Students: more than 8,000; in 2004 1,647 new students were admitted, 250 of them were international. Forty percent of the students receive financial aid from the university.
- Study Abroad Programs: International study is offered in more than 300 universities in 30 countries.
- International Students: 1,114 international students came to the university as exchange students.
Honoris Causa degrees
The following is a list of some of the Honoris Causa Degrees awarded by the Universidad de las Américas:- Dr. William RichardsonBill Richardson (politician)William Blaine "Bill" Richardson III is an American politician, who served as the 30th Governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. Before being elected governor, Richardson served in the Clinton administration as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary. Richardson has also served...
: Governor of New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, USA - Dr. José Julián SidaouiJosé Julián SidaouiJosé Julián Sidaoui, born in Puebla in 1953, is a financier and banker in Mexico.He earned a B.A. in Economics from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla in 1973, a M.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1974, and a Ph. D...
: Deputy GovernorDeputy GovernorA Deputy governor is a gubernatorial official who is subordinated to a governor, rather like a Lieutenant governor.-British colonial cases:In the British empire, there were such colonial offices in :...
of Bank of Mexico - Dr. Mario Molina: Scientist and Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
- Dr. Enrique V. IglesiasEnrique V. IglesiasEnrique Valentín Iglesias García is an economist of Uruguayan-Spanish dual citizenship. He was once president of the Inter-American Development Bank, an international institution dedicated to furthering economic development in the Western Hemisphere through investment and policy...
: President of the Inter-American Development BankInter-American Development BankThe Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
On-Campus Events
UDLAP offers a wide range of on-campus events such as academic, cultural and sporting events, which are open to both students and the local community. The UDLAP Nobel Conference is held two times a year. In this conference Nobel Prize Winners are invited to talk about their work and also their experience of being a Nobel Prize Winner. On the cultural side the UDLAP offers a wide range of activities in different locations. La Casa del Caballero Águila and La Capilla del Arte UDLAP are two museums of the university offering concerts, art exhibitions and lectures. Starting in the summer of 2007, the UDLAP hosts a summer program for rising 8th graders to 10th graders through CTY, the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.Latin American Model United Nations
For more than 20 years in a row, the UDLAP has been the organizer and host of the Latin American Model United Nations (LAMUN); one of the most known United Nation's Models in Latin America. Many students from all over Mexico and countries from Central and South America Universities take part annually at LAMUN. The XXIII edition was the last one held, on March 2010.Famous faculty members (Current & past)
- Dr. Enrique Cárdenas Sánchez (ex)
- Dr. Luis Ernesto DerbezLuis Ernesto DerbezLuis Ernesto Derbez Bautista is a Mexican politician and current rector of the Universidad de Las Américas.Upon assuming power in December 2000, President Vicente Fox chose him to serve as his Secretary of Economy...
(current) - Dr. Francisco Guerra (current)
- Dr. Miguel Hakim Simón (ex)
- Dr. Jaime Lítvak King (ex)
- Dr. Nora LustigNora LustigNora Lustig is the Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Latin American Economics in the Department of Economics at Tulane University and a non-resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development...
(ex) - Dr. Ignacio Padilla (current)
- Dr. Jorge Welti Chanes (ex)
- Dr. Jorge Ojeda Castañeda (ex)
- Dr. Miguel Angel Jiménez-Montaño (ex)
- Dr. Byron Trippet (ex)
- Dr. Victor Vysloukh (current)
- Roy R. Rubottom, Jr.Roy R. Rubottom, Jr.Roy Richard "Dick" Rubottom, Jr. was a United States diplomat most notable for being Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs from 1957 to 1960, a post in which he played a major role in engineering the United States' response to the Cuban Revolution.-Early years, 1912—1947:Rubottom...
, president, 1971–73
External links
- Universidad de las Américas, Puebla Web Page
- Digital Libraries Web Page
- Alumni Web Page
- ONeDL : Open Network of Digital LibrariesONeDL : Open Network of Digital LibrariesDigital Libraries are virtual spaces that mediate access,use and generation of knowledge.The Corporation of Universities for the Development of Internet in Mexico promotes the development of digital libraries...
- History of Mexico City College