Loreto Margarita Valenzuela Roediger is the first female Dean School of Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC-Chile) in its 130-year history. She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from UC-Chile and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University. Her research
primarily focuses on biopolymers and biomaterials. Additionally, she is the founder of FishExtend, a venture aimed at improving food quality and reducing both food and plastic waste.

As Dean, her primary goal is to drive societal change through engineering by fostering diversity and excellence among students and faculty, and actively engaging with the community. Her efforts focus on promoting inclusive excellence and strategically transforming higher education, with the aim of
positioning engineering as a crucial tool for societal advancement.

Moreover, she is actively involved in various international and Chilean networks, such as GEDC, LACCEI, and CONDEFI (Chilean Corporation of Engineering Deans). Recently, she was elected as Vice President of the board and co-chair of the LACCEI multiconference scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile, in July 2026.