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Emotional Reunion Held by UACh Forestry Engineering Alumni

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• The 1974 graduating class of the Forestry Engineering program reunited at their beloved Alma Mater to commemorate 50 years since their enrollment.

A meaningful gathering took place at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Natural Resources, attended by 20 UACh alumni who entered the Forestry Engineering program in 1974, along with some professors from that period.

During this emotional reunion, they were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Alfredo Aguilera, who expressed, “It is a pleasure to meet with alumni and share how the Faculty has evolved over these years. This is one of the generations that contributed to making Chile a forestry powerhouse through the work of our forestry engineers from the Universidad Austral de Chile.”

The event continued with a discussion and analysis of the program’s future, along with remarks from some alumni.

This activity was made possible thanks to the initiative of Javier Vidal Toral, who decided to gather his former classmates. Although he did not complete the degree, he declares himself “a forester at heart.” “I am a civil engineer in geography, meaning I am connected to the land, nature, and the forest—so the link is direct. Fifty years is a significant milestone. Returning to the Faculty makes my heart beat a little faster,” he shared.

Forestry Engineer Víctor Bastías Fuenzalida noted that this was their first official reunion. “For most of my former classmates, it’s been 50 years since we last saw each other. It’s incredible—I never even imagined we could return here, reunite, and relive everything we experienced. We struggled, had fun, cried, and laughed, and now we’re back to remember it all.”

Beautiful memories and great learnings come to mind for Forestry Engineer Mitzi Reyes Busch when she recalls her years studying at UACh. “It was wonderful because I was welcomed so warmly—they were good and respectful classmates. I have excellent memories of the fieldwork, for example. I worked at Forestal Mininco and Arauco, and I married a classmate from the same graduating class, who is here today,” she commented.

It is worth mentioning that former academics Hernán Peredo, Juan Schlatter, and Roberto Juacida were also present at the event. Additionally, the UACh Alumni Network provided alumni credentials to the attendees.

After the event, the group enjoyed a fellowship dinner.