School of Nursing School of Medicine School of Nutrition Faculty of Dentistry School of Dentistry Admission Admission to ULA is very competitive and generally mediated through the Venezuelan Oficina de Planeacion del Sector Universitario (OPSU - Office for Higher Education Planning), which oversees grades and standardized tests for all Venezuelan students enrolled in secondary education institutions. ULA lists some of the highest high school academic index (Indice Academico de la OPSU) requirements in Venezuela. Research ULA is one of the universities most actively engaged in research in Venezuela, consistently ranking among the top two or three universities in Venezuela across all disciplines. In 2009, ULA was ranked 37th out of the 437 Latin American universities and research institutes evaluated by the Ranking Iberoamericano de Instituciones de Investigacion. Active graduate research groups include: Kinetics & Catalysis, Polymer Chemistry, Behavioral Physiology, Biotechnology, Enzimology, Parasitology, Cytology, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Analytical and Molecular Spectroscopy, Geophysics, Astrophysics, Condensed Matter Physics, Applied and Theoretical Physics, Magnetism of Solids, Urban Environmental Quality, Finance, Entrepreneurial Development, Agricultural Management, Criminology, Comparative Politics, Environmental Geopolitics, International Politics, Ethnography, Linguistics, Semiolinguistics, Phonetics, Gender Studies, Latin American Arts and Literature, Medieval Studies, etc. Athletic and cultural activities ULA also houses numerous varsity athletic teams, including chess, soccer, fencing, rhythmic gymnastics, tennis, basketball, swimming, and track and field and performing arts companies such as Ballet Estable de la ULA, Teatro (Theater) Estable de la ULA, Coral (Choir) Universitaria and Orfeon Universitario. However, ULA's athletic dominance has declined in the past decade. The Orfeon Universitario Choir has toured Colombia, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. ULA also hosts annual ballet seasons, a chamber orchestra season and numerous theater and music festivals (classical, traditional music, jazz, chant, Christmas) open to the community. ULA operates a local radio station, 107.7 ULA FM. It formerly operated ULA TV channel 22 before it was ordered closed in June 2017. Rectors or University Authorities Friar Juan Ramos De Lora (1782–1790) Luis Dionisio Villamizar (1790–1791) Fray Manuel Cándido De Torrijos (1791–1792) Hipólito De Elías González (1792–1794) Francisco Javier Irastorza (1794–1795) Juan H. Hurtado De Mendoza (1795–1802) Francisco Javier Irastorza (1802–1803) Ramón Ignacio Méndez (1806–1810) Buenaventura Arias (1810–1815) Rafael Lasso De La Vega (1815–1822) José De La Cruz Olivares (1822–1826) Esteban Arias (1826–1830) Ignacio Fernández Peña (1832–1834) Sulpicio Frías (1834–1836) Rafael Alvarado (1836–1838) Agustín Chipía (1838–1843) Eloy Paredes (1843) Rafael Alvarado (1843–1845) José Francisco Más y Rubí (1843–1852) Eloy Paredes (1852–1855) Ciriaco