The university proudly celebrated the promotion of Dr. Francisco Arencibia-Albite to the rank of full professor within the School of Health and Sciences.
By: Institutional Communication
This celebration marks a new chapter in the career of Francisco Arencibia-Albite, who has dedicated his professional life to teaching, research, and mentoring new generations of professionals in science and health. He began his academic career at Sagrado, completing three bachelor’s degrees: Exercise Science and Health Promotion (1997), Biology (2000), and Mathematics (2004). He later earned a master’s degree in Physiology from the Universidad Central del Caribe and a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus (2013).
His teaching career at Sagrado began in 2004 as an adjunct professor, and since 2013 he has served as a full-time faculty member. Over the past two decades, he has taught courses in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Quantitative Research at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. His breadth of expertise reflects the scope of his training and his commitment to holistic teaching.
Dr. Arencibia-Albite has developed research projects in biophysics, electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience, notably collaborating as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the UPR Medical Sciences Campus under the mentorship of Carlos Jiménez. His studies have been published in respected scientific journals such as Journal of Theoretical Biology, Heliyon and Physiological Reports, where he has challenged traditional paradigms on metabolism and energy through analytical and theoretical perspectives.
He has been recognized at Sagrado with the Excellence in Teaching Award on two occasions, and his work on metabolism, energy, and neuroscience has appeared in international scientific publications.
During the celebration, colleagues and alumni highlighted his influence as an educator and mentor. Professor Agda Cordero recalled with appreciation: “When Dr. Francisco Arencibia was completing graduate studies, he returned to Sagrado to take a programming course required for his program. He was one of my best students”.
“Professor Arencibia was not only my first research mentor but an exceptional guide who has always been willing to support and advise me with great empathy. His commitment and passion for teaching and research serve as an example to all his students. His promotion is a well-deserved recognition of his academic excellence and his invaluable contribution to the formation of future professionals,” shared Javier Martinez Boschetti, alumnus and current doctoral student in pharmacy at the University of Michigan.
“He was my first research mentor, and I have always admired his constant curiosity and enthusiasm for science. His guidance continues to shape my professional development,” added Yamilette J. Román Rodríguez, an undergraduate student in Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Arencibia-Albite delivered a reflection titled “La ciencia más allá de las piezas: El rol de la matemática en las ciencias biomédicas,” in which he shared his educational philosophy, his argument for mathematics as a central language in science, and his analysis of reductionism. “New and transformative paths may emerge. A professor teaches not only with words, but also with their way of seeing the world and with the way they dare to think differently. That will be my commitment moving forward,” he concluded.
We invite the Sagrado community to read the full message from Dr. Francisco Arencibia-Albite, available at the following link:
https://anuncios.sagrado.edu/wp-content/uploads/reflexion-arencibia-2025.pdf