Lasting Impressions | Fall 2016

10 © NSU LASTING IMPRESSIONS Faculty Impressions Even when Maria Hernandez , D.D.S., was a young girl growing up in Venezu- ela, she loved working with her hands. Whether it was her mother’s dainty necklace or a tangled string of Christmas lights that needed xing, the refrain in her family was the same: “Give it to Maria. She can x it.” So when it came time to choose a career, the idea of working with her hands and using small instruments, combined with her desire to be in a health profession, drew Hernandez to dentistry and, ultimately, to her specialty in periodontology. Today, Hernandez brings her hands-on, x-it style and her love for connecting with students, faculty and sta members, and patients to all the positions she has at NSU’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM). Hernandez, an associate professor who has been at NSU since 2006, serves as chair of the Department of Periodon- tology, director of advanced specialty education in periodontology, and director Professor Devotes Time to Periodontology, CDM Family BY ELLEN WOLFSON VALLADARES Maria Hernandez says she found the perfect fit for her career at the CDM.