Lasting Impressions | Summer 2016

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE x 31 Alumni Impressions W hile growing up in Venezuela, busy Miami periodontist Irene Marron-Tarrazzi , D.M.D., M.S., briefly flirted with the idea of a very different profession. “As a child, I was drawn to work with my hands,” Marron-Tarrazzi said. “For this reason, I also considered being an architect.” But she chose dentistry. “It allowed me to interact with people, and I wanted to have a career that I felt was positively contributing to society,” the married mom of two said. Marron-Tarrazzi is now making her contributions on a more national scale. The 2003 CDM alumna was elected second vice president of the Ameri- can Dental Association (ADA) at the end of 2015. “The vice president has the potential to bring new ideas to the table,” she said. “I decided to run when I became aware that this position was on the verge of being removed. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to forge a new path for all new dentists. In my case, bringing the viewpoint of a young dentist who’s familiar with the challenges faced by fellow 21st-century graduates will provide a needed voice to our ADA Board of Trustees.” She sees her position with the ADA as playing an integral role for her profession. “The ADA is the beacon for the American dentist. It represents NSU periodontist lends her voice to national dental issues of the 21st century BY JODI NODING