Nivia Fernández Hernández

Nivia Aurora Fernández Hernández is a Puerto Rican dietetics and nutrition professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. She has expertise in nutrition, gerontology, and higher education. She was the interim president of the University of Puerto Rico in 2017.

Education Fernández Hernández earned a B.Sc. in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Puerto Rico in 1975. She completed an internship in dietetics at Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Allied Health Professions in 1977. In this role, she contributed to the development of the 2017 to 2022 strategic plan. Her appointment came during a period of intense financial challenges for the university system, which was facing significant budget cuts as part of broader austerity measures aimed at addressing Puerto Rican government-debt crisis.

Later career On January 1, 2022, Fernández Hernández became the interim dean of academic affairs at UPR. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Licensed Nutritionist/Dietitian (LDN), and holds is Certified Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS) by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She is a full professor of dietetics and nutrition at the UPRRP College of Natural Sciences. She is the coordinator of its Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with Supervised Experiential Learning (MSND-SEL).

Personal life Fernández Hernández has two children.