María Gabriela Hernández Gómez, Master

Occupational Safety and Environmental Hygiene Engineer, holding a Licentiate degree from the Costa Rica Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree in Project Management. She has more than ten years of experience in university teaching, research, extension, and academic management.

She currently serves as a faculty member in the School of Occupational Safety and Environmental Hygiene Engineering at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology, where she teaches courses related to design workshops, evaluation and control of physical and chemical agents, and occupational safety. She has actively participated in academic self-evaluation and accreditation processes and has served as the coordinator of the School’s Self-Assessment and Accreditation Committee since 2019.

She also has professional experience in laboratory management, specifically as coordinator of the Analytical Hygiene Laboratory, as well as in institutional projects related to the improvement of working conditions, the assessment of occupational risks, and exposure to hazardous agents. Her professional trajectory includes participation in research and extension projects in sectors such as construction, industry, agriculture, and services.

• Assessment of occupational exposure to chemical and physical agents.
• Industrial hygiene applied to different productive sectors.
• Evaluation and control of noise and vibrations in occupational environments.
• Occupational health and safety in the construction industry.
• Management of occupational risks and working conditions.
• Implementation of occupational health and safety management systems.
• Occupational health in vulnerable populations and informal sectors.
• University–community engagement through extension projects in health, environment, and safety.
• Promotion of safe practices in the use of chemical substances in agricultural activities.
• Integration of sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into academic training and professional practice.