VIDEO: Engineering Graduate to Pursue Ph.D. at UPenn
April 19, 2019
By Noell Saunders
Engineering student David Gonzalez is setting the gears in motion to become a leader in his field of study and an inspiration to others.
Gonzalez, a Virginia Beach native, will earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the University's 130th Commencement Exercises on May 10 and 11 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
In fall of 2019, Gonzalez will enter a new milestone in pursuit of a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. There, he will work with a team on cell-sized robots for biomedical applications that can detect cancer or other diseases by checking the elasticity and measurements of human cells.
Gonzalez, originally from Monterey, Mexico, credits his parents for inspiring him.
"They pushed me to accomplish my dreams," he said. "Many Latinos don't have these opportunities and I'm living proof that they can."
While attending ODU, Gonzalez had two Internships at Dominion Energy's nuclear power station. He worked with corporate engineers tackling cybersecurity problems by providing an additional layer of protection for Virginia's electrical power grid.
Gonzalez's dream job is to eventually become a biomedical engineer.