Troy, N.Y. — José González is fluent in the international language of science. Born the son of a medical doctor in Puerto Rico, he has been speaking this language since he was a child. On May 19, González will take the next step in a long journey as he crosses the platform at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s 201st Commencement. 

During his time at Rensselaer, the biomedical engineering major completed award-winning research that could improve the structure of joint replacement materials, helping hundreds of patients heal faster and move better after replacement surgery.

González came to Rensselaer as a freshman from Manatí, a suburb west of San Juan in Puerto Rico. It is a town known for its tropical beaches and lagoons--always a supportive environment for the budding engineer. But González had aspirations beyond his beautiful homeland when he applied to Rensselaer.

“It was the only school that I applied to,” González admits with a shy smile.

His journey to Rensselaer was not an easy one. Right before he was accepted to Rensselaer, his family was robbed and held hostage at gun point for several hours. They all made it through the harrowing experience, but it left González so shaken that when his acceptance letter arrived, he considered not coming to Rensselaer at all.  

After much soul searching, he came to a realization: “I knew that this was my only chance to do what I had always wanted to do. I knew I had to do this.” 

González began work toward a biomedical engineering degree and quickly embraced the Rensselaer experience. With the assistance of the Central New York-Puerto Rico Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) project, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of minority students with degrees in the sciences, technology, and engineering, González was able to complete two different fellowships — one at Syracuse University and the other at Cornell University. 

González was recognized for his research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Anaheim, Calif., this past November. The annual conference was attended by more than 2,500 people, including more than 1,600 students. The ABRCMS encourages students from underrepresented backgrounds, genders, or ethnicities to pursue education in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.

González completed the award-winning research during his fellowship at Cornell while he was a junior at Rensselaer. He focused on soft tissue biomechanics, working to better understand how changing the surface properties of synthetic replacement bone affects human cartilage and tissue.

The findings could help biomedical engineers create better bone replacement biomaterials and preserve the natural, protective cartilage around joints that are impacted by replacement surgery. This protective cartilage is often painfully worn away by even the most advanced replacement technologies available. González hopes that his research will improve the way biomaterials are created and used in joint replacement, improving the quality of life for the increasing number of people who require such surgery each year.

González is currently applying to graduate school and hopes to continue his work on issues related to biomechanics and medicine. 

Contact: Gabrielle DeMarco
Phone: (518) 276-6542
E-mail: demarg@rpi.edu