Dr Gonzalez is Dean Emeritus and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Indiana University School of Education.

From July 1 2000 until June 30 2015 he served as Dean of Education. In that role, he directed administrative and budgetary activities of the School on the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses and provided academic oversight to education programs on six regional campuses of IU. Dr Gonzalez’ teaching and research interests include higher education leadership and finance, underrepresented student success, campus health promotion, and multicultural communication and collaboration. He has addressed national and international groups and published scholarly works on the Cuban-American experience and Latino educational concerns. In 2012, Hispanic Business named him one of the 50 most influential Hispanics in the United States. Upon his retirement from the deanship, Indiana University President Michael McRobbie presented him with the President's Medal for Excellence and asked him to serve as a special adviser to the IU Office of International Affairs on IU-Cuba relations.

In addition to his academic appointment in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Dr Gonzalez holds appointments as Adjunct Professor of Counseling and Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Indiana University. He is also an affiliate faculty in the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

Dr Gonzalez received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1974 and a PhD in Counseling and Higher Education Administration in 1978 from the University of Florida.