Sergio Gonzalez

Sergio Gonzalez: Building a Green Future

At LMU, education goes beyond books and classrooms. Such is the case for Sergio Gonzalez, who, thanks to his experience at LMU, earned a spot in a competitive federal internship program and published three papers on diverse subjects during his undergraduate career as a Lion.

Sergio recently took part in what he calls a “transformative internship” with the Environmental Protection Agency in Denver. The senior was one of 40 students chosen nationwide for the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship, and he attributes much of his success to the know-how and professorial support he’s received at LMU.

His work within the EPA’s infrastructure to redesign workspaces to save material, energy and water will be implemented by the organization. According to Sergio, his colleagues told him “you’re going to make the EPA practice what they preach.”

Sergio has been on the path to leadership in the field of environmental studies since a young age, first becoming aware of several important issues through his mother, who worked for an engineering firm.

He says it was during a high school field trip to a wastewater plant that that he first realized his concern for the environment and the need to take action.

“I saw that there is no magical waste fairy,” Sergio said, “that it needs to be treated.”

Growing concerns about climate change led Sergio to major in civil engineering and environmental science at LMU. His paper “Modeling, Predicting and Mapping the Risk of Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination in U.S. Corn and Peanuts Due to Climate Change” – unofficially called “Popcorn, Peanut Butter and Climate Change” – described a cost-effective way certain crops could avoid a common contamination by aflatoxin, a fungi stress byproduct. The paper took second place in the National Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ undergraduate research competition.

He also had the opportunity to present the paper at LMU’s annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and has since submitted it to several professional journals for consideration.

Under the guidance of Jeremy Pal, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes, an international collaboration of scientists who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, Sergio’s undergraduate research has progressed significantly. He credits Pal’s firm yet supportive mentoring, which taught him how to better navigate the research process.

In addition to Pal, Sergio worked closely with Jose Saez, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. And according to Sergio, Saez always encouraged him in his studies. “His commitment to the students is remarkable,” Sergio said.

This type of one-on-one attention is a characteristic benefit of an LMU education: building relationships with remarkable professors.

LMU’s mission is to “educate the whole person,” and for Sergio that included publishing a philosophical paper, “Plutarch’s Alexander: an Endorsement of Platonism and Living as a Philosopher,” in the Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research. He has also published a fitness and exercise book, “ProNature Fitness: Unlocking Radiant Health Through Smart Exercise.”

As an active member of the LMU chapter of the Society of Hispanic Engineers, Sergio serves as the community service chair, tasked with finding projects for the society. He also attended the National institute of Leadership Advancement.

“I know I will leave LMU a much more balanced, educated, and loving person than when I entered it,” Sergio said. “I will be forever grateful for the new perspective and incredible people it has put in my life.”

With an eye to the future, Sergio hopes to pursue graduate school for environmental engineering where he can further explore economics, policy and environmental change. He has already applied to several top-tier schools, including Cambridge, MIT, Yale and Stanford.