Since graduating with his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University 11 years ago, Christian Gonzalez ’11 has already experienced a lifetime of achievements. To name a few, he continued his education with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and traveled the world for his job. He pursued another master's degree, this time in business administration, and shifted his career to marketing, where he discovered a new avenue to positively impact health care.
Because of his leadership, Gonzalez added another achievement to his list — being named one of the Association of Former Students’ 12 Under 12 Young Alumni spotlight recipients.
The recognition is awarded annually to 12 Aggies who have graduated from Texas A&M University within the past 12 years, recognizing their embodiment of the Texas A&M core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and service in their careers and service.
“Christian clearly knows what it means to be an Aggie,” said Dr. Mike McShane, biomedical engineering department head and James J. Cain Professor II. “He realizes how much he gained from his education at Texas A&M, and he wants to return benefits to the next generations of students. You can see from what he is doing that he embodies the Texas A&M core values and continues to serve in ways that drive Texas A&M towards even greater excellence and impact.”
Gonzalez is the Associate Director of Product Marketing at Endotronix, Inc., a medical equipment manufacturer specializing in heart failure. Gonzalez said he began his career as a clinical engineer, but switched to product marketing to be a voice for customers and advance medical outcomes through innovation.
When people ask me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I say I help change lives.
“When people ask me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I say I help change lives,” Gonzalez said. “One of the main things we do is improve our software. How can we improve the patient experience on their tablet or the clinician's side when they log in? How can we make our product better for everyone?”
Along with patients experiencing Gonzalez’s impact through his career, his impact is also felt through his service at Texas A&M. After reaching out to the department to offer career insight from his unique journey in the medical device industry, Gonzalez was invited to serve as the youngest member of the department’s advisory board.
“I've learned that engineers can go in so many potential career avenues,” he said. “There's not just the research and development side, but the clinical side, quality side, regulatory side and manufacturing. I want to expose students to other opportunities in industry.”
Additionally, Gonzalez served as a member of the Texas A&M University Young Alumni Council and as marketing chair for the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Texas A&M Hispanic Network.
Despite the career shift, Gonzalez credits his achievements to the problem-solving and leadership skills he developed as a student in the biomedical engineering department.
“I'm a true advocate of giving my time, treasure and talents to Texas A&M,” he said. “Texas A&M has given me the opportunity to learn more about myself and prepared me well with a great education. I am passionate about giving back to the university.”