MinerAlert
MinerAlert
March 2026
By Alexandra Sanchez '17
For UTEP alumnus Dr. Roger V. Gonzalez ’86, choosing UTEP was about opportunity and discovering what he was capable of. A proud El Paso native, he arrived as an aspiring engineer looking for a place where he could thrive. What he found was confidence, purpose, and a foundation that would shape the rest of his life.
Today, he serves as a professor and department chair of engineering education and leadership at UTEP and is the founder of LIMBS International, expanding access to affordable prosthetic care around the world. In this Q&A, Gonzalez reflects on the experiences that shaped him and the advice he now shares with the next generation of Miners.
What led you to choose UTEP for your college education?
UTEP wasn’t just a choice for me. I was a very poor high school student, and I needed access to higher education. It was also part of who I was. I grew up in El Paso, went to Austin High School here, and I understood the community, plus my older sisters went to UTEP. When it came time for college, I knew I wanted to be an engineer by a process of elimination, but I also knew I wanted to be in a place where I could potentially thrive, not just survive. UTEP felt real. It felt attainable at a place that could understand me, and I could succeed.
Once I got to UTEP, everything clicked. I chose mechanical engineering and never changed majors, which is saying something because so many students change majors, but I had a knack for understanding mechanical systems. UTEP gave me confidence early on: confidence that I belonged, that I could do hard things and that my background wasn’t a limitation. It was a foundation.
Is there a memorable experience from your time as a student?
When I think back on my UTEP years, what stands out most isn’t a single class or exam. It’s how involved I became on campus. I was president of a student faith organization called The Navigators, and that experience profoundly shaped me. It wasn’t just an activity; it became a central and fundamental part of my life. It really helped me succeed as a college student by giving me clear priorities.
That’s where I learned how to love and lead others, how to listen, how to take responsibility and how to think about purpose beyond myself. Those experiences gave meaning to everything else I was doing academically. Even today, decades later, I can trace many of my leadership instincts, priorities and values back to that time.
How did UTEP shape your personal or professional journey?
At the time, I didn’t fully realize how much UTEP was shaping me. I was just trying to get through engineering like everyone else. But looking back, UTEP gave me something incredibly powerful: belief. Belief that someone from El Paso and my poor high school background could go on to not only get a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering but eventually graduate school, high-level research, key leadership roles and, probably the most significant, global impact through LIMBS International, which I founded.
UTEP also taught me resilience. It taught me how to push through uncertainty and difficulty without losing my sense of purpose and my foundational values. It also showed me the importance of access: how life-changing it can be when all students are given real opportunities. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career.
Were there any mentors, professors, or programs that made a lasting impact?
While there were a few classes (Introduction to Study Skills and Engineering Dynamics) and a couple of professors (Drs. John Levosky and Steve Stafford) who really made a difference, the on-campus extracurricular student culture and the lifelong friends I made [had the most lasting impact]. People on campus made me feel that I was not on this journey alone.
Between my engineering coursework and the leadership roles I took on outside the classroom, I learned that education isn’t just about technical mastery. It’s about becoming someone who can carry responsibility, serve others and lead with integrity. That idea eventually became central to my career and my work as a professor and entrepreneur.
What are you doing now, and what do you enjoy most about it?
Today, I’m back at UTEP as a professor and department chair in Engineering Education and Leadership, which honestly feels full circle in the best possible way. My current office is the former office where the dean of engineering sat while I was a UTEP student — I never thought that could have happened! Plus, I get to work with students who remind me so much of myself: bright, driven and sometimes unsure of just how far they can go.
What I enjoy most is helping students connect engineering to something bigger than themselves. Whether that’s leadership, innovation or humanitarian work like LIMBS International, I love watching students realize that engineering can be a tool for real, meaningful impact. Those moments — when students see their potential clearly for the first time — never get old.
Do you have any advice for current UTEP students?
My advice is simple, but not always easy: lean in fully and leave the past behind. Don’t just do the minimum to get by. Say yes to opportunities, even when they feel uncomfortable. Get involved, especially on campus. Take leadership roles. Ask questions. Build relationships. Make UTEP your home away from home.
UTEP has more opportunities than many students realize, but they don’t come find you — you must step forward. And never underestimate the power of a UTEP education. You need to leverage your UTEP education for your goals. It can take you much farther than you might imagine if you’re willing to commit to the journey.
What were some of your goals, and how did UTEP prepare you for them?
Looking back on all these years, my goals were, and still are, centered on impact — expanding engineering leadership education, growing integrated engineering programs and continuing work that improves lives around the world. I want to help develop engineers who are not only technically excellent but thoughtful, ethical and grounded in service. We need to be more than engineers!
My undergraduate years at UTEP, including participation in campus activities, prepared me for that in ways that are hard to fully quantify. They gave me access, confidence, resilience and a deep appreciation for opportunity. Everything I do today — as an educator, a leader and a humanitarian — traces back to my time as a UTEP student. UTEP didn’t just prepare me for a career; it shaped how I understand my responsibility to others and the world.
For Gonzalez, UTEP was more than the place where he earned a degree — it was where he discovered belief in himself and a commitment to serve others. Now back on campus in a leadership role, he is focused on helping students see their own potential.
His journey is proof that with access, resilience and purpose, a Miner education can reach far beyond El Paso.
Check out Gonzalez's podcast and TEDx episodes:
Gonzalez RV (Guest) (2018). LIMBS International Makes a Difference for Amputees Around the World. Crazy Good Turns (Season 3/Episode 24) -
TEDx