The honors are awarded to graduates who excel in their chosen field and/or perform exemplary service to the community.
“It fills me with pride to recognize this class of distinguished Alumni for their achievements and service,” said UW-Parkside Chancellor Deborah Ford. “They are an inspiration for current and future UW-Parkside students and the community at large, and we look to them as models of the transformative power of a UW-Parkside education.”
Gonzalez has been teaching acting and directing at Whittier since 2005. During this time, he has directed numerous student plays and mentored countless students in the process. Moreover, he currently serves as interim associate dean of academic support, was associate dean of first-year programs for six years, and was formerly Garrett House Faculty-in-Residence.
In 2020, Gonzalez was awarded the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion, which is the most prestigious award given by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) and is considered one of the great honors in theatre education. Gonzalez also received the 2016 KCACTF Excellence in Theatre Education Award. In 2018, he received Key to the College Award for his dedication and support of students at Whittier College.
Gonzalez is also the founder and producing artistic director of Enceladus Theatre Company, a professional company staging new and classical works in southern California. He holds an MFA in acting from the University of Virginia and earned a B.A. from UW-Parkside as a double major in dramatic arts and history.
The 2020-21 University of Wisconsin-Parkside Distinguished Alumni will be recognized in a variety of ways as well as be publicly celebrated in May 2021.
