Evolution and skeletons might be his passions, but for Assistant Professor of Anthropology Richard Gonzalez, making an impact on students is the best part of his job. “A student at the end of the semester came to my office, shook my hand, and thanked me,” remembers Gonzalez. “He said that the course helped him grow personally, intellectually, and professionally.” It’s moments like this that make his work worthwhile, he says.

A biological anthropologist, Gonzalez’s areas of expertise include forensic anthropology, skeletal biology, primate anatomy, human evolution and human variation. His research on the growth variation of the human skull and his paper on the forensic identification of juvenile remains have been submitted to the Journal of Forensic Sciences.

Other notable projects include a presentation on the growth of the human hand, which he will give at the annual meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in Albuquerque, NM. “In the near future I plan to conduct forensic anthropological consulting work in the region and continue research in human variation,” says Gonzalez. “Specifically, I am looking forward to developing research projects involving variation in bone density and on the body-snatching industry in the North Country.”

Gonzalez’s dedication to anthropology is apparent; he jokes that anyone who has taken a class with him knows that sometimes it can take over the lecture. “Sometimes it’s just like I’m giving a performance,” laughs Gonzalez. He looks forward to getting students excited about anthropology topics ranging from the study of human origins to demonstrating how to assemble a skeleton properly.                        

--Nora Wolinsky ’10