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RAMON GONZALEZ

          Dr. Ramon Gonzalez is the Chief Scientific Officer of MojiaBio (a global biomanufacturing company) and the President of the Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (SIMB, founded in 1949). He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

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          Dr. Gonzalez’s career has spanned the academic, private, and public sectors. Most of his academic work was conducted at Rice University, where he led the laboratory for Metabolic Engineering and Biomanufacturing and rose through the ranks from Assistant Professor to Full Professor. While at Rice, he was the founding director of the Advanced Biomanufacturing Initiative and served as Director of the Energy and Environment Initiative. More recently, Dr. Gonzalez was a Professor and Florida World Class Scholar in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering at the University of South Florida. In addition to his role as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (JIMB) from 2015 to 2023, he has served on the Editorial Boards of Science, Biotechnology Journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Food Biotechnology. Dr. Gonzalez also served as Program Director with the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) of the U.S. Department of Energy and with the U.S. National Science Foundation, as well as on the Board of Directors of SIMB.

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           Dr. Gonzalez has published over 100 papers in prestigious scientific journals, including Nature and its portfolio Journals (Nature Biotechnology, Nature Catalysis, Nature Metabolism, Nature Chemical Biology, Nature Communications), PNAS, and Science. He is the lead inventor in 25 patents/patent applications and founded/co-founded Glycos Biotechnologies, Creo Ingredients, RBN Bio, and C1Plus Bio. He has advised major industrial bio and Fortune 500 companies and is currently a member of the scientific advisory boards of several companies and research institutions. Dr. Gonzalez has received numerous recognitions, including, Discovery Series Lecture (BioDesign Institute, Arizona State University), Tiangong Forum Lecture (TIB-CAS, China), ‘Inspiring Wisdom’ Distinguished Lecture (SKMML, SJTU, China), AIChE Division 15c Plenary Lecture, ASM Distinguished Lecturer, SDA/NBB Glycerine Innovation Research Award, and NSF CAREER Award. Dr. Gonzalez obtained a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Chile, an M.S. in Biochemical Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (Chile), and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas (Cuba).

Professional Experience

  • 2018 to present – Professor, Florida 21st Century World Class Scholar, Department of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

  • 2015 to present – Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

  • 2014 to 2018 – Professor, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas

  • 2016 to 2018 – Founding Director, Advanced Biomanufacturing Initiative (iBIO), Rice University, Houston, Texas

  • 2014 to 2016 – Director, Energy and Environment Initiative (EEi), Rice University, Houston, Texas

  • 2012 to 2015 – Program Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Washington D.C.

  • 2011 to 2014 – Associate Professor, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas

  • 2007 to 2011 – Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas

  • 2005 to 2011 –  William W. Akers Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas

  • 2002 to 2005 – Assistant Professor, Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering and Food Science & Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

  • 2001 to 2002 – Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

  • 1994 to 1995 – Process Engineer, Marcelo Salado Sugar Mill (Formerly, Reforma Sugar Mill), MINAZ (Cuba's Sugar Ministry), Caibarien, Cuba

  • 1993 to 1996 – Research Associate and Lecturer, Center for Processes Analysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Central University of Las Villas, Santa Clara, Cuba

Education

  • 2001 – Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Chile

  • 1999 – M.Sc., Biochemical Engineering, Catholic University of Valparaiso, Chile

  • 1993 – B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Central University of Las Villas, Cuba

Awards and Honors

  • Elected Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 2018.

  • AIChE Food, Pharmaceutical, and Bioengineering Division 15C Plenary Award, AIChE Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, 2017.

  • American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL), ASMDL Program, 2015-2019

  • Keynote Lecture, Emerging Technologies in Clean Energy Keynote, 2014 AIChE Spring Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 2014

  • Keynote Lecture, Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Session, Division of Biochemical Technology, 247th ACS National Meeting, Dallas, TX, 2014

  • Invited Participant, National Academy of Engineering’s 2013 US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Wilmington, DE, 2013

  • Eugene Goldschmidt Lecture, Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology Spring Conference, 2011

  • SDA/NBB Glycerine Innovation Research Award, American Oil Chemists' Society, 2010

  • Hershel M. Rich Invention Award, Rice University, 2010

  • Faculty Teaching and Mentoring Award, Graduate Student Association, Rice University, 2010

  • Distinguished Faculty Associate, Baker College, Rice University, 2009-2010 Academic Year

  • Hamill Innovation Award, Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Rice University, 2009

  • NSF Faculty Early Career (CAREER) Award, National Science Foundation, 2007

  • Visiting Professor, School of Biochemical Engineering, Catholic University of Valparaiso, Chile, 2004/2008

  • Graduated with distinction: University of Chile, 2001; Catholic University of Valparaiso, 1999; Central University of Las Villas, 1993

  • AgCI Fellowship, Ministry of Planning, Chile, 1996

  • First Prize. Cuban National Olympiad of Chemistry, Engineering Level. Havana, Cuba, 1989

CONTACT INFORMATION

ENB 118 | 4202 E Fowler Ave | Tampa, FL 33620

ramongonzale@usf.edu

(813)-974-4653

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