Dr. Carlos “Lalo” Gonzalez is the Associate Director of Research and Nau Endowed Chair of Habitat Research and Management at Borderlands Research Institute and an Associate Professor in the Natural Resource Management Department at Sul Ross State University. He was born and raised in a rural community where family heritage kept him involved in ranching activities from a young age, fostering a deep appreciation for nature and the conservation of natural resources. Before his position with BRI, he graduated in 2011 with a BS in Wildlife and Range Management from Texas A&M-Kingsville. During his undergraduate career, Lalo was employed by the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, assisting with research on interactions between white-tailed deer and habitat. In 2015, he earned his MS in Natural Resource Management from Sul Ross State University. His thesis research focused on scaled quail's survival and nesting ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert. After receiving his MS, he completed his PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Science at Texas A&M University. During this time, he focused his dissertation on bighorn sheep restoration in Texas, specifically studying survival, population dynamics, and habitat use and distribution. Lalo is the second Sul Ross State University student from the Natural Resource Management Department to participate in a cooperative doctoral program with Texas A&M University. During his studies with the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, he assisted with ecological monitoring of military lands in the Chihuahuan Desert, conducting baseline biological surveys and ensuring compliance with environmental policies. Since 2018, Lalo has focused his teaching across more than 10 courses on Range Resources and Restoration Ecology, reflecting core areas of his research. The main research areas have been centered on soil conservation, stream restoration, wildlife habitat management, livestock grazing systems, and restoration ecology, emphasizing sustainable practices in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.