Patricia Lind-Gonzalez was recently promoted at Farmingdale College.
By Dana Klosner, Neighbor
Oct 7, 2010 12:42 pm ET | Updated Oct 12, 2010 9:45 pm ET
For Smithtown resident Patricia Lind-Gonzalez, numbers and statistics are a passion that landed her a new position as chief institutional research officer at Farmingdale State College.
“I love the story in the numbers,” Lind-Gonzalez said. “When you analyze the statistics you look for trends and stories in the numbers. I analyze the data we collect and make recommendations to the administration based on what the numbers are telling us.”
In her new position in the Institutional Research Department, Lind-Gonzalez will support the college by providing them with information and data that help the administrative staff make decisions and implement marketing and planning strategies.
She finds the subject matter where she is working very interesting.
“We work with trends in enrollment and what’s going on with students and activities,” she said. Lind-Gonzalez has ten years experience conducting marketing research for financial institutions. She was also director of institutional research at SUNY Old Westbury.Subscribe
Lind-Gonzalez is not all about numbers. Perhaps an unusual combination, she is also an artist. She works in oil paintings and enjoys painting different genres like landscapes and figure painting. She was lead instructor and director of the Stevenson Academy Program, where she developed curriculum for a young artist program at the Art League of Long Island. She also taught beginner adult artists.
“I love painting,” she said. “It relaxes me. It gives me the opportunity to express myself.”
Unfortunately, in these tough economic times, not as many students were enrolling in her art classes as in the past and she found painting by herself isolating.
“The solitary life of an artist didn’t suit me,” Lind-Gonzalez said. “I enjoy working at the college and interacting with a lot of people.”
Assistant Provost Barbara Serr is happy Lind-Gonzalez is on board.
“I feel she is very capable and will enhance our research efforts,” Serr said. “She’s a very pleasant individual.”
Lind-Gonzalez and her husband Ruben met while working together at SUNY Old Westbury.
“She impressed me,” Ruben Gonzalez said. “She was disciplined and focused. She was always willing to go that extra mile in terms of finishing an assignment. She would work late and come in early the next day. She has a pleasant personality and she is intelligent. She has a good heart. Anyone who knows her knows that.”
The couple has a three-year-old daughter Katherine. Lind-Gonzalez grew up in Smithtown and made the decision to return to the community after attending SUNY Oneonta and living in Manhattan and Queens.
“We have a family now and we wanted to move out to the suburbs,” she said. “Smithtown is a great place to raise children. The school district is great and we are close to the city and close to the beaches. It’s a great area.”