Mayra Socarras wins 2026 FLATE Distinguished Manufacturing Post-Secondary Educator of the Year Award

Congratulations to Mayra Socarras, Assistant Professor of Semiconductor Engineering Technology at Valencia College in Florida's High Tech Corridor, where she leads the state's only Associate of Science (AS) program in Semiconductor Engineering Technology. Drawing on her engineering experience, Socarras is bridging critical gaps in STEM education by also teaching in the Math Department, specializing in Developmental Math to help students unlock opportunities in high-tech fields while advancing workforce development and talent pipelines essential to Florida's semiconductor industry. As an innovative educator specializing in active learning, she is dedicated to fostering the next generation of engineers and technologists.

A leader in robotics and engineering mentorship, Socarras has served as head coach for FIRST Lego League teams, earning the President of the United States Volunteer Service Award for her community contributions and demonstrating a deep commitment to fostering STEM innovation. Her teams—The Fellowship of the Brick, The Girls’ Army of Engineers, and Knights of the Old Republic—garnered top statewide honors in Florida, including Outstanding Technical and Team Performance, Robot Design, Robot Performance Score, Project Presentation, and Teamwork, with a first-place tie in the 2010 State FLL Competition.

Mayra's engineering foundation stems from her tenure as a Senior Design Engineer at The Boeing Company from 1987 to 1999, in NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. She received NASA's Return to Flight Group Achievement Award for her electrical systems review following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, contributing to NASA’s STS-26 Return to Flight mission. She holds a Master of Science in Industrial Electronics and Computers and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Miami.  

When asked why she thinks manufacturing education is important, Socarras states

The manufacturing sector is currently facing a significant talent shortage. Due to retiring workers, insufficient new qualified applicants, evolving skills requirements and lack of visibility, millions of jobs could go unfulfilled. Education and training programs directly help close this gap by preparing students to apply and succeed in these roles. Manufacturing jobs often offer competitive compensation, benefits and advancement opportunities. Therefore, manufacturing education often serves as a bridge between poverty and the middle class. Modern manufacturing relies on advanced processes like automation, robotics, data analytics and smart factories, manufacturing education ensures workers from all walks of life can implement and optimize these technologies rather than being left behind. Due to outsourcing manufacturing to other countries, the United States in the last few decades has become dependent on foreign suppliers which has weakened our economy. Currently, the United States has changed its policies in favor of bringing back manufacturing within our borders, in order to satisfy trading partners, grow our GDP, create high-paying jobs, and help families prosper. As a matter of national security, manufacturing education is critically important. By investing in robust manufacturing education, the United States can not only fill critical gaps but also secure a resilient, self-sufficient economy that empowers workers and strengthens the middle class.

Mayra Socarras has made outstanding contributions to manufacturing and engineering technology education and training through developing the curriculum for Valencia College’s A.S. degree in Advancing Emerging Industries. This forward-looking program equips students with essential skills in semiconductor manufacturing, directly addressing the manufacturing sector’s significant talent shortage. Caused by retiring workers, insufficient new qualified applicants, evolving skills requirements, and lack of visibility, this gap threatens millions of unfulfilled jobs.  The curriculum prepares students to apply and succeed in roles that offer competitive compensation, benefits, and advancement opportunities, serving as a bridge between poverty and the middle class. It ensures workers from all walks of life can implement and optimize advanced technologies rather than being left behind. By supporting the United States’ policy shift to reshore manufacturing, the program helps reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, grow GDP, create high-paying jobs, and strengthen families and the national economy.  Through this initiative, the nominee has advanced the education and training of the future advanced manufacturing workforce at Valencia College. 

Congratulations again to Mayra for her support of manufacturing education and career awareness!  For more information on the FLATE Awards visit http://fl-ate.org/programs/flate-awards, or contact Ernie Friend, Executive Director of FLATE, at ernie.friend@flate.org.