Erica Corral, an assistant professor in the UA department of materials science and engineering, has been named most promising doctoral engineer or scientist by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference, or HENAAC.

The conference is an annual event that recognizes the achievements of Hispanics in science, technology, engineering and math, which are known collectively as the STEM subjects. HENAAC, now in its 22nd year, is organized by Great Minds in STEM, a nonprofit that promotes careers and cultivates Hispanic talent in STEM subjects.

HENAAC awards are considered a great honor in the Hispanic community because they are made by the only national organization committed to highlighting and showcasing the brightest and most talented Hispanic professionals in STEM fields. A selection committee drawn from industry, academia and government judges award winners, which HENAAC says "must be truly stellar in their field."

Corral described the award as "very meaningful" because it acknowledged her academic and scholarly achievements in materials science and recognized her potential impact in the field. "My HENAAC award is also a reflection of the commitment that the University of Arizona has shown to me since my arrival in August 2008," Corral said.

"I have received support from my department, the College of Engineering, and the UA administration to help me achieve early academic success," Corral added. She was recently the recipient of a $400,000 Career award from the National Science Foundation to research new materials for spacecraft coatings that can withstand the super hot environments encountered in space missions.

Inspirational

Corral is the first faculty member in the UA materials science and engineering department to receive such an award. She is one of only three early career scientists and engineers in the U.S. to receive both a Career award and an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program Award in 2010.

Corral is in no doubt that this award will enable her to inspire more Hispanic students to pursue engineering education and careers. "This award will help me recruit bright and talented students because the best students want to work with the best researchers," she said. "This award recognizes that my research and scholarly efforts are among the best in the nation, in particular within the Hispanic community."

Jeff Goldberg, dean of the College of Engineering, concurred: "To win such an award shows a strong commitment to education, particularly at high school and undergraduate levels," Goldberg said. "When it comes to the ability to combine research and education, Erica is one of the best faculty members we have. In terms of success, she is absolutely off the chart."

Role Model

A central plank of HENAAC's mission is to highlight and showcase outstanding role models to inspire young people to pursue careers in STEM subjects. One way Corral achieves this at UA is as faculty advisor to the student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE. Goldberg reserves special praise for this student-run group. "SHPE does several programs a year that are absolutely outstanding," Goldberg said.

SHPE programs include the La Familia event, at which volunteers offer free computer classes, in English and Spanish, to adults interested in learning basic to intermediate computer skills. The aim is to help those who are not computer literate to apply for jobs.

Corral's award came as no surprise to Martin Manuel Lopez, a systems engineering sophomore and vice president of the SHPE student chapter who is also the coordinator for this year's La Familia event. "She is very supportive and a great advisor. She always tries to be there and is always encouraging us." Lopez said. "She definitely deserves the award. I'm not surprised she won it."

One of the first things that Corral did as SHPE faculty advisor was take a group of engineering students to the 2009 SHPE conference in Washington, D.C. The annual conference is a chance for engineering companies to recruit talented students from SHPE membership. "She doesn't have to do that," Goldberg said. "It's a lot of time, a lot of effort."

Corral will receive her award officially Oct. 8 at an awards show during the HENAAC annual conference at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.