![Nola Garcia de Quevedo](https://fbpe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/nola-garcia.jpg)
Nola Garcia de Quevedo
Nola Garcia de Quevedo, a former member of the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, has passed away.
Ms. Garcia served as a public member from February 2008 until March 2015.
She previously worked at Florida International University’s College of Engineering where she left to start up BattleBots IQ Inc., the first robotics program that included teacher training, curriculum, and competitions for middle schools, high schools, and post-secondary schools.
She directed robotics teams around the country. As CEO of BattleBots IQ, Ms. Garcia coordinated the growth of the program, produced regional and national events, facilitated teacher trainings, and worked with the manufacturing industry to bridge the gap between education and workforce development.
Ms. Garcia was also founder and president of StarBot Inc., a not-for-profit robotics education center that serves the South Florida community of both public and private schools. StarBot is also a leader in bringing engineering education to many at-risk youth programs. She was also the vice president of the Symbiosis Foundation dedicated to excellence in engineering education. Her background and experience in robotics education has been recognized by the Robotics Society of America, the National Tooling and Machining Association, the American Welding Society, the University of Miami, the City of Miami, the City of Miami Beach, and other leaders in education and manufacturing.
She also created the 305 Consortium, a group that consists of local business leaders, students, teachers, parents and people who are dedicated to bringing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs and opportunities to the students of Miami.
Ms. Garcia co-authored with Elizabeth de Zulueta the book STEAM Powered Girls: Power Your Dreams, Power Your Future, which was published in 2020.
“Nola was a passionate and wonderful member of the board,” FBPE Executive Director Zana Raybon said. “She worked tirelessly to bring awareness of STEM to underprivileged communities.”