For years, safety in engineering relied on warnings, employee training and protective equipment. The School of Engineering has announced two endowed funds honoring Martha Bidez, Ph.D., that will provide support for students enrolled in the Advanced Safety and Engineering Management (ASEM) degree program.

Bidez, founder of the UAB ASEM degree program, knew safety had to become part of the design process itself. Bidez, who had more than two decades of industry and academic experience in biomedical engineering, knew that, by integrating safety goals and practices within engineering design, more catastrophic events and injuries could be avoided. In 2013, Bidez established UAB’s Master of Engineering concentration in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management.

The program, which is available online and attracts students from around the globe, became her legacy; Bidez died in December 2016 after a battle with cancer.