Two Blazers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham were recently inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.

UAB President Ray L. Watts and Fouad Fouad, Ph.D., professor and chair emeritus of the School of Engineering, were formally inducted during a ceremony at Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham on Feb. 22.

According to the AEHOF, individuals inducted have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to the advancement of engineering and technology, leading to an enhanced economic, cultural and political future for the state and nation. These individuals can serve as symbols of inspiration of the rewarding and challenging careers in the engineering field.

Watts, a Birmingham native, earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in electrical engineering from UAB in 1976 before going on to medical school. He returned to UAB in 2003 and became UAB’s president in 2013 — he is now the university’s longest-serving president. Among the facilities constructed during Watts’ tenure is Gorrie Hall, which will be the new home of the School of Engineering when it opens this spring. Gorrie Hall is the final phase of the $150 million Science and Engineering Complex.

Fouad joined the UAB School of Engineering faculty in 1981, and he served as chair of the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering for 25 years before his retirement in 2021.

Although he retired from UAB in 2021, Fouad continues to contribute to a project he helped start in 2020, leading the “Built Environment” team for the UAB Grand Challenge, Live HealthSmart Alabama.

Watts and Fouad join eight other UAB alumni and faculty members in the Hall of Fame. For more about the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, visit https://engrhof.org/.