A $100,000 gift from Amazon Robotics will support the development of new coursework in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas. The gift, designed to build a talent pipeline for engineers trained in functional safety, will benefit the Department of Systems Engineering, led by Dr. Stephen Yurkovich, holder of the Louis Beecherl Jr. “This gift means that our students will be on the cutting edge of something new,” Yurkovich said. When implemented at such a scale, ensuring the safe functioning of every machine becomes a critical concern for corporations, said Justin Croyle, principal functional safety engineer at Amazon Robotics. This shortfall of talent is what Amazon Robotics hopes to change through its partnership with UT Dallas.