IN THEIR OWN WORDS
MIRRETTE GENDI MS, CSP, CHMM M.S. in Occupational Safety Management, ’23 With nearly fifteen years of experience in health and safety leadership, I understood the importance of continuous growth in a fast-evolving field. Enrolling in the M.S. in Occupational Safety Management (MSOSM) program challenged me to deepen my expertise, approaching health and safety through a more scientific and structured lens. Not only did an MSOSM help equip me with a more diverse set of tools to approach health and safety applications with a scientific perspective, but it also trained me to follow a structured method to risk management, in a setting that challenged me and encouraged me to get creative with solutions to safety problems. The MSOSM offered course selections that covered various domains of safety management and curricula that reflected the issues that safety professionals face in today’s business environment. The flexibility of the program made the goal of achieving my graduate degree attainable, all while working a demanding job and being available for my family. I graduated in 2023 and was honored to work alongside Dr. Marcham and Dr. O’Toole to publish my Capstone Project “Safety Culture Assessment” in the Professional Safety Journal of the American Society of Safety Professionals.
EMMA VILLARREAL M.S. in Occupational Safety Management, ’22 My passion for occupational safety management began during my undergraduate studies in Environmental Science at Baylor University, where I interned at a zoo and discovered the critical role of safety programs in protecting staff, visitors and animals. After gaining industry experience as a health scientist and earning my Association of Safety Professionals certification, I enrolled in Embry-Riddle’s M.S. in Occupational Safety Management program to expand my expertise. The coursework was immediately relevant to my career goals, and I appreciated how assignments allowed me to apply lessons to real-world scenarios like managing zoo safety programs. With the support of outstanding faculty and peers, I developed practical skills that helped turn academic projects into professional accomplishments. Under Dr. Cheri Marcham’s mentorship, my capstone project, “Applying System Safety Analysis to Zoo Worker Disease Exposure Prevention,” was published in the March 2025 issue of the Professional Safety Journal of the American Society of Safety Professionals.. Since graduating with Distinction in 2022 and earning my Associate Safety and Health Manger certification and Graduate Safety Practicitioner designation, I’ve advanced into research and environmental health and safety roles, building on the foundation the program provided. I’m excited to continue applying the skills I gained at Embry-Riddle and highly recommend the program to future safety professionals.
18 | Worldwide College of Arts & Sciences
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