Academics

First Penn State Ethics in Engineering Case Competition

William "Louden" Buchanan and Steven Weber were the winners of the first Ethics in Engineering Case Competition Credit: Rachel GoehringAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., — Several teams of students participated in the First Penn State Ethics in Engineering Case Competition in preparation for the national match. Student teams presented elevator pitches about engineering, ethics, as well as business dilemmas and potential solutions on the design and use of drones. Judges scored the presentations based on organization, content, style and effectiveness.

The competition helps students build interest and skills in discussing real life engineering, ethical, and business decisions made in today’s top companies. It’s also an opportunity for students to showcase their professional presentation and communication skills.

A team of two Penn State students were selected to compete at the national Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Case Competition this February. William “Louden” Buchanan, a junior in chemical engineering, and Steven Weber, a junior in information sciences and technology (IST), will advance to the national competition, held Feb. 15 to 16 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Penn State team will be sponsored by the Rock Ethics Institute when they compete at the national competition in Texas. The topic of their final presentation will be revealed in January.

Throughout the semester, the student teams have had the opportunity to work with faculty coordinators Caitlin Grady, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and research associate in the Rock Ethics Institute, and Michael Alley, associate professor of engineering communications.

“Understanding the ethical dilemmas present in real-world engineering problems will help prepare Penn State students to be global leaders throughout their careers,” said Caitlin Grady, one of the faculty coordinators of the competition. “I have no doubt that Steven and Louden will perform well and showcase our Penn State values when competing in Fort Worth in February.”

The Rock Ethics Institute was established through a $5 million gift in 2001 from Doug and Julie Rock to the College of the Liberal Arts. The institute’s mission is to promote ethical awareness and inquiry across the University, and in the public and professional sectors, through a three-fold emphasis on teaching, research and outreach. Recently, the Rocks endowed the Nancy Tuana Directorship of the Rock Ethics Institute with an additional $5 million gift, which was part of a larger commitment they made to the college during ‘For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.’

Last Updated December 11, 2017

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