UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — All Penn State undergraduates are invited apply to the Engineering, Technology and Ethics Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. The deadline for applications is Aug. 26.
This new research fellowship, funded by the Rock Ethics Institute and The Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education, will give five undergraduate students an opportunity to work collaboratively with research faculty to study vulnerabilities in physical and cyber systems which could have a debilitating impact on physical, political and economic security, public health and safety. While the two-semester fellowship program is open to all undergraduates, those with interest in coding or philosophical reasoning are especially encouraged to apply.
Sarah Rajtmajer, Penn State associate professor of information science and technology and a newly appointed research associate in the Rock Ethics Institute, is excited to work collaboratively with faculty and students from multiple disciplines as a result of this program.
“The ETE fellowships will provide a unique opportunity for students co-advised by faculty across multiple departments to engage in highly interdisciplinary inquiry and, come together around fundamental ethical questions," said Rajtmajer.
Fellows will work with Rajtmajer and additional institute faculty members Caitlin Grady, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering; Daniel Susser, assistant professor of information sciences and technology; and Alan Wagner, assistant professor of aerospace engineering. Research will focus on both physical and cyber interdependent critical infrastructure systems, with projects specifically targeting ethical issues arising from vulnerabilities in these systems.
“We often forget about how important networks like our water, electricity, roads and even the internet are to our everyday lives,” Grady says. “The ETE fellows will have the opportunity to explore how these networks are at risk from both human and natural interference.”
Fellowship recipients will receive $1,500 stipends for both the fall and spring semesters. In return, beginning Aug. 27, students will be expected to dedicate ten hours each week per semester to research activities associated with the fellowship.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume in a single PDF file to gradylab@psu.edu by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 26. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
About the Rock Ethics Institute
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 broader commitment they made to the college during "For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students."