Amanda Prestia
Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
March 13, 2023
Students Katie Hart, junior, mechanical engineering, and Jackson Hughes, junior, materials science and nanoengineering, traveled to Lockheed Martin headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, to compete in the sixth annual Ethics in Engineering Competition that took place Feb. 28 to March 3, 2023. David Van Kleeck, Professor in the Practice, and Professor George Webb traveled with the team as mentors.
More than 250 students and faculty from 70 colleges and universities across the U.S. and from the Netherlands participated this year and competed to present solutions to a fictional ethics case. This year’s case highlighted two companies under contract to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training system grappled with the impact of meeting cyber security requirements.
2023 Ethics in Engineering Competition Wrap-Up
In the finals, the U.S. Air Force Academy beat out Loyola University of Maryland. Students participating in the quarterfinals were from Columbia University, Florida Institute of Technology, Le Moyne College, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Colorado – Boulder and University of Notre Dame.
Keynote speakers included Lockheed Martin’s Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Steve Walker and Vice President of Corporate Engineering Dan Heller. Students also had the opportunity to hear from members of the company’s Early Career Leadership Development Program and Advanced Technical Leadership Programs.
Additionally, students were able to attend a presentation hosted by the Lockheed Martin team who worked with Paramount Studios in the production of Top Gun: Maverick. The Top Gun panelists shared their experiences working on the film, then welcome our students to an exclusive screening of the film. Students also had opportunities to visit simulators and virtual reality stations hosted by Lockheed Martin’s Space and Missions and Fire Control business areas.
Lockheed Martin hosted the event to help students think about the importance of ethics in the workplace and the various dilemmas that can arise, especially in the multifaceted and fast-paced world of technology. As college students prepare to enter the workforce, exposure to real-life ethical dilemmas provides an opportunity develop ethical decision-making processes.
To learn more about the event, visit Lockheed Martin’s Ethics Academic Outreach page.
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS
- Elle Anderson CE ’00 and Clarke Anderson ’01
- John Breyer CS ’94 and Stefanie Breyer EE ’95
- Doug Turlip ’83
Alumni/Industry Expertise Volunteers
- John Breyer CS ’94
- Stefanie Breyer EE ’95
- Keith Darby ’91
- Jim Hennessy ChE ’76
- Fred Higgs
- Gharun Lacy
- Jim Lawler ’73
- Drew St John ’91
- Marcus Vickers
Coaches
- George Webb EE ’88, MEE ’91
- David Van Kleeck PhD ’81
- Mark Steakley EE ’85