Introduction to Engineering Ethics MAE 3040 – Dr. Julie Albertson

Meet Your Instructor From Spokane Washington PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University At UCCS full time since 2005 Currently live in Florissant Spend large quantities of time on my 95 retirement acres north of Palmer Lake COMPLETELY at the mercy of my dogs, Sage and Shilah 2

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Why Teach Engineering Ethics? 4 BS in Mechanical Engineering Technical Education Workplace Dilemmas Technical Choices Ethics & Morality Preparation Personal Conflicts PREPARATION

Define Ethics, Engineering Ethics, & Morality 5

An Engineer’s Responsibilities 6 Engineering Profession Firm: Engineers, Managers, Colleagues Global Environment, Society, & Nature Clients or Consumers Law, Government, Public Agencies Industry, Other Firms Family, Upbringing, Personal Values & Ethics

Engineering: Managing the Unknown 7

We Each Bring Something Different to the Table Objectivity Emotion Upbringing ExpertiseCulture People Skills HistoryBackgroundExperience Problem Solving Skills 8

Consider One Example Close to Home – The Hanford Green Run From a George Washington University Analysis ( rief8/tab_h/br8h7.txt) … In the Green Run, the value of national security seems to have trumped other ethical concerns. In addition, if today's environmental regulations were in place in 1949 they could have been circumvented by the executive branch. We can ask whether the Green Run should have happened, but perhaps more importantly, we should ask whether current regulations provide sufficient protection against analogous cases in the future 9 Overview of the Green Run o Late 1940’s – Hanford Site Center of Plutonium Production o Iodine 131 – Byproduct of Plutonium Production o Air Force needed to test viability of new radiation monitoring system o Dec 2 nd & 3 rd 1949 “The Green Run” o Not disclosed until 1986

Professional Codes of Ethics 10

What Defines a Professional?  Advanced Expertise – skills and knowledge  Formal Education – not just practical training and/or apprenticeship  Self-Regulation – setting standards, drafting codes of ethics, enforcing these  Representing Profession before the public and government  Public Good – occupation serves some aspect of public good. 11 Consider how this defines Mechanical Engineering

12 Fundamental requirement is for engineers to provide faithful, honest, professional service

Codes of Ethics  Guide conduct and decision making of engineers  Similar between societies  What’s a society? Check out the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 13 Your Turn: Professional Codes PowerPoint

National Society of Professional Engineers Engineers' Creed As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare. I pledge:  To give the utmost of performance;  To participate in none but honest enterprise;  To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of professional conduct;  To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations. In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge. Adopted by National Society of Professional Engineers, June 1954 Engineers' Creed As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare. I pledge:  To give the utmost of performance;  To participate in none but honest enterprise;  To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of professional conduct;  To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations. In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge. Adopted by National Society of Professional Engineers, June Source: