Workshop: Ethics in Engineering
Ethics in engineering has always been a topic of importance, particularly to those of us who practice engineering. We are torn between simply doing our jobs, and meeting the requests or demands of a company’s management. If we work for a company that holds itself and its employees to a high ethical standard, there should not be a conflict; however, what if this is not the case for the company that employs us, or what if middle or lower managers deviate from a company’s ethical position? How should we as engineers react?
The presentation will explore this conundrum as well as offering examples of ethical situations or dilemmas in which we may find ourselves. In addition, we will discuss guidelines for ethical behavior from several engineering societies.
Attendees are invited to participate in a case discussion following the presentation.
Invited Speaker
Howard Wolfman, PE
Howard Wolfman has many decades of engineering and engineering management experience in companies ranging from family-owned, small companies to large enterprises with tens-of-billion dollars annual revenue. For the last 10 years, Howard has been the principal of Lumispec Consulting, specializing in Lighting Energy Efficiency.
Howard has chaired numerous standards committees in the NEMA, IESNA, ANSI, CSA, IEC, and IEEE, is a frequent presenter at lighting conferences, and has authored many papers. Currently, he is the chairman of the IESNA standards Committee, a member of ANSI Lighting Group, ANSI C137, the IEEE Standards Board, and the IEEE Education Activities Board. Howard is also a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Society for Social Implications of Technology (SSIT), and has served on the BOG of the other IEEE Societies. He is a past chair of the IEEE Chicago Section, Region 4 Director, and IEEE Treasurer.
Howard received his BSEE from the University of Illinois, MBA from Northwestern University, and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Illinois. He is an adjunct professor in the Master of Engineering Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a recipient of the IEEE Centennial Medal, the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, the NEMA Kite and Key Award, the CSA Award of Merit, the Edison Report Lifetime Lighting Achievement Award, and is an Eagle Scout.
This workshop is hosted by the IEEE Chicago Professional Communications Society and the Illinois Tech Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions. Please contact csep@iit.edu with any questions.