Loyola Places 2nd in Lockheed Martin's Engineering Ethics Competition

Loyola University Maryland Competes in Lockheed Martin's Sixth Annual Ethics in Engineering Competition

Students Emily Hunt ('23 Engineering) and Abby Lambert ('24 Philosophy), advised by Dr. Raenita A. Fenner (Associate Professor and Chair of Engineering), 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.

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.

Loyola competed against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, American,College of Charleston, University of Colorado at Boulder, Florida Institute of Technology, and Air Force Academy in the competition. 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.

The case competition is just one example of how Lockheed Martin demonstrates the importance of voicing one's values in the face of intricate ethical dilemmas that may present in business.

To learn more about the event, visit Lockheed Martin's Ethics Academic Outreach page.