9320257 Pritchard If engineering and engineeering education are to encourage responsible engineering practice that goes beyond simply avoiding or preventing wrongdoing, it is essential to provide examples of ethically commendable engineering. This project is intended to help fill this unmet need. The goal of the project is to develop a set of detailed stories about exemplary engineers and engineering practice. Prior to the research period, the investigators will initiate contact with engineering societies, primarily in Michigan, engineers, and their managers, to identify appropriate candidates and arrange for interviews. They will prepare a questionnaire for the interviews. Presentations to engineering societies and interviewing will continue throughout the project. Qualified graduate students will assist in the interviewing and assessing the findings. From extensive interviews with at least 20 engineers and managers, the investigators will develop a set of detailed stories about ethically commendable engineering. These will be shared with students in classes in engineering ethics, business ethics, communications ethics, and professional ethics. The most promising stories will be prepared for publication. The investigators will also prepare summary results of preliminary efforts to identify criteria for exemplary engineering that are commonly acknowledged by engineers and their managers. These will include not only examples of exemplary engineering but also reflections on the qualities of character that seem to underlie such conduct. In addition, the investigators will summarize their findings about factors that seem either to facilitate or to present obstacles to exemplary engineering. Because the proposed project would help to understand engineers in context, it should contribute as well to overall understanding of what engineers do. Results will be disseminated through presentations, articles, and educational materials. ***
