Our Mission

Viterbi Conversations in Ethics is an educational forum for reasoned, informed, and relevant discussion of engineering ethics. Written, edited, and published by USC Viterbi School of Engineering students, Viterbi Conversations in Ethics will publish exceptional student work and responses, counter-points, and new perspectives from both peers and professionals.

History

In 2013, Viterbi Conversations in Ethics was conceived at the USC School of Engineering as a way to showcase undergraduate student writing about ethics in the engineering professions and to highlight the important role of ethics in engineering. We in the Engineering Writing Program believe that our students must begin to see themselves as professionals within a larger community of thinkers and writers, and this is an opportunity for these students to enter into the larger professional conversation about ethics and to invite comment from other students and professionals.

Viterbi Conversations in Ethics is funded by the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Office of the Dean. Seed money was also provided by the USC Fund for Innovative Undergraduate Teaching.

Core Team

Viterbi Conversation in Ethics’ core team is composed of student editors. Our staff also includes web developers and faculty advisors.

Current Editor-in-Chief

Sabrina Sy

Class of 2023

Sabrina is a second-year biomedical engineering student with a minor in gender and sexuality studies. Outside of class, she is a member of the Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering, where she serves as a member of their Makeathon planning committee. She is also involved in research in the Cardiorespiratory Sleep Lab and serves as a Virtual Peer Mentor (VPM) for McCarthy Honors College. In her free time, she enjoys playing online trivia games, surfing at Sunset Beach, and dramatically lip-syncing in her room.

Current Editors

Kaylee Tseng

Class of 2023

Kaylee is an undergraduate student studying Chemical Engineering with a Biochemistry emphasis. She is involved in a research lab focused on pancreatic beta cells, and is pursuing a Master’s degree through Viterbi’s Progressive Degree Program. In her free time, she enjoys doing crosswords, playing video games, and knitting.

Jackie Finnemeyer

Class of 2024

Jackie is a second-year electrical and computer engineering student. After graduation, she hopes to become an engineer at NASA. In her free time, you will likely find her traveling, hiking, playing video games, or taking too many pictures of her two cats.

Social Media Managers

Amanda Arreguin

Class of 2023

Amanda Arreguin is a graduate student working towards an M.A. in Public Relations and Advertising. She has worked for the City of Fullerton as their digital media intern and the Newport Beach Film Festival as a student account coordinator, to name a few. She is currently working at talent management company, MDDN. After graduation, Amanda plans on pursuing a Juris Doctor degree. In her free time, she enjoys watching horror movies, taking photos on her film camera, and scouring L.A. to fulfill her mission of finding the best breakfast bagel.

Web Developers

Nia Rae Ignacio

Class of 2023

Nia is a fourth year Computer Science student. After graduation, she hopes to work in industry as a Frontend or a Full-Stack Developer. In her free time, you will likely find her watching TV, playing video games, and shopping.

Founding Editors

Naajia Jami, Civil Engineering

Julia Levy, Astronautical Engineering

Former Editors-in-Chief

Isabel Brieler, Astronautical Engineering

Rebecca Thoss, Chemical Engineering

Rachel Longjohn, Computational and Applied Mathematics

Brandon Chew, Chemical Engineering

Isabel Yarwood-Perez, Mechanical Engineering

Teagan Ampe, Computer Science

Former Editors

Michael Delucia, Computer Science

Meera Gorjala, Public Policy and Environmental Studies

Laura Cook, Chemical Engineering

Ayman Siraj, Chemical Engineering

Tsung-Han Stephen Sher, Computer Science

Sharada Rayan, Computer Science and Business Administration

Krishnan Raman, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Anush Kadoyan, Computer Science

Nicole Pay, Mechanical Engineering

Tiarnan McCaffrey, Mechanical Engineering

Huaning “Wendy” Wang, Mechanical Engineering

Georgia Babikian, Biomedical Engineering

Connor Buckley, Computer Science

Tyler Amano-Smerling, Computer Science: Games

Former Web Developers

Justin Wilfred, Computer Engineering

Tuling Zhao, Computer Science and Business Administration

Faculty Advisors

Martha J. Townsend teaches in the Engineering Writing Program at USC and serves as the founding and current Faculty Advisor to Viterbi Conversations in Ethics.

Featured Spring 2022 Volume 6 Issue 1

The Costs of Megaprojects: An Analysis of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

Helen Situ May 4, 2022

Megaprojects are large scale investment projects, many of which are internationally famous, such as Australia’s Sydney Opera House, SpaceX’s program to colonize Mars, and the Panama Canal. Megaprojects garner a high level of excitement — and justly so, as they hold cultural, economic, and social significance. However, the questionable ethics of megaprojects needs to be examined as they increasingly become the dominant mode of infrastructure construction.

Featured Spring 2022 Volume 6 Issue 1

A Credit Card a Week: The Environmental Ethics of Plastics

Kaylee Tseng May 4, 2022

In an industrialized world, it seems impossible to live without plastics. From food storage to aircrafts, plastics provide benefits that make them an irreplaceable material. However, a consistent increase in plastic production and use has led to a massive plastic pollution crisis. Plastics are produced from non-renewable resources and can never fully decompose. They end up in our oceans, our environment, and even our stomachs (a credit card’s worth per week). Additionally, the massive amount of plastic waste has created a global plastic trade that unfairly places the burden of waste processing on less developed countries that may not be able to support even their own waste. The effects of plastic pollution are reaching a critical stage, and engineers must find solutions to relieve the growing pressure.

Featured Spring 2022 Volume 6 Issue 1

Artificial and Unreal: The Ethics of Beautification Technology for Images and Social Media

Daniel Chaderjian May 4, 2022

In today’s digital age, social media plays a major role in the development of adolescent minds. Young people begin posting content in their early years and are exposed to a feed of others’ pictures and videos. However, while this system may ostensibly help people stay in contact with those they do not see in person, it also creates an environment of comparison that can lead to self-esteem and body image issues. Beautification technology like augmented reality filters and photoshop have only exacerbated the issue, making it so that young people are not only comparing themselves to a curated version of others, but an entirely manufactured one. Engineers have a responsibility to examine the possible negative effects of the products they create, and beautification technology leads to far more harm than good.

Featured Spring 2022 Volume 6 Issue 1

The Ethics of Stockpiling Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

Matthew Wilson May 4, 2022

The development of new technology has allowed the evolution of new methods of warfare. The use of zero-days has propelled this exploration and empowered governments to remotely attack the software systems of their adversaries. Despite the potential military benefits of this weapon, government officials are still questioning whether they should stockpile zero-days, especially when the vulnerability is found in software that everyday citizens use. Analyses of previous zero-day attacks and the US government’s overpowering national security stance reveals that the consequences of stockpiling zero-days outweigh the benefits and are a clear violation of the rights of citizens.

Fall 2022 Featured Weekly News Profile

Mass Protests in Iran Garner U.S. Tech Support

Jackie Finnemeyer September 26, 2022

Iranian protests have made headlines – and social media feeds – around the world. As the internet becomes an increasingly important ally in the global fight for human rights, tech firms in the United States are seeking to expand internet access to Iranians.

Fall 2022 Weekly News Profile

The Rise and Conflict of AI-Generated Images

Kaylee Tseng September 18, 2022

From art competitions to online horror stories, AI art has seen a massive spread online. These internet-based machine-learning models raise questions about misinformation, originality, and bias. While most results from AI-generated images have been developed as jokes, the internet may soon need to contend with these models as they become more realistic.

Fall 2022 Weekly News Profile

How California’s Heat Wave Almost Broke the State’s Power Grid

Sabrina Sy September 12, 2022

A historic heat wave in California has led to high demand for energy usage this past week, but officials have urged millions of residents to turn up their thermostats and shut off their appliances to prevent overwhelming the power grid. However, lawmakers and regulators at the forefront of the state’s green energy initiatives are also feeling the heat.

Spring 2022 Weekly News Profile

Climate Change Concerns May Be Getting Worse

Jackie Finnemeyer May 1, 2022

Climate change has long been underway, but new research has shown that the known effects of climate change may be expanding to include an increase in infectious disease. Are we able to curb the severity of these consequences before it’s too late?

Spring 2022 Weekly News Profile

Growing Up with CRISPR

Michael DeLucia April 24, 2022

The three known children with successfully edited genomes through CRISPR are now raising questions about health, safety, and surveillance for genetically modified humans. Although their well-being is paramount, how do parents, researchers, and lawmakers balance physical, mental, and financial well-being throughout the childrens’ lives?