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

Jackie Finnemeyer

Class of 2024

Jackie is an undergraduate student studying Computer Engineering and Computer Science. She enjoys learning embedded system design, software development, and has created an autonomous robot using only a microcontroller and some simple I/O devices. In her free time, you will likely find her traveling, hiking, or playing video games.

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.

Jennah Saqib

Class of 2024

Jennah is an undergraduate student studying Astronomical Engineering with a minor in Cinematic Arts. Outside of class, she is one of the dedicated leads of USC’s AeroDesign Team and a member of the USC Field Hockey Club. In her free time, she enjoys reading fantasy books, playing video games, and hiking.

Janessi Diaz

Class of 2025

Janessi Diaz is a second year Biology student with a minor in Screenwriting. In her free time she enjoys playing soccer and reading. She also loves to crochet beanies with Madhatter Knitts for babies in the NICU and is a proud sister of KDChi, one of USC’s Multicultural Greek Council organizations.

Current Podcasting Team

Maya Neuenschwander

Class of 2024

Maya is a third-year industrial and systems engineering student with a minor in international health, development, and social justice. She works as a Viterbi student ambassador to represent the engineering school to prospective students and alumni. She has been involved in interdisciplinary research studying healthcare inequities as a result of the COVID pandemic. In her free time, you will find her doing yoga, working as a photographer, and exploring nature.

Web Developers

Yifei Lu

Class of 2025

Yifei is a third-year undergraduate computer science student. After graduation, she hopes to become a software engineer. In her free time, you will likely find her watching TV, going to the gym, and online shopping.

Founding Editors

Naajia Jami, Civil Engineering

Julia Levy, Astronautical Engineering

Former Editors-in-Chief

Sabrina Sy, Biomedical Engineering

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

Nia Ignacio, Computer Science

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 2023 VCE Podcast

Electric Vehicles: Climate Saver?

VCE January 31, 2023

Hosts Maya and Josh discuss the ethics of lithium battery mining and electric vehicle use with a panel of engineering essayists.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Predictive Policing

VCE October 31, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind predictive policing.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Clean Energy

VCE October 31, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind clean energy.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Cryptocurrency

VCE October 24, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind cryptocurrency.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Autonomous Vehicles

VCE October 24, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind autonomous vehicles.

Featured Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

Redefining Societal Progress for Engineers

Natasha Singh March 29, 2023

Dr. Erin Cech’s critique of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges focuses heavily on the pitfalls of technological determinism. This paper supports Cech’s argument through a discussion of current examples of the consequences of technological determinism, such as the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, medication accessibility, and facial recognition technology. Though the consequences of a zealous engineering mentality are commonplace in our society, there are also current examples of tech companies neglecting to develop technology due to its possible negative consequences.

Featured Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

How the Technical Sciences and the Social Sciences Should Go Hand-in-Hand

Charles Liu March 29, 2023

The fourteen Grand Challenges presented by the National Academy of Engineers (NAE) fail to involve ethics as a part of the solution to these issues. Traditionally, engineers have kept their work separate from its societal implications. Engineers and their non-technical counterparts have an obligation to view all technical solutions under the moral lens of ethicists and futurists. Going forward, engineers must be aware of their limits and work with experts outside of their fields to develop solutions that will be cognizant of society as a whole.

Featured Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

The Lies We Tell to Inspire: Responding to the Engineering Double Standard

Shub Gaur March 29, 2023

The National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges are critiqued by Dr. Erin Cech for what she describes as a double standard in engineering. Though Cech rightly discusses a lack of accountability and acknowledgement within the profession, her argument lacks nuance. The Grand Challenges were ultimately a promotional tool meant to inspire the next generation of engineers, yet Cech holds them to a standard of being professional rules and guidelines. This paper will discuss the distinctions that Cech’s argument lacks, including placing an unreasonable amount of responsibility on engineers and overstating their influence.

Featured Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

The Grand Challenges: Authorial Particularism and a Lost Opportunity for an Equitable Society

Huzaifa Aslam March 29, 2023

The fourteen Grand Challenges were developed by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in an effort to expose future generations to the wide range of innovation and technology that they could one day take part in. As detailed by the Challenges’ creators, the list includes challenges that are most significant to our current world. Dr. Erin Cech’s critique of the Grand Challenges is that a lack of diversity in the panel of engineering experts led to a lack of oversight into issues that are actually pertinent to developing nations. Cech’s argument that the Grand Challenges are a missed opportunity for social justice holds validity, but her mischaracterization of the lack of diversity requires further consideration.

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

The Influence of Climate Change on the Pros and Cons of California’s Wet Season

Jennah Saqib April 25, 2023

Already in 2023 California has experienced extreme rainfall that has significantly reduced the drought conditions in the state. This wet winter has also led to superblooms, a phenomenon in which wildflowers are able to cover vast fields due to the ground retaining moisture from the excessive rainfall. However, this level of rainfall has also led to extensive damage and flooding, and even the beautiful wildflowers pose an increased risk of wildfires once they dry out. Both these benefits and long term issues can be traced back to climate change, with the warming of the planet leading to a significant increase in the risk of a California megaflood.

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

Abortion Pill Rulings Leave the FDA in Political Crossfire

Kaylee Tseng April 17, 2023

This month, FDA approval of mifepristone, a key drug used for medication abortion, has been the subject of several federal rulings. Representatives of the FDA and private drug companies have spoken out against the motion to overrule FDA approval, citing extensive safety data. Depending on the decision from the Supreme Court, these rulings could set a new precedent allowing federal courts to overturn FDA approval.

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

Ciao-GPT

Janessi Diaz April 10, 2023

In today’s world we are surrounded by the myriad applications of artificial intelligence (AI). Though it is capable of some incredible things, it can also be very dangerous without regulation. Leading AI developers have published an open letter warning against the continued development of powerful AI, but will the world heed this warning?

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

Engineering Alternatives to Fast Fashion

Sabrina Sy April 3, 2023

In a world of fleeting trends and viral fashion sensations, companies and consumers alike have contributed to massive textile waste that has created irreparable environmental damage. Engineers have been working to combat these issues, but as new and innovative solutions are being developed, the question still remains: how can we balance affordability and ethical consumption in the pursuit of the next big fashion trend?