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
Teagan Ampe
Class of 2021Teagan is an undergraduate majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Web Technologies and Applications. Outside of class, she enjoys planning events for Women in Computing and the Society of Women Engineers, reading urban fantasy books, and petting cats.
Current Editors
Tyler Amano-Smerling
Class of 2021Tyler is an undergraduate studying Computer Science: Games, and her favorite game titles include Breath of the Wild and League of Legends. She loves photography, traveling, and percussion–– she is also a bass drum in the Trojan Marching Band!
Isabel Brieler
Class of 2022Isabel is an undergraduate studying Astronautical Engineering. She loves anything space-related and loves to read, work with children, and make music in her free time.
Michael Delucia
Class of 2022Michael DeLucia is an undergraduate studying Computer Science. In the future, he hopes to work at the intersection of Finance and Technology. Outside of class, he enjoys sports, video games, and trading stocks.
Sabrina Sy
Class of 2023Sabrina 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.
Web Developers
Justin Wilford
Class of 2021Justin is an undergraduate seeking a BS in computer engineering and computer science and an MS in computer engineering. After school, he plans on pursuing a career in computer architecture. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, browsing cat memes, and watching anime.
Founding Editors
Naajia Jami, BS Civil Engineering, USC 2014
Civil Engineering Associate I, City of Los Angeles
Julia Levy, BS Astronautical Engineering, USC 2014
Advanced Fabrication and Integration Engineer, Virgin Galactic
Former Editors-in-Chief
Isabel Yarwood-Perez, Mechanical Engineering
Brandon Chew, Chemical Engineering
Rachel Longjohn
Rebecca Thoss, Chemical Engineering
Former Editors
Meera Gorjala
Laura Cook
Ayman Siraj, Chemical Engineering
Tsung-Han Stephen Sher, BS Computer Science, USC 2016 (MS 2017)
Sharada Rayan, BS Computer Science and Business Administration, USC 2016
Engineering Project Manager, Apple
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
Former Web Developers
Tuling Zhao
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.