Mechanical & Industrial Engrg 694 - S-EthicsofEngineering&Society

This course is designed to provide graduate students working at the interface of engineering and society with a solid background in research ethics. It will be made up of four 2-hour sessions, using case studies to study topics related to research misconduct, science and society, and intellectual property. Each session will be structured as follows: (1) introduction/background for the topics to be discussed; (2) discussion groups and analysis of relevant case studies illustrating ethical dilemmas encountered by laboratory researchers; and (3) concluding summary and wrap-up. Case studies will be distributed to students in advance and students are expected to read assigned material before the beginning of each session. During each session, discussion groups will be asked to come to a consensus for each case study on the ethical issue at hand and to suggest an appropriate course of action to address the situation. Each group will present their case study followed by a class-wide discussion.