Pitt Competes in Lockheed Martin’s Seventh Annual Ethics in Engineering Competition

Students Alison Linares Mendoza and Anvi Viji-Anand, seniors in the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh, traveled to Lockheed Martin headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, to compete in the seventh annual Ethics in Engineering Competition that took place Feb. 26 to Feb. 28, 2024.

More than 200 students and faculty from colleges and universities across the U.S. participated this year to present solutions to a business ethics case. This year’s hypothetical case highlighted the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence to assist NASA with accurately quantifying the risk of a collision between a detected asteroid and Earth. Competitors were challenged to work together to find a solution to help determine if an asteroid detected by an existing ground-based telescope is a concern.

The University of Pittsburgh competed against Drexel University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Penn State University, and the United States Coast Guard Academy in the competition. In the finals, Rice University emerged victorious over runner-up The Citadel. The quarterfinals featured students from Drexel University, Michigan State University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, and University of Southern Mississippi.

During this year’s event, students learned about Lockheed Martin’s mission, attended HR-sponsored workshops, participated in a paper airplane competition, and went on off-site tours.

Students also had opportunities to experience simulators and try out virtual reality stations.

Participants heard from Lockheed Martin executives and a panel of employees who are part of LM’s Early Career Leadership Development Program.

Featured speaker Bob Behnken, LM’s Director of Ignite Technology Acceleration and former astronaut, shared his experiences in space and talked about his current role at LM. He was joined by LM Program Manager Sandra Freund who shared her experiences leading the OSIRIS-REx Mission.

Lockheed Martin hosts this annual event in partnership with our faculty advisors to help students consider the importance of addressing ethical business practices in the fast-paced world of technology. As college students prepare to enter the workforce, exposure to case competitions provides an opportunity to explore their ethical decision-making processes.

To learn more about the event, visit Lockheed Martin's Ethics Academic Outreach page.