A two-day symposium exploring new curricula in engineering ethics, bioengineering, environmental engineering and liberal education will be held Thursday, June 14 and Friday, June 15 in Old Chapel.
Special guests will be Dr. Stephanie Bird, co-editor of “Engineering Ethics” and Dr. William Vitek, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Clarkson University.
The symposium wraps up the four-part spring lecture series for the Michael S. Rapaport Ethics Across the Curriculum initiative.
Bird is Special Assistant to the Provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she works on the development of educational programs that address ethical issues in science and the professional responsibilities of scientists. Current research interests emphasize the ethical, legal and social policy implications of scientific research, especially in the area of neuroscience.
Vitek received his BA from Union College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from CUNY Graduate College. Vitek's research and writing is focused at the intersection of social practices and the environmental, cultural, and historical contexts in which they occur. He publishes in the areas of environmental ethics and civic philosophy
For more information on the symposium, contact Dean Cherrice Traver (518) 388-6530.
To date the Rapaport Ethics Across the Curriculum program has funded ethics segments in 11 courses in all four divisions of the college, plus the lecture series.
The Rapaport Ethics Across the Curriculum initiative incorporates ethics into the lesson plans to help prepare students to face the world of tough decisions and empower them to exercise moral leadership. The initiative also offers grants to professors who explore ethics in their courses.
For more information, visit Rapaport Ethics Across the Curriculum.