Robert E. McGinn Professor (Teaching), Management Science and Engineering (MS&E); Science, Technology and Society (STS); and, by courtesy, Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Co-Chair, Program in Science, Technology and Society

Contact Information:

Research Interests:

• Technology and society
• Work, technology, and society
• Ethics and technology
• Ethical issues in engineering
• Ethics and the built environment
• Ethics and public policy
• Environmental ethics

I have a general scholarly interest in science, technology, and society (STS), a field devoted to study of social, cultural, and values issues raised by developments in science and technology in contemporary society.

 My research area is ethics and technology. Currently I am working on ethics and the built environment and ethical issues in engineering.

 Regarding the former, I am interested in how we construct the built environment in contemporary societies, with attention to issues raised by the following built environmental dimensions: structures (including buildings), traffic (including vehicular), signage (including billboards), the soundscape (including noise), and public social space (including plazas, malls, parks).

 Regarding the latter, I am developing case studies of ethical issues that arise in contemporary engineering practice. Of particular interest are ethical cases rich in socio-technical detail and issues other than whistle-blowing.

Courses:

• STS 101/201/Eng 130: Science, Technology, and Contemporary Society
• STS 110/Pub Pol 103B: Ethics and Public Policy
• STS 115/Eng 131: Ethical Issues in Engineering
• STS 170/IEEM 170: Work, Technology, and Society
• STS 174/CE 174: Ethical Issues in Civil Engineering