A Valparaiso University engineering professor who has won national recognition for his scholarship on ethics and emerging technology has been elected to a leadership position in the American Society of Engineering Education's Engineering Ethics Division.
Doug Tougaw, Richardson professor of engineering, was elected secretary-treasurer of the division n which works with its members to effectively teach students about engineering ethics.
More than 1,000 educators from engineering schools across the nation are members of the division, which is the fastest-growing division in the ASEE.
After serving one year as secretary-treasurer, Tougaw will serve a one-year term as program chair of the division (coordinating papers and presentations on ethics and engineering education at the ASEE's national conference), and then a year as chair of the division.
In 2007, Tougaw (along with co-author Michael McCuddy, Morgal professor of Christian business ethics at Valparaiso) was honored by the ASEE for presenting the best overall paper at its national convention.
The paper, "Implementing a New Approach to Teaching the Ethics of Emerging Technology," described the use of a new teaching method to demonstrate how different aspects of human development can illustrate a variety of ethical issues associated with emerging technologies.
"All the inhabitants of this planet are increasingly impacted by the moral consequences of emerging technologies," Tougaw said. "It is imperative that as engineering educators we help our students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to assist society in making wise choices concerning the development and application of emerging technologies."
Tougaw also recently received the Outstanding Service Award from the ASEE's Illinois/Indiana Section.
Valparaiso's College of Engineering incorporates values-based and ethical leadership throughout its curriculum, with a goal of preparing engineers called to use their engineering skills for the greater good.
Engineering students have been involved in humanitarian projects throughout the world, including development of a water system for a drought-stricken village in Kenya and a windmill-driven generator to supply electricity to a remote Nicaraguan town. Recent design projects by Valparaiso seniors include developing a device to aid autistic children, building a solar energy reactor and developing a car window that prevents the pinching of children's fingers.
--For The Times
