Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective / Edition 1

by Gail Baura Ph.D.

Overview

Engineering Ethics is the application of philosophical and moral systems to the proper judgment and behavior by engineers in conducting their work, including the products and systems they design and the consulting services they provide. In light of the work environment that inspired the new Sarbanes/Oxley federal legislation on “whistle-blowing” protections, a clear understanding of Engineering Ethics is needed like never before.

Beginning with a concise overview of various approaches to engineering ethics, the real heart of the book will be some 13 detailed case studies, delving into the history behind each one, the official outcome and the “real story” behind what happened. Using a consistent format and organization for each one—giving background, historical summary, news media effects, outcome and interpretation—these case histories will be used to clearly illustrate the ethics issues at play and what should or should not have been done by the engineers, scientists and managers involved in each instance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780120885312
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	04/11/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. Baura received her BS Electrical Engineering degree from Loyola Marymount University, her MS Electrical Engineering and MS Biomedical Engineering degrees from Drexel University, and her PhD Bioengineering degree from the University of Washington. Between her graduate degrees, she worked as a loop transmission systems engineer at AT&T Bell Laboratories. She then spent 13 years in the medical device industry conducting medical device research and managing research and product development at several companies. She holds 20 U.S. patents. In her last industry position, Dr. Baura was Vice President, Research and Chief Scientist at CardioDynamics. In 2006, she returned to academia as a Professor of Medical Devices at Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, which is one of the Claremont Colleges.

Throughout her career, Dr. Baura has championed engineering curriculum excellence. She has written four engineering textbooks, three of which are medical device textbooks. She is an ABET Engineering Accreditation Commissioner. In her new position as Director of Engineering Science at Loyola, she is constructing a general engineering curriculum that incorporates substantial industry input and prepares new engineering graduates for positions in the medical device, semiconductor, and wastewater treatment industries.

Table of Contents

Part I An Ethics Foundation 1 A Personal Engineering Ethics Threshold 2 Options for Action When an Engineering Ethics Threshold is Reached

Part II National Case Studies 3 1978 - Ford Pinto Explosion 4 1981 - Kansas City Hyatt Regency Skywalk Collapse 5 1986 - Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion 6 1989 - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 7 1989 - San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Earthquake Collapse 8 1994 - Bjork Shiley Heart Valve Defect 9 1999 - Y2K Software Conversion 10 2002 - Bell Laboratories Scientific Fraud 11 2002 - Ford Explorer Rollover 12 2003 - Columbia Space Shuttle Explosion 13 2003 - Guidant Ancure Endograft System 14 2003 - Northeast Blackout 15 2004 – Indian Ocean Tsunami

Part III Individual Case Studies 16 Anonymous Industrial Engineering Ethics Cases

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Applying Engineering Ethics with real world case studies in a real world approach

Editorial Reviews

"This is a most extraordinary book. Its contents range from valuable reference material on Sarbanes-Oxley and US engineering codes of conduct to some folksy, almost sentimental, personal case histories. But, remarkably, the author's own personal commitment and integrity shine through on every page." —John Turnbull, The Chemical Engineer, August 2006

"At first glance, this book looks like most other recent volumes on this topic. But where other books often written in whole or part by philosophers and academics - can be tedious for engineers who are not coversant with ethical theory, Baura definitely approaches from an industrial perspective. She also addresses the subject with a concrete problem-solving approach and with more elegant prose and a better organization than I find in other treatments." —Gael UlRich, Chemical Engineering 2006

"Despite the US focus, the examples are presented with a level of detail that will enable engineers anywhere to understand the underlying technical and behavioral issues. It will be welcomed by those teaching engineering ethics modules, especially with the up-to-date examples we all remember from the news." —Julia King, Materials Today, March 2007

From the Publisher