Florida Tech Team Finishes Among Best at Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Competition

placed 3rd amongst 69 other colleges and universities

The Florida Tech team of students Macy Walters, right, and Sarah Cameron, left, and faculty advisor Moti Mizrahi tied for third place at the 6th annual Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Competition, where they faced off against teams from 69 other colleges and universities. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Florida Tech team of students Macy Walters and Sarah Cameron and faculty advisor Moti Mizrahi tied for third place at the 6th annual Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Competition, where they faced off against teams from 69 other colleges and universities.

In the competition, held Feb. 28-March 2 at the company’s Bethesda, Maryland, headquarters, academic institutions represented by a two-student undergraduate team and accompanying faculty presented their solutions to a fictional case involving ethical, business, and engineering dilemmas.

More than 250 students and faculty from schools across the U.S. and the Netherlands participated.

This year’s case highlighted two companies under contract to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training system that grappled with the impact of meeting cyber security requirements.

“Macy and Sarah competed against big schools such as Georgia Tech and Penn State and did brilliantly,” said Mizrahi, associate professor of philosophy in the School of Arts and Communication.

“They represented Florida Tech with honor, respect, professionalism, and excellence. I am so proud of them.”

Walters said the competition was an amazing experience in cooperation and problem analysis.

“It was an opportunity to work with and befriend people from all across the country in an engaging and constructive manner,” she said.

“I would not have had the opportunity to meet many of these people or develop my rhetorical skills had I not gone and am very grateful for the opportunity.”

Cameron, too, enjoyed interacting with other teams.

“It was an amazing opportunity to meet students from other schools. My favorite match was the one against New Jersey Tech in which all participants and judges were female,” she said.

“I had a great time working with Macy to craft our argument, and it was fun and challenging to have to make changes and compromises on the spot.”

The team was victorious in its first five rounds. In the sixth round, it battled Loyola University but did not advance. That school ended up in second place, with the U.S. Air Force Academy winning first. Florida Tech finished third, tied with Notre Dame.

Mizrahi offered his thanks to College of Psychology and Liberal Arts Dean Robert Taylor, who funded the trip, and Andrew Aberdein, chair of the humanities program, for supporting the team.

In addition to the hands-on opportunities for students to learn about Lockheed Martin and its technologies, the annual event compels students to think about the importance of ethics in the workplace and the various real-life dilemmas that can arise, especially in the multifaceted and fast-paced world of technology.

But it wasn’t all ethics and problem-solving.

Students were able to attend a presentation hosted by the Lockheed Martin team and worked with Paramount Studios in the production of Top Gun: Maverick.

The Top Gun panelists shared their experiences working on the film, then welcomed students to an exclusive screening of the film.

Students also had opportunities to visit simulators and virtual reality stations hosted by Lockheed Martin’s Space and Missions and Fire Control business areas.

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