Why do good engineers make bad ethical choices?

“This question has been at the top of my mind for a long time,” said Jesse Pappas, Assistant Professor of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. “My suspicion has been that many students and professionals aren’t taking ethics personally enough, so it’s not internalized as part of their identity.”

The Engineering Character Strengths Initiative (ECSI), which Pappas co-leads, was created to address this challenge. The initiative champions the idea that ethics must be lived rather than memorized, and integrated into the self-concept of engineers rather than confined to a single required course. 

“We saw character as a way to make engineering ethics personal. We focus on student engagement and motivation, and clearly express the value of ethical practice not only to students, but also to their organizations and really to all stakeholders,” Pappas explains. That conviction now shapes the student experience from their first day all the way through graduation.

The first-year Engineering Foundations program, directed by Leyf Starling, is critical to this goal. This experience, as students are just setting out on their engineering education, blends technical projects with teamwork, reflection, and discussions about the human dimensions of engineering.

“One of our guiding stars is really wanting to connect the technical side much more strongly with the human side,” Starling says. “From day one, we want students to realize they’re not here just to learn technical skills. Will they learn CAD and MATLAB? Absolutely. But more importantly, they develop teamwork skills, communication skills and an awareness that engineering is so much more than just designing and isolation.”

All first-year students take the VIA character strengths assessment, a research-based questionnaire that helps individuals identify and understand their core positive traits and build a shared vocabulary they can use throughout their undergraduate career. 

“We never define what a good person looks like,” Starling said, “but we talk about character – for example, what does it mean to be honest or to have courage, and what does that look like in action?”

By the time students arrive in Pappas’s second-year Engineering Ethics course, the conversation expands. Students work in long-term teams, navigate shared leadership and conflict, and confront the ethical pressures embedded in engineering culture. These aren’t abstract philosophical debates but lived challenges that require perseverance, trust-building, and responsible leadership.

To deepen this learning, ECSI also sponsors co-curricular experiences. One example, the Moments of Strength speaker series, brings high-profile guests—whistleblowers, astronauts, industry leaders—to share stories of principled action. As Pappas notes, “students really respond when they see themselves—or their potential future selves—in people who are both successful and driven by character.” 

Still, Pappas acknowledges that some students initially see time spent on ethics or character is time pulled away from “real” engineering. He meets this hesitation head-on. 

“How do we motivate engineering students?” he asks. “By showing them that they’d be crazy not to pursue character development as part of their professional development.” He points them to evidence that highly sought-after professional skills like communication, collaboration, and leadership, are, fundamentally, character strengths. When students see that character helps them not only do good but do well, the engagement and internalization often follow.

UVA’s model suggests something important: that engineering is not just about solving problems, but also about becoming a person who uses technical knowledge responsibly, empathetically, and with integrity. In other words, a good engineer is not only good at engineering, but also good in character.