Engineering Character Strength Initiative
The ECSI builds more ethical engineering leaders by empowering UVA Engineering students with the education and experiences to face today’s professional challenges with honor and determination.
We can be part of the solution by introducing character-building initiatives like this one.
In the News
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UVA Engineering Announces Character-Building Initiative
The New Engineering Character Strength Initiative (ECSI) will prepare STEM students to be ethical engineering leaders.
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Boeing Whistleblower Delivers UVA Engineering’s Inaugural ‘Moments of Strength’ Talk
Whistleblower and former Boeing manager Ed Pierson spoke to a capacity crowd in McLeod Hall on November 14, telling UVA Engineering students: "You are the protectors out there."
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Engineering Character Strength Speaker Urges Courage Over Comfort
Whistleblower and Time Person of the Year Susan Rigetti shared her story with UVA Engineering students.
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Homer Hickam Shares ‘Rocket Boy’ Lessons in Character and Perseverance
The bestselling author of “Rocket Boys” was a Moments of Strength series speaker.
About the Initiative
The ECSI focuses on pragmatic approaches to character development, with the goal of developing future leaders who are both prepared and motivated to apply values in professional contexts and successfully navigate today’s ethical challenges. Character education will be integrated into the undergraduate required four-course sequence of engineering foundations, ethics, and social science. It will also engage students and faculty through character-focused conferences, mentoring, awards programs, retreats and workshops. The broader UVA community and external stakeholders will also be able to engage through a speaker series and other opportunities.
The ECSI is funded by an Institutional Impact grant from the Educating Character Initiative (ECI), awarded by Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character and supported by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The goal of the grant program is to strengthen the understanding, integration and education of character in undergraduate institutions.
Former astronaut and high-hazard operations leader Jim Wetherbee visited UVA Engineering in April 2025 as an ECSI speaker. With thirty-five years of experience in high-hazard operational environments, Jim demonstrated his passion for helping leaders and operators in dangerous endeavors and spoke to students about the importance of speaking your mind when risk is observed.
A June 2025 ECSI leadership retreat at Morven Farm created an opportunity for a cross-section of leaders to reflect on the initiative and discuss future opportunities to identify and develop students' core strengths.
As part of the ECSI, faculty and students took the Obligation of the Engineer oath and received rings during the school's inaugural Order of the Engineer ceremony, making a public promise to uphold the dignity, standards, and service ideals of engineering.
Several ECSI breakfast events throughout the academic year invited students, faculty and staff to gather to discuss core strengths and ethical decision-making.
Graduating ECSI leaders celebrated during a dinner with Professor and Engineering & Society chair Rosalyn Berne.
The UVA School of Engineering is committed to character development as a key element of its educational mission.
Our Leadership
Rosalyn W. Berne
Rosalyn W. Berne, PhD is the Anne Shirley Carter Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics in the Department of Engineering and Society of the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where she has been a faculty member since 1999 and co-directs the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science (OEC).
Jesse Pappas
Jesse Pappas is Assistant Professor of Engineering and Society. He teaches STS 2600: Engineering Ethics and serves multiple values-driven initiatives funded by the Lilly Endowment, John Templeton Foundation, and the Kern Family Foundation.