Faculty

Rosalyn W. Berne, PhD is the Anne Shirley Carter Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics and Chair of the Department of Engineering and Society in 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).

Dr. Coleen Carrigan is a Copenhaver Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia. Using ethnography, her research advances knowledge on the allocation of resources, opportunities and respect in US engineering and computer science.

As our technological creations increasingly permeate all that surrounds us, altering our behaviors and bodies in subtle and obvious ways, we ought to ask ourselves:

Ph.D. in Science, Technology, and Society from Virginia Tech. Research areas include: History of Eugenics, Regenerative and Genetic Medicine, Transhumanism, Cyborgs, and Future Imaginaries. Scholarly Fields include: Philosophy of Technology, Medical Humanities, Media Studies, Disability Studies.

Dr. Rider W. Foley is an associate professor in the science, technology & society program in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia. He is the principal investigator at University of Virginia on the ‘4C Project’ on Cultivating Cultures of Ethical STEM education.

Pedro Augusto Pereira Francisco, Ph.D., researches the intersections of science, technology, and culture, with emphasis on digital governance, surveillance, defense, and the sociotechnical shaping of institutions. He examines how cultural narratives reshape scientific legitimacy and technological practices.

James Groves is a leading university educator in the field of sustainable development. In the classroom he educates his students about sustainable energy systems; his overarching goal is to help "people and planet." His primary teaching focus in this arena is his popular Introduction to Sustainable Energy Systems course.

Sergio Guillén is a scholar and practitioner in public policy, conflict resolution, engineering ethics, and democratic deliberation. He is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Society. He also Co-directs the Online Ethics Center (OEC) and Directs the J-Term Costa Rica Study Abroad Program "Social Issues in Renewable Energy Governance." 

During her career, Johnson has taught engineering students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Virginia. In research, Johnson is best known for her work on computer ethics and engineering ethics. She published one of the first textbooks on computer ethics in 1985. 

Leidy Klotz studies and writes about design and problem-solving. He has published two books (with a third in press), over 80 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals including Nature and Science, and numerous articles in publications such as The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Scientific American. 

Ben Laugelli is an associate professor of engineering and society at the University of Virginia. His work examines social and ethical aspects of technology and engineering practice with an emphasis on sustainable design values, technology & science fiction, and the LEGO® Group's design values & practices.

Garrick Louis is  Professor of Engineering and Societ and Professor of Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia. He is director of the Small Infrastructure and Development Center and chairs the Community, Engagement, and Opportunity (CEO) committee in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering.

Neeley has been on faculty of the School of Engineering & Applied Science since 1979 and might be best described as a English major who found her calling in engineering. She is inspired by the potential of technology to promote human flourishing and by an understanding of engineering as a potentially ideal combination of practicality and vision.

Jesse Pappas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Society. He currently teaches multiple sections of STS 2600: Engineering Ethics and serves as co-director of UVA's Engineering Character Strength Initiative and West Point's Character Assessment Planning Initiative.

Since the 1980s, Bryan pioneered the anthropology of technology (AoT). His influential works, cited over 5,000 times, emphasize technology's socio-cultural context. At UVA, he shaped AoT using interdisciplinary insights. Key publications apply anthropological theories to technology's cultural impact, referencing concepts like those of Victor Turner

Karina researches how people think about "good work" in the digital age. Trained as a sociologist, they use qualitative methods to get at how people critique technology and labor, and how they try to fix it. They are writing a book for MIT Press about what happens when high-status tech workers in Silicon Valley become disillusioned with their jobs.

Bryn Seabrook's research interests include, bioethics, public participation in environmental policymaking, energy efficiency, climate change, negotiating the environmental - consumer nexus, and analyzing American consumer culture.

Ingrid Soudek Townsend joined the Engineering faculty in 1973 as the first full-time female faculty of the school. She served as the chair of the STS department for more than seven years. The Townsend Prize, awarded twice a year to the best undergraduate research paper in STS 101, was created to honor her legacy. Townsend retired in May 2008. 

I am a social scientist who studies how people work together to learn about nature and technology. In particular, recognizing the crucial contributions of technicians, students, and community members can help us build more inclusive, equitable, and socially beneficial research teams.