I'm Kate Kelley, an EIT working as a structural engineer.
I write and speak about ethics, with a focus on 'paradigm-level' ethical problems and practical ways for working professionals to recognize and address those problems.
I have led discussions at the University of Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and have won several awards for my writing on a variety of ethical prompts. I have also completed graduate-level coursework on Civil Engineering Ethics with Dr. Usmen at Wayne State University.
Email: thecivilcivil@gmail.com
Speaking
I give talks and lead discussions about ethics in STEM fields, with a focus on:
- Helping students and professionals identify the social and political impacts and ethical implications of their work - beyond the scope of typical ethics education.
- Providing audiences with specific strategies and resources so they can continue to broaden their ability to identify biases, harmful systemic/cultural attitudes, and ethical oversights.
- Promoting professional organization, discussion, and collaboration to encourage and support ethical behavior.
Interested in having me as a speaker? Contact me: thecivilcivil@gmail.com
Previous Speaking Engagements
University of Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
I have had the opportunity to speak twice to MUROP discussion groups about ethics, with a focus on exploring the problem of 'big picture' ethical challenges that can be harder to spot than more typically discussed issues like theft or lying.
Wayne State University - Ethics in Engineering & Construction Management - with Dr. M. A. Usmen
In this graduate level course I researched and prepared a 20 minute presentation on the subject of objectivity in decision making and the various cognitive and implicit biases that inherently hamper objectivity and offered potential solutions for methods to redress those biases.
Note that since this presentation was prepared evidence has come to light casting doubt on the validity of the implicit bias test.