The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently published their new initiative called AI RACE. Meant to give civil engineers a framework for how to use artificial intelligence systematically, this roadmap was developed over a two-day period in September during ASCE’s 2026 AI Summit. Many leaders in the society emphasize the importance of this document for civil engineers everywhere in a recent news article.

To celebrate the end of October 2026, here are some interesting events to look forward to in November:

The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has a webinar through which Licensed Professional Engineers can earn up to 4 professional development hours. This webinar, called Ethics Day Seminar-2026, is hosted by the Alabama state society of NSPE. This webinar will start on Friday, November 6th 2026 at 8:00am CST.

Additionally, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) has a workshop led by Region III Professionals Chair, Tiffany Borden. The workshop will be on November 20th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm EST. The workshop will explore case studies, decision making tools, and what it means to practice ethical engineering in the real-world using an interactive teaching method.

IEEE has issued a call for papers for their upcoming ETHICS-2027 conference. It is sponsored by the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT). NIEE was a sponsor and host for this event in 2023 and has been very supportive of this conference series. This year, the conference is hosted by The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. 

The main exploration this year is how to cultivate technology that serves society responsibly, concentrating on trust, equity, accessibility, and public well-being. Additional focus will be placed on how to prepare engineers and technology professionals for the challenges that artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, digital platforms, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies create. ETHICS-2027 will examine how we develop technologies in ways that advance their positive social impact through education, personal growth, and ethical leadership. 

The deadline for submissions is January 11, 2027. For more information, please visit the IEEE ETHICS-2027 website.

The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) organized a weeklong celebration called Ethics Week. This year, programming ran from September 12-20. The goal was to showcase the depth and broad spectrum of IEEE’s engagement with ethical issues in engineering, research, and technology practice. Through a series of webinars, panels, talks, seminars, and roundtables, many ideas were discussed among professors and professionals. NIEE participation included co-sponsorship of a talk by Andrew McAninch titled ‘But What Can I Do About It?’: Navigating Collective Action Problems in the Engineering Ethics Classroom. To engage students in Ethics Week programming, the Ecuador section chapter, E25, held a competition during which teams prepared an ethical analysis and presentation for the chance to win a cash prize: Student and Young Professional Ethics Competition Ecuador 2026. Additionally, the Lebanon section chapter, COM19, held a Hackathon that focused on accessibility and ethical design: Designing Hope in Action: Digital Solutions That Help Us Bloom. These events and more can be found on the Ethics Week website.

NIEE proudly served as a technical cosponsor for the IEEE ETHICS-2023 conference, held May 18-20, 2023 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. For those wishing to discover (or rediscover) some of the excellent scholarship presented and discussed at this event, you can find the conference proceedings on the IEEE Xplore platform. Additionally, the IEEE TechEthics group recorded a panel session during the conference, which is now available on the IEEE.tv platform: 4 + 1: The Impacts of Academia, Economics, Government and Civil Society on Sustainable Development. We hope you will explore these resources, and also keep an eye on this space for future event and initiative announcements!

A recent poll carried out by Gallup, Inc. found notable declines in public perceptions of “honesty and ethical standards” across 23 professions. In 2019, 66% of respondents rated engineers as high or very high on the scale, falling to 60% in 2023. Engineers maintained their position as the second most trusted group on the list, second only to nurses (falling from 85% to 78% over the same period) and just ahead of dentists, medical doctors, and pharmacists. Ratings for college teachers took a larger dip, falling from 49% (2019) to 42% (2023). The results also show notable differences in ratings based on the educational attainment and political orientation of survey respondents. For more details, see Gallup’s summary: Ethics Ratings of Nearly All Professions Down in U.S.