Undergrads Compete in NJIT's First Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Competition
Undergraduates Nora Mahgoub ’25 and Victoria Pirog ’25 are already solving complex ethical dilemmas of today’s engineering world, and doing so on a grand stage, as the first NJIT students to compete at Lockheed Martin’s annual Ethics in Engineering Competition.
Mahgoub and Pirog recently joined other two-student teams from more than 70 U.S. colleges and universities at Lockheed Martin’s fifth annual case competition, held at its Center for Leadership Excellence in Bethesda, Md., Feb. 27 through March 1.
The bracket-style, head-to-head competition, described by organizers as “compelling students to think about the importance of ethics in the workplace,” has been a pressure-packed, one-of-a-kind journey that the pair of mechanical engineering majors say they embraced from the start.
“It was an honor knowing we’d be the first group from NJIT to participate in this event and that we would be a group of two female mechanical engineers leading it,” said Pirog, a Clifton, N.J. native who is involved with the Highlander Racing team.
“Representing NJIT for the first time, there was some nervousness going in,” said Mahgoub, a Mount Laurel, N.J. native and member of NJIT’s Robotics Club. “At the same time, there was so much excitement thinking about what it would be like if we did well, who we could network with and the overall bonding experiences we could share on the road to this event.”
The duo first met in their Engineering Ethics course last fall as Albert Dorman Honors College students, and eventually began planning for the event with faculty-advisor, NJIT humanities and ethics professor Gareth Edel.
Ahead of the event, Mahgoub and Pirog received the competition’s case details involving two fictional defense contractors developing a VR training simulator for U.S. service members. However, a dispute was raised over whether to delay its deployment in the field when cyber vulnerabilities in the product were uncovered.
On competition day, teams were given a side of the case to represent — offering their solutions to the ethical, business and engineering challenges of the dilemma before a judge’s panel, which graded teams based on criteria such as their analysis, solution, persuasiveness and presentation.
“The competition was set up as a business meeting between two companies, which got us thinking collaboratively and about other sides of engineering, such as aspects of contract law,” explained Pirog. “But as mechanical engineers, we had to put in extra research into the cybersecurity issues.”
“Professor Edel really helped us refine our arguments and begin thinking critically from an ethics point of view, and we found key sources to talk to about the technical aspects of the case beforehand,” said Mahgoub. “We were able to garner insight from actual engineers and people whose careers in cybersecurity paralleled the nature of the case.
“We even happened to meet a cybersecurity expert from Lockheed Martin outside our hotel elevator and started discussing the case with them … we took every bit of insight we could get, which was crucial in my opinion.”
Ultimately, the NJIT team’s efforts were enough to overcome several rounds of opponents, including the likes of West Point, while making it to the round of sixteen.
“I knew that we could get to that position and I’m so glad we did,” said Pirog. “One of the highlights for me was during our final round … the opposing team from Florida Tech, the judges and moderators were all women. Afterwards, we all had a great conversation and made professional connections, which was a big benefit of the competition.”
For now, both students say the experience has already broadened their horizons and instilled new confidence as they transitioning to their careers as young engineers.
“It was incredibly motivating to get to speak and listen to such experienced engineers at Lockheed Martin talk about how they began their careers … it’s eased my anxiety as I become more career-focused,” said Mahgoub.
“This trip was action-packed and offered so many opportunities. I'll remember it for the rest of my life.”
