FES: Who Engineers Are in the World

By David Cowan Jr., P.E., ENV SP, VICE PRESIDENT, FES REGION V

Florida Engineering Society engineers are the problemsolvers, builders and innovators who shape the world we live in. Civil engineers design and maintain the roads, bridges, and water and sewer systems that keep our communities connected and healthy. Mechanical engineers develop machinery, vehicles and manufacturing systems that drive our economy. Electrical engineers power our homes, businesses and cities through safe and reliable energy distribution.

Engineers also push the boundaries of human achievement by building spacecraft that carry us beyond earth by developing advanced computer systems and artificial intelligence. Every day, engineers solve problems that we could not even imagine a few days prior. Across every discipline, engineering is rooted in service to society, ensuring that people have safe, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure and technology.

Recently, I sat in an Order of the Engineer’s Ceremony and contemplated the oath that those engineers were taking, which is provided in part below. I encourage you to read the entire ceremony available on their website: www.order-of-the-engineer.org.

As an engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect; and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of the earth’s precious wealth.

As an engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and with deep fidelity to my profession, I shall give my utmost.

— FROM THE OBLIGATION OF AN ENGINEER

This promise summarizes in so many ways the role we as engineers play in the safety of the public and this precious earth we call home.

The History Of Safety And Ethics In Engineering

The practice of engineering has always carried with it an ethical duty. In the 19th century, Benjamin Wright, often called the “Father of American Civil Engineering,” exemplified this duty as he supervised the construction of the Erie Canal with integrity and accountability, ensuring that the work met the highest standards for public benefit.

Wright was pressed upon by many political interests with respect to the path that the canal should take. The route selected was, by his determination, the most efficient and cost-effective, regardless of the financial benefit it would provide to the cities it passed through and ended at.

Washington Roebling, chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, faced immense technical and personal challenges but remained steadfast in ensuring the bridge foundation was safe, even as his observation of the sub-aqueous construction caused decompression illness from his time in the caissons, a sacrifice we would not ask for or condone today.

These examples remind us that engineering is not just about technical excellence but also about responsibility to people. In the modern era, engineers making decisions in areas like autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, or renewable energy face similarly difficult challenges — needing to balance innovation with public safety, privacy, and environmental stewardship.

The essence of engineering ethics remains the same. We must make the right decision even when it is hard. Engineers in the future will look back at what we do and be the judge.

Professional Organizations And Licensure

Professional organizations play a central role in encouraging ethical and responsible practice. Through codes of ethics, professional development opportunities and peer networks, these organizations remind engineers of their responsibility to act honorably and place the public welfare above personal or corporate interests. Licensure provides a pathway for engineers to be trained and tested so they can be trusted to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Licensed engineers bear the duty of signing and sealing documents, remaining accountable for their work into the future. Just as doctors take responsibility for critical medical decisions, engineers in aerospace and aviation sign off on designs and modifications of systems where lives depend on flawless performance.

In power generation and distribution, rigorous quality control ensures reliability and safety on a massive scale, which becomes more relevant all the time with bad actors continuously testing this system. It is equally vital that experienced engineers mentor the next generation— passing on lessons, preventing past mistakes from recurring, and cultivating leaders who will raise the standard of practice even higher.

Safety Is Our Responsibility

Every engineer carries a responsibility not just to their employer or client, but to the profession and society as a whole. Our work defines the safety, resilience and progress of the world around us. We must uphold ethical practice at all times, ensuring that public health and safety come before profit or convenience. Our reports, recommendations and designs should be based on fact, never swayed by bias or interests. A report prepared by an engineer should carry the same truth, whether it is read by a buyer, a seller, a government official or the public.

By committing to integrity, mentoring future engineers, and holding ourselves accountable, we preserve the prestige of engineering and ensure that our profession continues to serve humanity with honor and safety.