Last month, Professor Justin Hess of Purdue University delivered the final installment of the Fred Kan Distinguished Lecture in Engineering Ethics. 

Since its establishment in 2019, the series has served as a unique platform for thought leaders from across North America to share their research and insights. It has also inspired enhanced discourse around ethics within the U of T Engineering community and beyond.  

Designed as an annual forum for critical reflection, the series brings together faculty, students, alumni and practitioners to examine the societal dimensions of engineering practice. 

The series was made possible through the generous support of U of T alum, Fred Kan (MechE 6T4). Kan is a double graduate of U of T, first earning his BASc in mechanical engineering in 1964 and returning to earn his JD from the Faculty of Law in 1967.  

Kan’s commitment to engineering ethics provided the vision on which this lecture series was created. 

“Engineering ethics isn’t about being restrictive — it’s about being thoughtful,” says Kan. 

“Most engineers I’ve met want to do the right thing; they just need the space and encouragement to think about the broader impact of their work. When that happens, the solutions they come up with are not only innovative but genuinely responsible. That was always the central vision for this lecture series, and I’m thrilled that it has been able to accomplish this”. 

Distinguished speakers featured in the series work at the intersection of technical and social domains. They represent a diverse range of fields, such as biomedical engineering, infrastructure, machine learning and self-driving vehicles — all of which present unique insights into the central theme of ethics.  

These lectures included:  

  • 2019 – 2020: Beyond the Code: How Should we Teach Engineers about Ethical Decision Making? Featuring Professor Robert Irish (ISTEP) 
  • 2022 – 23: Ethics and the Future of Automated Mobility – Two Challenges. Featuring Professor Jason Millar, University of Ottawa 
  • 2023 – 24: Audits and Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Featuring Deborah Raji (EngSci 1T9) 
  • 2024 – 25: Just, Creative, and Cooperative: Our Shared Infrastructural Future. Featuring Professor Deborah Chachra, Olin College of Engineering 
  • 2025 – 26: What Inspires Ethical Research? Lessons from Biomedical Engineering Faculty. Featuring Professor Justin Hess, Purdue University 

Through diverse perspectives, these talks have illustrated how technical decision-making interacts with political, cultural and ethical dimensions of engineering work. 

The series has also led to new encounters that have led to further scholarly collaboration, underscoring the series’ role as a catalyst for academic and professional exchange. 

Professor Cindy Rottmann (ISTEP), academic lead of the lecture series, emphasizes the impact of this kind of collaboration.  

“The Fred Kan lecture has been a phenomenal vehicle for engineering ethics education, research and professional practice, providing us with the opportunity to catalyze connections between faculty, staff, students, alumni and international scholars engaged in this work,” says Rottmann. 

“It invites us to pause for a moment and consider why we do what we do, not just how we do it. The lectures reinforce what we teach here at ISTEP: that engineering challenges are never purely technical. They are always both social and technical. 

“I’m grateful to Fred Kan for helping amplify the impact of our teaching and research programs, and bringing leading thinkers in AI, infrastructure and engineering education to the U of T community,” she says.   

“Thanks to Fred Kan’s generosity, the profile and reach of our scholarship continues to grow — helping future engineers engage with ethical dilemmas in professionally relevant ways.”